Director, AI Studio

Full-time, Admin/Professional role in the Center for AIDE (Pay Grade MN16).

About the role

Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) is a mission-driven, community-based medical university committed to educating health professionals, advancing discovery, and improving the health of our region. The Center for AI & Digital Experience (AIDE) is a joint, mission-driven center established between University Hospitals (UH) and NEOMED to focus on advancing human-centered artificial intelligence in healthcare.

The Director, AI Studio, serves as the senior leader of the Product and Technology Core within the Center for AIDE. This role provides strategic leadership for the design, development, and implementation of AI-driven products (models, algorithms, and applications) for research, operational solutions, and innovation. The Director leads AI product strategy, technical architecture, and development engineering, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and regulatory requirements, while advancing a portfolio of large-scale applied AI projects in medicine and healthcare operations.

Responsibilities

• Product Development and Technical Leadership: Define and execute the strategic vision for the AI Products and Technology Core, including a scalable portfolio of AI-enabled products. Lead front-end product lifecycle activities: concept development, feasibility assessment, research or business case development, technical design, model development, and validation. Establish and inspect system architecture and technical standards for interoperability and regulatory compliance. Collaborate with internal IT teams and external partners to align infrastructure, data access, and security protocols for scalability. Oversee all AI model development and implementation to ensure performance quality.
• Program Oversight and Execution: Direct a portfolio of high-impact, large-scale AI initiatives addressing strategic institutional research, clinical priorities, and operational excellence. Establish and implement a formal intake, evaluation, and prioritization process for project selection. Lead resource allocation and execution planning, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and capacity. Oversee project timelines and bench performance of deliverables. Recruit and supervise key personnel. Ensure projects progress from pilot through validation and, where appropriate, into commercialization pathways.
• Operations, Infrastructure, and Program Enablement: Develop and operationalize core processes for AI product development, including compliance and risk mitigation strategies. Establish foundational technical infrastructure for efficient development and validation of AI solutions. Partner with institutional stakeholders to integrate existing initiatives into the AI Product and Technology Core. Support mechanisms for learner and trainee engagement, including structured opportunities for student participation in applied projects.
• Governance and Institutional Integration: Work with executive leadership to align AI initiatives with institutional strategy. Coordinate with the AI Enablement Senior Manager on responsible AI development and deployment. Serve as key liaison between academic, clinical, and operational stakeholders to facilitate adoption and integration of AI solutions. Provide subject matter expertise on emerging AI trends in healthcare and education. Communicate AI complexities effectively to both AI-fluent and non-AI-fluent audiences, including clinicians and executive leadership.
• Administrative and Program Management: Develop and manage budgets for AI Product and Technology Core operations and project portfolios. Contribute to strategic planning, reporting, and performance evaluation. Support development of materials to communicate program goals, outcomes, and impact. Directly supervise and evaluate multiple employees, including product managers, AI/ML engineers, solutions architects, and data engineers.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in computer science, data science, artificial intelligence, engineering, or a related field.
• 7 years of experience building and managing product or technology initiatives.
• Minimum 2 years leading AI/ML or data science initiatives.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in healthcare, academic medicine, or a similarly complex environment.
• Demonstrated experience in product strategy, technical architecture, and cross-functional team leadership.
• Experience developing and deploying AI or machine learning solutions in clinical or health system settings.
• Demonstrated understanding of AI/ML fundamentals (Generative AI, NLP, computer vision), coding in R and Python, familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, MS Azure/Databricks), modern AI tools (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-Learn, Hugging Face), and version control (Git/GitHub).

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD in computer science, data science, artificial intelligence, engineering, or a related field.
• Experience with innovation program leadership, startup incubation, or product commercialization.
• Familiarity with regulatory, ethical, and governance considerations related to AI in healthcare.
• Experience working with academic, clinical, and operational stakeholders.
• Certificate in human-centered design or design thinking (e.g., IDEOU, LUMA Institute, IBM Design Thinking).

Benefits

• Healthcare: Competitive medical, dental, and vision insurance through Medical Mutual; Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA); short- and long-term disability coverage; long-term care coverage options; life insurance.
• Retirement: State retirement plan with 14% employer matching.
• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation and sick leave, plus 11 paid holidays per year.
• Hybrid work environment (up to two remote days per week after six months, per Policy #3349-7-151).
• Educational benefits with partner universities (Policy #3349-07-45).
• Ongoing professional growth investment through on-site training and Lean Six Sigma certification.
• Employee wellness activities and initiatives supporting work-life balance.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to utilize a phone, computer, and other office equipment.
• Ability and willingness to drive to locations within one hour of Cleveland, Ohio, and travel to off-site events and educational sessions.