What's the Short Version?
The Manager, AI Strategy & Enablement is accountable for executing SanMar's enterprise approach to AI adoption so it becomes a trusted, practical, and scalable capability across the organization. This role influences AI strategy, and drives how employees use AI in daily work, how teams test AI-powered workflows safely, and how successful ideas scale into supported solutions.
Partnering with business, IT, and Architecture leaders, this role connects AI opportunities to measurable outcomes while ensuring AI usage aligns with governance, security, cost controls, and responsible AI standards. The Manager also leads and develops the AI Enablement team and sets clear priorities, expectations, and results.
What Will You Be Doing?
- Influence and execute the AI enablement strategy and roadmap aligned to enterprise priorities and emerging AI capabilities.
- Act as an internal AI advisor to IT delivery teams, Architecture, and enterprise AI initiatives — ensuring insights from adoption and experimentation inform platform and architectural decisions.
- Partner with business leaders to identify, prioritize, and sequence high-value AI use cases.
- Lead enterprise adoption of Microsoft Copilot, including rollout approach, engagement, and sustained usage.
- Establish role-based AI literacy programs with Talent Development that build confidence and everyday use.
- Measure adoption, usage, and business outcomes, using insights to improve the program and roadmap.
- Design and operate governed AI experimentation environments that enable safe innovation.
- Enable teams to test AI-powered workflows and agents within their business domains using approved guardrails.
- Define pathways and criteria to promote successful experiments into production solutions in partnership with IT and Architecture.
- Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing AI Enablement team through clear goals, feedback, and support.
- Communicate priorities, progress, and results with credibility to audiences from individual contributors to executives.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
- Comply with all policies and standards.
What Are We Looking For?
- Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business, or equivalent practical experience
- At least 4-6 years of progressive experience in technology roles with exposure to AI tools, automation, and enterprise adoption.
- 1-3 years of experience leading or managing a team.
- Ability to evaluate emerging technology and translate it into prioritized enterprise recommendations
- Experience driving technology adoption programs with measurable business impact
- Hands-on experience with a range of AI tools including Microsoft Copilot, Copilot Studio, Anthropic Claude, ChatGPT, etc.
- Proven ability to influence strategy and evangelize new capabilities across diverse audiences
- Working knowledge of AI concepts such as large language models, prompt design, and AI agents
- Experience designing or operating governed experimentation or sandbox environments
- Familiarity with enterprise AI platforms such as Azure OpenAI or Azure AI Studio
- Understanding of responsible AI practices, security, and data privacy expectations
- Strong communication and influencing skills across technical and non-technical audiences
- Facilitation skills for workshops, training sessions, and leadership briefings
- Ability to build, sustain, and lead a high-performing team
- Experience with workflow automation or low-code platforms
What's Our Offer?
Salary Range: You`ll earn between $150,000 - $200,000 annually, depending on experience.
Bonus: You`ll be eligible for an annual discretionary bonus up to 15% of base salary.
Paid Time Off: You`ll accrue paid time off on a bi-weekly basis based on hours worked up to 152 hours per year to start. Employees also receive 8 paid holidays and 1 paid family day off.
Additional Benefits:
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
- 401k plan and matches $1 for $1 up to 4% of earnings, matched & vested at every pay cycle
- Life insurance
- Short/long-term disability coverage
- Paid maternity/paternity leave
- Pet insurance
What Should You Expect?
Hybrid: SanMar's Eastpointe office is located in Issaquah, WA in the Seattle metropolitan area. Employees are required to work in our offices Tuesday through Thursday each week and additional days may be added based on business needs. Our standard working hours are 8:00-5:00 PST. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to use hands to finger, handle or feel. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Work environment is moderately quiet. Ability to work on computer for multiple hours with frequent interruptions. Quarterly travel may be required.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business, or equivalent
- 4-6 years of progressive experience in technology roles with exposure to AI tools
- 1-3 years of experience leading or managing a team
- Hands-on experience with a range of AI tools including Microsoft Copilot
- Experience designing or operating governed experimentation environments
- Familiarity with enterprise AI platforms such as Azure OpenAI
SanMar Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about SanMar and has not been reviewed or approved by SanMar.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as comprehensive, including medical, dental, vision, life and disability, alongside an EAP and digital mental‑health and chronic‑condition tools. Benefits are often characterized as solid for the company's size, supporting positive views of total rewards.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) plan with company match and per‑pay‑period vesting is repeatedly highlighted, reinforcing retirement support as a core element of the package. This straightforward match is framed as competitive within the company’s industry context.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off with holiday schedules and a dedicated family day are emphasized, alongside documented paid parental leave. Role‑specific postings also indicate PTO accrual that begins early and grows with tenure.
SanMar Insights
What We Do
SanMar’s success and growth can be attributed to one thing - outstanding employees who provide superior services and products to our customers. We promote a culture that recognizes the importance of a healthy work-life balance. Recognizing that happy and relaxed employees make better ambassadors for SanMar, we encourage initiative and participation by creating a casual environment that taps full employee potential. Family owned since 1971, SanMar is an award-winning supplier of over 20 retail and private brands of imprintable apparel and accessories, including Port Authority, America’s No. 1 preferred private label. SanMar is the exclusive distributor of Nike Golf, Eddie Bauer®, OGIO® and New Era®. SanMar is based outside Seattle, WA, with eight national distribution centers. We invest in your future with life-enhancing opportunities and benefits including: • Competitive pay and bonuses • Competitive benefits • Company paid time off (PTO) • Life insurance • 401(k) plan with matching fund • Flexible spending program • Anniversary awards • Discounts on brand name clothing • Diverse and laid-back atmosphere • One floating family holiday every year • Monthly employee events • Charitable giving of your choice • Flexible schedules We’re growing and encourage you to find out what over 4,000 employees call the “The SanMar Difference.” SanMar is currently accepting resumes for those who have the necessary skills. SanMar is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
