AI Engineer

The AI Engineer supports the redesign of GGU’s data infrastructure and reporting functions, with AI at the core, in partnership with the University’s executive leadership team.

The role has three core responsibilities.

• First, build the AI tools and workflows that make GGU’s reporting functions more effective and efficient, including required reports to outside agencies and internal reports for University leadership.
• Second, build AI tools for data analysis in areas of leadership priority, such as enrollment projections and financial projections.
• Third, design AI tools and workflows to support other leadership priorities as assigned, in coordination with the Vice Provost for Digital Innovation where the work touches the academic experience or shared platforms.

The position reports to the President’s Chief of Staff., Data Reporting Tools and Workflows

• Support the redesign of the University’s data infrastructure and reporting functions, with AI at the core, in partnership with executive leadership.
• Build AI tools and workflows to automate data flows from the University’s student information system (Ellucian Colleague) and other core systems.
• Make the University’s reports faster to produce and more reliable, including required reports to outside agencies and internal reports for leadership.
• Own the AI stack for institutional reporting and analysis: choose models and platforms, design prompts and agents, test for reliability, and manage integrations and costs. Model, platform, and vendor choices that overlap with the academic technology stack are made in coordination with the Vice Provost for Digital Innovation, who holds technology strategy and vendor management for the academic experience.
• Keep the University’s data safe, with FERPA compliance, proper access controls, and good data governance, coordinating with the University’s outsourced IT partner on system access and infrastructure and with GGU Digital where data governance touches academic systems.

Data Analysis Tools

• Build AI tools for analysis in areas of leadership priority, such as enrollment projections and financial projections.
• Work from goals and methods framed by the leadership team, and deliver tools that work and keep working.
• Turn analyses framed in spreadsheets into durable, self-updating tools.

Other Leadership Priorities

• Design AI tools and workflows in other areas of the University as needs arise, coordinating with the Vice Provost for Digital Innovation on any work that extends into the academic experience.
• Advise leadership on what AI tools can and cannot do well in institutional operations, and recommend where they will help most.

• Demonstrated experience building LLM-based tools used in production, including agent workflows, retrieval, structured extraction, tool use, and evaluation.
• Strong Python and solid SQL, with enough data engineering experience to connect AI tools to institutional systems reliably.
• A record of AI tools built, shipped, and maintained. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate one.
• The ability to take a well-framed request from a non-technical leader and return a working tool, independently.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively with senior leadership.

Preferred

• Experience in higher education.
• Experience with Ellucian Colleague or another student information system.
• Familiarity with FERPA.

The salary range for this position is $150,000 to $175,000 depending on experience.

Golden Gate University is a private, nonprofit university in San Francisco focused on AI and built for working adults. GGU has served working adults for more than 120 years, and the University is building its future around AI, in its academic programs and in how the institution itself runs. This position is central to the second part.