C-level Project Leader — AI Strategy Higher Ed

C-level Project Leader — AI Strategy Higher Ed Sanchez Dooner Foundation Philadelphia, PA Job Details Part-time $4,000 - $6,000 a month 18 hours ago Qualifications Stakeholder engagement Strategic management C-level client services experience Master's degree Change management AI Senior leadership

Full Job Description Sector:

Higher Education / AI Strategy /

Organizational Transformation Seniority:

C-level / Senior Executive / Former President, Provost, COO, CIO, CMO, Chief Strategy Officer, or equivalent About the Initiative A university president is advancing a strategic AI initiative focused on helping the institution respond thoughtfully, urgently, and distinctively to the opportunities and disruptions created by artificial intelligence - and to reimagine the university for a post-AI world. This is not a narrow technology implementation project. It is a presidential-level strategy and transformation effort touching institutional positioning, administrative productivity, student experience, workforce readiness, academic differentiation, organizational learning, and long-term competitiveness in a post-AI higher education environment. The work requires both strategic imagination and disciplined execution. We are looking for a senior executive who can help translate a presidential vision into a practical roadmap, align stakeholders, sequence near-term pilots, and keep the work moving without creating unnecessary bureaucracy. The Role We are seeking a Fractional Executive Project Leader to help guide and coordinate this presidential AI strategy initiative and who will partner with the Sanchez Dooner Foundation, which is the financial sponsor this work. (www.sanchezdooner.org) The ideal candidate is a deeply experienced executive who has led complex organizations, understands higher education or adjacent mission-driven institutions, and is genuinely engaged with and highly interested in the transformative implications of AI. This person should be comfortable operating at the intersection of strategy, governance, change management, executive communications, and implementation. They must be able to work with presidents, cabinet members, trustees, faculty, staff, and outside partners with credibility, diplomacy, and urgency. This role may be especially attractive to a senior leader at a stage in their career where mission, institutional impact, mentoring, and giving back are at least as important as compensation — while still wanting to contribute meaningfully to one of the most important strategic questions facing higher education. Key Responsibilities The Fractional Executive Project Leader will help: Shape and refine the institution's presidential AI strategy agenda. Translate high-level vision into a practical strategic AI roadmaps. Identify and prioritize high-value administrative AI use cases and pilots. Support the launch of pilot workgroups in areas such as enrollment, marketing, finance, student support, advancement, HR, and operations. Help define governance structures that are lightweight, ethical, and effective. Coordinate cross-functional participation across senior leadership, staff, faculty, and external advisors. Prepare briefings, decision memos, meeting agendas, and progress updates for the president and senior stakeholders. Help distinguish between enterprise AI infrastructure, academic AI policy, administrative productivity, and institutional strategy. Keep the initiative focused on practical adoption, learning, and measurable institutional value. Anticipate stakeholder concerns, especially around ethics, labor impact, mission alignment, academic integrity, privacy, and institutional risk. Help create a culture of informed experimentation rather than either fear-based paralysis or unfocused enthusiasm. Ideal Candidate Profile We are looking for someone who has many of the following qualities: C-level or equivalent executive experience. Prior leadership in higher education, nonprofit, healthcare, philanthropy, consulting, technology, or another complex mission-driven environment. Demonstrated ability to lead enterprise-wide or institution-wide transformation. Strong understanding of AI's strategic implications, even if not a technical AI expert. Comfort working directly with presidents, CEOs, boards, cabinets, and senior leadership teams. Ability to translate complexity into clear choices, roadmaps, and action plans. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. High judgment, discretion, emotional intelligence, and political sophistication. Ability to operate in ambiguous environments without overcomplicating the work.

Strong project leadership discipline:

agendas, timelines, decision logs, workstreams, deliverables, and follow-through. Deep interest in the future of higher education and the role of AI in reshaping institutions. A service-oriented mindset and genuine desire to help a mission-driven university navigate a defining strategic moment. This Person Is Probably Not This is not the right role for someone who is primarily a technologist looking to advise on AI. It is also not the right role for someone who wants to produce a lengthy theoretical report without helping the institution move toward implementation. We are looking for an executive-level strategic operator: someone who can help a president move from insight to alignment to action and who is willing to roll up their sleeves. Attributes We Value Strategic but practical Senior but humble AI-curious and AI-literate Mission-aligned Politically astute Comfortable with ambiguity Fast learner with a curious mind Strong facilitator Clear writer Calm under complexity Able to create momentum without creating noise Time Commitment This is expected to be a fractional role, likely 8-12 hours per week, depending on project phase and candidate availability. The engagement structure can be shaped around the right person. Why This Matters AI will not simply add another tool to higher education. It will reshape how institutions operate, compete, educate, communicate, and create value. Universities that respond well will not be the ones that create the largest committees or the most abstract plans. They will be the ones that combine mission clarity, executive leadership, institutional learning, ethical judgment, and disciplined experimentation. This role is an opportunity to help one university do that work well. #HigherEducation #AIStrategy #HigherEdLeadership #AIInEducation #DigitalTransformation #OrganizationalTransformation #ResponsibleAI #

FractionalExecutive Pay:

$4,000.00 - $6,000.00 per month

Work Location:

Remote