Assistant Director, Digital Enablement

About the Opportunity

Job Summary

The Assistant Director of Digital Enablement provides strategic and operational leadership across digital solutions consulting, solutions engineering, and training, with a significant focus on AI enablement across the university. This role intentionally unifies consultation, solution design, implementation, and training into a single, integrated service model recognizing that effective consultations are inherently instructional, strong training is consultative, and successful digital solutions require both. A primary role of this position is the ability to work closely with senior stakeholders (Director, VP, etc.) to create and shape AI transformation roadmaps, research and evaluate vendors that can deliver on strategic AI initiatives.

Reporting to the Director of Digital Solutions and Global Client Experience, the Assistant Director oversees multidisciplinary teams responsible for enabling the university community to effectively adopt and use enterprise platforms, AI-powered tools, and digital workflows. This role serves as a bridge between campus needs and IT capabilities, ensuring solutions are user-centered, scalable, well-documented, and supported by high-quality enablement experiences.

A core emphasis of this role is AI enablement: guiding the adoption, diffusion, and effective use of AI platforms and AI-embedded tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot and other emerging technologies) through solution design, process reengineering, consulting, training, and change management. The Assistant Director will directly oversee senior AI-focused roles and is expected to model strong AI fluency, ethical use, and practical application across administrative and academic contexts.

24/7 business continuity:

This role requires occasional availability outside of traditional working hours to address urgent business needs as they arise, including, but not limited to, responding to security incidents, supporting software deployments, resolving software issues or system breaks, and addressing other critical operational requirements. The ideal candidate must be proactive and adaptable, ensuring minimal disruption to business operations by promptly addressing any issues, regardless of time or day. Flexibility and a strong sense of urgency are essential for success in this position.

Other duties as required:

This role requires flexibility in performing duties outside of the primary responsibilities to support evolving business needs. The ideal candidate must be adaptable and willing to take on additional tasks or projects as required, ensuring smooth operations across the organization. This may include stepping in to assist with cross-functional teams, handling unexpected challenges, or contributing to initiatives that support business growth and success. A proactive mindset and the ability to pivot quickly are essential for thriving in this dynamic environment.

Hybrid work schedule:

This role is hybrid and in the office a minimum of three days a week to facilitate collaboration and teamwork. In-office presence is an essential part of our on-campus culture and allows for engaging directly with staff and students, sharing ideas, and contributing to a dynamic work environment. Being on-site allows for stronger connections, more effective problem-solving, and enhanced team synergy, all of which are key to achieving our collective goals and driving success.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. The University is unable to work sponsor for this role, now or in the future.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business, Education, or a related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• 7+ years of experience in digital solutions consulting, solutions engineering, training, product/platform ownership, or digital transformation roles.

• Incumbent must have the ability to blend front-facing, executive level consulting skills with deep technical knowledge to identify opportunities where AI opportunities can create significant value to the organization.

• Demonstrated leadership experience managing multidisciplinary teams (consulting, engineering, training, or enablement).

• Strong experience with enterprise platforms and productivity tools (e.g., Microsoft 365, Power Platform, ServiceNow, Qualtrics, collaboration tools).

• Demonstrated experience enabling adoption of AI tools and platforms, including training, consulting, or solution design.

• Proven ability to translate business needs into practical, user-centered digital solutions.

• Experience designing and delivering training or enablement programs in higher education or a complex enterprise environment.

• Exceptional communication, stakeholder engagement, and change management skills.

• Strong analytical skills with experience using metrics to guide decision-making and demonstrate impact.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading or supporting AI programs, platforms, or AI-embedded enterprise tools.

• Familiarity with AI governance, ethical use frameworks, and risk considerations.

• Agile, Scrum, ITIL, or change management experience.

• Experience working in higher education or similarly complex, federated organizations.

Key Accountabilities & responsibilities

1) Integrated Digital Solutions Leadership- Provide strategic and operational leadership for digital solutions consulting, solutions engineering, and training as a unified function. Define and evolve service offerings that intentionally blend consultation, solutioning, and enablement. Ensure consistent intake, prioritization, delivery, and documentation of digital solutions engagements across the university.

2) AI Enablement and Strategy - Lead the university’s AI enablement efforts within Digital Solutions, including consultation, solution design, training, and diffusion. Serve as program manager for the AI enablement program, establishing the roadmap, governance-aligned operating model, intake and prioritization mechanisms, and success metrics for AI adoption across the university. Partner with stakeholders to identify high-impact AI use cases where current processes or jobs can be reengineered to utilize AI, guide responsible adoption, and ensure AI tools are embedded into real workflows through consulting, solution design, and training. Oversee or collaborate closely with AI-focused roles and ensure alignment with institutional AI governance, risk, and ethics frameworks.

3) Solutions Engineering and Consulting Oversight - Oversee solution engineering and consulting activities that translate business needs into effective, supportable digital solutions using enterprise platforms (e.g., Microsoft 365, ServiceNow, Qualtrics, Miro, AI platforms). Ensure solutions emphasize out-of-the-box capabilities, scalability, and maintainability. Guide teams in requirements gathering, process mapping, solution design, testing, and handoff.

4) Training, Enablement, and Adoption - Oversee the design and delivery of training and enablement experiences that support adoption of digital and AI-enabled solutions. Ensure training offerings are practical, workflow-centered, and aligned with real consultative engagements. Establish standards for instructional quality, learning experience design, and measurement of training effectiveness and impact.

5) Continuous Improvement, Metrics, and Research - Establish metrics to measure and report on adoption, impact, and satisfaction across solutions and training. Monitor trends in digital transformation and AI, evaluate emerging tools, and continuously improve service models. Use data and feedback to refine offerings, retire low-value services, and scale high-impact solutions.

Supervision

This role typically supervises managers, leads, and/or senior individual contributors across digital solutions engineering, consulting, training, and AI enablement functions. The Assistant Director is accountable for team performance, capacity planning, and professional development.

Position Type

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.

Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includesmedical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more information.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Compensation Grade/Pay Type:

Expected Hiring Range:

With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.