Operations Support and Artificial Intelligence Manager

University of Texas at Austin•Austin, TX

13d•$87•Hybrid

About The Position

A highly responsive and knowledgeable crew providing outstanding service for Facilities Services and to the university community. Your skills will make a difference. You’ll be working for a university that is internationally recognized for our academic programs and research. Your work will contribute to operational excellence and enhance the student experience. If you’re the type of person that wants to know your work has meaning and impact, you’ll like working in our department and for UT Austin. UT Austin provides an outstanding benefits package including but not limited to: Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%) Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options Generous paid vacation, sick time, and holidays Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan, with employer matching funds Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs: Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b) Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning plus professional conference opportunities. Tuition assistance Expansive employee discount program including athletic tickets Free access to UT Austin’s libraries and museums with staff ID card Free rides on all UT shuttle and Austin CapMetro buses with staff ID card For more details, please see: https://hr.utexas.edu/prospective/benefits and https://hr.utexas.edu/current/services/my-total-rewards. Must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis for any employee without sponsorship. This position provides for work-life balance with typically a 40-hours work week. Security sensitive; Criminal background check conducted on selected applicant. Hiring decision is contingent on applicant clearing check. This job class may contain positions that are security sensitive and thereby subject to the provisions of Texas Education Code §51.215. Applications will be reviewed online by the hiring department. Regular weekday hours required. M-F work hours will flex accordingly and may require evening or weekend availability for special events. The Operations Support and Artificial Intelligence Manager ensures operational success by supporting leadership, coordinating workflows, and promoting efficient business practices across the Facilities Services (FS) Department. This role also drives innovation by leading the adoption and integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies across all FS functions to enhance processes, efficiency, and effectiveness.

Requirements

High school diploma and 10+ years of program management experience, Bachelor’s degree and 5+ years of experience, or Master’s degree and 3+ years of experience (relevant education and experience may substitute as appropriate).
Candidate must have knowledge of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and experience implementing AI solutions for automation, data analysis, and/or operational improvements, as well as the ability to lead the adoption of AI tools and train teams to foster innovation.
Experience/familitarity with some of the following tools: OpenAI - ChatGPT, Anthropic - Claude, Microsoft Copilot Studio, Power Automate, and Power BI.
Additional qualifications include the ability to prioritize responsibilities, manage multiple projects, and meet overlapping deadlines.
Strong organizational, analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills are required, along with general financial knowledge and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and database programs.
Supervisory experience and experience supporting faculty and staff are preferred.
Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in higher education within an academic environment.
The ideal candidate should be innovative, skilled at anticipating changing priorities, a self-starter, highly collaborative, able to work well in changing environments, respond well to feedback, and work well as part of a team.
Skilled at interacting with a variety of constituents/clients.
Experience with DEFINE, Workday, DocuSign, Smartsheet, SharePoint, CoPilot, and Microsoft Power Apps.
Familiarity and knowledge of UT policies and procedures, and an understanding of university organizational, cultural, and academic structure, as well as knowledge of university resources.
Experience with the University's Human Resources policies and procedures.
Proficiency in a second-language, preferably Spanish.

Responsibilities

Administrative Leadership: Lead, guide, and supervise the director’s office senior administrative associate, student associates, and indirectly supervise three operational senior administrative associates. Provide oversight for the department’s administrative team, including training. Facilitate regular administrative meetings to ensure smooth business operations and excellent customer service for a department serving 800 staff and stakeholders. Act as a backup to the administrative staff, assisting with calendaring and visitor coordination.
Artificial Intelligence Leadership: Serve as the department's subject matter expert in Artificial Intelligence (AI) with a deep understanding of AI technologies and proven experience in implementation. Leverage knowledge of department operations to identify opportunities for AI-driven efficiencies and process improvements. Lead the strategy, adoption, and integration of AI tools, including automation, predictive analytics, and data-driven decision-making. Collaborate with leadership, cross-functional teams, and external vendors to implement AI solutions that align with departmental goals and university policies. Support staff education on AI technologies and foster a culture of innovation, monitor emerging trends, and ensure measurable impacts through regular reporting.
Continuous Improvement: Develop and implement short and long-range strategies for improved operational efficiencies and process improvement. Partner with the Facilities Service Support team to formulate, introduce and implement internal departmental policies and practices with authority from the Executive Director and Division leaders. Continuously seek opportunities for process improvement, incorporating best practices and lessons learned into future projects.
Financial: Handle procurement needs, including purchase orders, contracts, software orders, UT Market orders, and ProCard management for the director’s office and Facilities Services Support division. Monitor expenditures and collaborate with key stakeholders to ensure financial resources are allocated effectively to support departmental goals. Collaborate with the Financial Team to execute processes and provide them with information and reports as needed.
FS Leadership: Consistently make impactful contributions as an active participant within the FS Senior Leadership Team. Utilize strategic insight and visionary thinking to play a pivotal role in helping the department succeed. Lead the uniform program for all operational units, serving as the main point of contact for the vendor. Coordinate all uniform activities with division administrative staff and the vendor. Manage the department’s mobile device account, working with BFS to ensure billing accuracy with the account. Oversee the department’s computer replacement fund, working with the Financial Team and the five divisions to ensure proper use of the fund.
Project Management: Lead and manage operational projects and collaborate with and support the Strategic Program Support team on department initiatives as assigned. Work closely with project team members, stakeholders, and cross-functional teams to encourage open communication, collaboration, and synergy. Keep accurate and up-to-date project documentation, including project plans, reports, meeting minutes, and relevant correspondence.
Strategic Planning: Participate in strategic planning discussions, contributing an elevated administrative perspective to support the department's growth and operational objectives. Produce administrative reports, draft correspondence, and collect information as requested by department leadership.
Recruiting Leadership: Supervise and lead the recruiter and all department recruitment efforts, including training, process improvement, and professional development. Oversee the operational aspects of the recruiting process, working with HR partners to initiate, review, and approve personnel requests. Manage relationships with recruiting vendors, oversee contracts and POs, and support recruitment-related administrative processes. Attend vendor meetings as needed.
Relationship Management: Act as the subject matter expert for all administrative functions for the department. Serve as the Department Unit Contact (DUC) for DocuSign, open records coordinator, and collaborate regularly with the University’s Office of Records and Information Management Services. Serve as the departmental liaison with support units such as HRSS, TRECS, BFS, Travel Management Services, sister departments, and outside vendors. Collaborate with staff in other departments to test, pilot, and help implement new programs to improve workflow and processes across various units on campus. Develop long-term relationships built on trust and added value, delivering individually customized solutions to key decision-makers.

Benefits

Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%)
Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options
Generous paid vacation, sick time, and holidays
Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan, with employer matching funds
Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs: Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b)
Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses
Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning plus professional conference opportunities.
Tuition assistance
Expansive employee discount program including athletic tickets
Free access to UT Austin’s libraries and museums with staff ID card
Free rides on all UT shuttle and Austin CapMetro buses with staff ID card