Consulting Director, Higher Education – AI Strategy Lead

Huron helps its clients drive growth, enhance performance and sustain leadership in the markets they serve. We collaborate with education organizations to develop strategies and implement solutions that enable the transformative change our clients need to own their future. Together, we empower clients to drive innovation, create sustainable funding streams and deliver better student outcomes.
Today, leaders of higher education institutions and academic medical centers are spending too much time reacting to market forces, rather than focusing on the essential priorities that help students, faculty and staff thrive. The most productive path forward requires an intentional approach and innovative thinking, whereby stakeholders across the entire institution rally around a shared vision and embrace the hard work of effecting change.
You’ll help our clients to achieve organizational effectiveness, improve student outcomes, implement new technologies and align resources and investments to ensure long-term sustainability.
Join our team as the expert you are now and create your future.

At Huron, Directors represent the pinnacle of professionalism and expertise. They effectively collaborate with Huron and client senior leaders to design and implement goal-achieving solutions while delivering remarkable results (ones that meet but usually exceed specified engagement objectives). Throughout the process, they construct enduring relationships that benefit the firm in profound ways including selling additional project work into clients.
Their talents and leadership instill passion and followership in clients, juniors, and management. So if you’re defined by ongoing progress—if you can lead teams, create solutions, and masterfully communicate on every level…If you’re a consummate professional, a prospective champion of Huron's core values, and an inspiration of confidence and trust… then you can and will—leave your mark on the future of consulting.
The Consulting Director, Higher Education - AI Strategy will drive digital strategy initiatives and delivering impactful solutions. This individual should have led relevant work in digital strategy relating to cloud strategy roadmap, data analytics/AI/ML, org restructure, governance etc.

The successful candidate exhibits superior skill in evaluating and communicating AI-informed technical and process design possibilities to address client business requirements, strategic plans, roadmaps or other institutional objectives. Candidates should possess expert level knowledge of the evolving AI landscape and of higher education reference architectures and business processes and should easily couple that expertise with communication skills sufficient to translate technical concepts into presentations and engagement with non-technical audiences.

The role will have a focus on identifying opportunities to infuse AI into business processes and operations and supporting client ROI analysis for AI investment. Additionally, general knowledge of instructional, pedagogical or research-related applications of artificial intelligence will be needed on a periodic basis.

The Consulting Director, Higher Education - AI Strategy will be a key contributor to ongoing review and revision of existing frameworks and methodologies across Strategy & Operations to ensure that AI is a fully integrated component of that work and that proposals are fully informed by options for using AI to address client need.

The successful candidate should possess superior collaboration skills to partner internally with other business units such as financial forecasting, organizational design / workforce management, and enrollment and student success in promoting the availability and maturity of Huron’s AI-related offerings.

** Willingness and ability to travel up to 50%.  Huron has a Targeted Travel model focused on meeting the expectations of our clients and prioritizing a nimbler and more inclusive environment for our employees. Please discuss your preferences with your recruiter.

Key Responsibilities:

•  Develop and implement AI-informed strategies for higher education institutions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of AI solutions into existing processes.
•  Lead client engagements to identify, propose, and execute innovative solutions.
• Required Skills and Qualifications
• Demonstrated skill applying emerging technologies to business requirements or applying technologies to achieve business transformation objectives.
•  Extensive experience driving digital strategy in professional services or higher education.
• Expert knowledge of AI, cloud strategy roadmaps, and technology reference architectures.
• Expertise across Higher Education enterprise applications, including HRIS, ERP, CRM, analytics and learning technologies.
• Core Competencies
• Exceptional communication skills to articulate technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Superior collaboration skills to work effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong leadership ability to inspire teams and drive results.
• Performance Metrics
• Successful implementation of AI strategies within set timelines.
• Achieving or exceeding client satisfaction scores.
• Meeting revenue targets through successful project delivery.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a related field or equivalent work experience
• Extensive experience driving digital strategy in professional services or higher education
• Leadership experience in driving/creating cloud strategy road maps
• Significant experience with data analytics/AI/ML
• Leadership experience with organization restructures, establishing governance etc.
• Experience with estimating, implementation planning, functional application expertise, and project management
• Excellent communication skills - oral and written - and the interpersonal skills needed quickly to establish relationships of trust and collaboration
• Ability to establish credibility in the eyes of senior-level, financially literate university and hospital executives on the basis of expertise, maturity, and professionalism
• Ability to train and participate in the professional development of Huron staff in both project-management and technical dimensions
• Ability to manage multiple projects of differing scale and duration
• Strong analytical skills used to translate information from meetings into documentation that can be shared with meeting participants and project teams
• Proven thought leadership as indicated by speaking engagements and/or publications a plus

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The estimated base salary range for this job is $165,000 - $225,000.  The range represents a good faith estimate of the range that Huron reasonably expects to pay for this job at the time of the job posting. The actual salary paid to an individual will vary based on multiple factors, including but not limited to specific skills or certifications, years of experience, market changes, and required travel. This job is also eligible to participate in Huron’s annual incentive compensation program, which reflects Huron’s pay for performance philosophy.  Inclusive of annual incentive compensation opportunity, the total estimated compensation range for this job is $206,250 - $303,750. The job is also eligible to participate in Huron’s benefit plans which include medical, dental and vision coverage and other wellness programs. The salary range information provided is in accordance with applicable state and local laws regarding salary transparency that are currently in effect and may be implemented in the future

Position LevelDirector

CountryUnited States of America