Executive Director for AI and Emerging Technologies

Pierce College • Lakewood, WA

13d • Hybrid

About The Position

The mission of Pierce College is to create quality educational opportunities for a diverse community of learners to thrive in an evolving world. The Pierce College District is committed to being an anti-racist institution; to truly be anti-racist we must work deliberately to eliminate barriers that have prevented the most promising and capable students from entering and thriving in college. Pierce College District seeks a strategic and innovative leader to serve as Executive Director for AI and Emerging Technologies. This executive position provides strategic vision, leadership, and operational oversight to position Pierce College as a leader in the responsible, ethical, equitable, and innovative use of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. As Pierce College continues to build institutional capacity for the effective use of artificial intelligence, the Executive Director will help establish a strong foundation for responsible innovation while preparing the College for future technological advancements. The Executive Director is both a strategist and a practitioner, helping the District move from exploration and policy development to implementation, assessment, and continuous improvement of AI-enabled solutions. Reporting to the Chancellor, the Executive Director for AI and Emerging Technologies leads the development and activation of a district-wide, equity-driven strategy, including the identification, evaluation, deployment, and optimization of solutions that support Pierce College’s diverse community of learners and employees. In partnership with the Executive Team, Dean Team, shared governance bodies, and institutional committees, the Executive Director provides strategic leadership and execution to integrate artificial intelligence and emerging technologies across the College's academic, administrative, and operational functions. This senior leader advances initiatives that enhance student success, educational innovation, workforce readiness, employee effectiveness, and operational efficiency across the institution. The Executive Director serves as the District’s primary convener and coordinator for AI and emerging technology initiatives, bringing together stakeholders across divisions, departments, and employee groups to develop shared understanding, identify high-impact opportunities, and advance solutions that improve learning, decision-making, services, and operations. A key aspect of the role is establishing governance structures, frameworks, policies, and practices that support the responsible, ethical, and equitable adoption of AI and emerging technologies in alignment with institutional values, strategic priorities, and regulatory requirements. Working collaboratively through a matrix of faculty, staff, subject matter experts, and institutional resources, the Executive Director advances strategic initiatives and drives implementation across the District. As both a visionary and a practitioner, this leader helps Pierce College navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, from collaboratively developing policy and governance structures to implementing practical solutions that strengthen outcomes for students and employees. The Executive Director ensures innovation advances the District’s mission, supports equitable outcomes, and prepares students and employees for the future of work.

Requirements

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university in a relevant field; or an equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible experience.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible management experience, including leadership in strategy, institutional transformation, digital innovation, technology solutions, or a related area; or an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
• Proven experience in AI strategy, digital transformation, or technology leadership within higher education or a similar complex organization.
• Experience with budget planning, compliance frameworks, and performance metrics.
• Experience leading initiatives in complex, decentralized, or matrixed organizations.
• Strong understanding of AI technologies, trends, ethical principles, risk management and their application in education.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate, collaborate, and engage effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success building consensus among diverse stakeholder groups and shared governance environments.
• Meet the required qualifications as outlined in this announcement.
• Complete the online application profile and apply for the specific job opening.
• Upload (attach) a cover letter that addresses how you meet the required qualifications as outlined in this announcement.
• Upload (attach) detailed résumé of all educational and professional experience.
• Upload (attach) a list of at least three (3) professional references with names, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses. One of which must be your current or most recent supervisor.
• Provide a response to the following question. The College's goal is to support all students and to achieve racial and social equity in pursuit of mission. If you were selected for this position, how would you contribute to and support this goal? Please limit your response to a maximum of 500 words.
• Prior to the start of employment, the finalist for this position will be subject to a criminal background check as a condition of employment.
• For roles in finance or those with cash handling requirements, the successful candidate must consent to and pass a credit check after a conditional offer of employment.
• Must not be in default on any student loans.
• Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment.
• In compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, proof of authorization to work in the United States will be required at the time of hire.
• As a condition of employment, employees must agree to abide by the requirements established in that policy.

Nice To Haves

• Transcripts are not required in order to apply for this position; however, if you are selected for an interview, you will be asked to bring copies of unofficial transcripts showing completion of the required level of education and/or coursework.
• International transcript must include a foreign transcript evaluation.
• Letters of recommendation will not be accepted.

Responsibilities

• Leads the integration of AI and other emerging technologies at Pierce College, including developing and driving Pierce College’s AI strategy and roadmap, establishing a governance framework, guardrails for compliance, policies, processes, and best practices for responsible use and adoption of tools, processes and/or technological enhancements across the enterprise.
• Develop and execute a multi-year equity-driven AI strategy aligned with the institution’s mission and goals.
• Identify opportunities for AI to transform teaching, learning, workforce preparedness, and administrative processes.
• Monitor emerging trends, opportunities, risks, and regulatory developments related to artificial intelligence and emerging technologies and advise executive leadership on strategic implications for the District.
• Lead initiatives to embed AI tools and practices into academic programs, student services, and operational workflows in all areas of the institution.
• Partner with Employee Learning and Development and faculty to incorporate AI into curricula and pedagogy.
• Lead development of policies and frameworks for ethical, responsible, and equitable use of AI, in collaboration with shared governance structures.
• Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and accreditation standards related to AI technologies.
• Work closely with IT, leadership, shared governance bodies, and external partners to implement AI solutions.
• Represent Pierce College in regional, state, and national conversations related to artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
• Develop strategic partnerships with educational institutions, industry leaders, workforce organizations, governmental agencies, and technology providers.
• Position Pierce College as a thought leader in the responsible and equitable adoption of AI in higher education.
• Lead equity-informed institutional change efforts related to AI and emerging technology adoption.
• Build organizational readiness through communication, training, stakeholder engagement, and continuous improvement strategies.
• Foster a culture of innovation, experimentation, and responsible technology use.
• Establish structures and processes that encourage cross-functional collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the scaling of effective practices across the institution.
• Provide strategic leadership for the appropriate use of AI-driven analytics to support student outcomes, operational efficiency, and institutional decision-making.
• Provide leadership and oversight to ensure AI implementations comply with applicable equity, ethical, regulatory, privacy, and institutional requirements, including HIPAA and FERPA.
• Address AI fairness, bias, transparency, and security concerns.
• Coordinate with legal, compliance, and information security teams on AI-related risks.
• Develop frameworks for evaluating and monitoring AI tools and vendors.
• Responsible for the ideation, evaluation, recommendations, and prioritization of generative AI, agentic AI, and artificial general intelligence (AGI) solutions.
• Responsible for implementation of assessment and leading iterative processes for continuous improvement with AI.
• Collaborates with IT and business leaders to support internal solution development and vendor partnerships.
• Partners with HR, Compliance, and Information Security to manage risk and data privacy.

Benefits

• comprehensive health care benefits package for you and your dependents includes medical, dental and vision insurance.
• Life and long- term disability insurance plans
• vacation, sick and personal leave
• reduced tuition
• retirement benefits

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive