We’re looking for a Senior AI & Innovation Specialist to help shape what’s next. In this role, you will identify, evaluate, and rapidly prototype emerging technologies with the potential to transform how we operate and deliver value. You are AI-forward, naturally curious about the rapidly evolving technology landscape, and comfortable leveraging modern AI tools to accelerate research, experimentation, and solution development. Blending strong technical depth with an innovation mindset, you will take ideas from early signals and trends through hands-on experimentation, working side-by-side with developers, data scientists, and business leaders to turn possibilities into practical, high-impact solutions.
What you’ll do as MISO’s Senior AI & Innovation Specialist:
- Identify and evaluate emerging technologies through analysis of industry trends, research, startup ecosystems, and market signals.
- Translate technology signals into actionable business use cases and prioritized innovation opportunities.
- Act as a technical thought partner to leadership, shaping innovation priorities and investment decisions.
- Design and refine structured processes for trendspotting, evaluation, and rapid experimentation.
- Provide clear recommendations to adopt, monitor, defer, or eliminate technologies based on evidence.
- Leverage AI tools (Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code, etc.) to gather requirements and generate live prototypes in real time.
- Conduct hands-on testing of emerging AI technologies to validate their capabilities prior to further development.
- Apply rapid prototyping principles) to accelerate concept-to-prototype cycles.
- Iterate prototypes with customers to refine concepts and validate business value.
- Prioritize and maintain an innovation backlog of use cases, experiments, and hypotheses.
- Navigate organizational governance and policies to support efficient experimentation with new technologies.
Experience/Qualifications we are looking for as our Senior AI & Innovation Specialist:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Analytics, Data Science, or a related field.
- 5+ years in innovation, AI prototyping, product management, or emerging technology roles.
- Strong technical credibility working with engineering and data science teams and influencing non-technical stakeholders.
- Demonstrated experience building prototypes or leading experiments that informed product or strategy decisions.
- Proficiency with AI tools (Claude, Cursor, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot), including hands-on prototyping.
- Experience with Python and GitHub workflows.
- Master’s degree. (preferred)
- Certifications such as Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI‑102), PMI‑ACP, CSM, or design thinking credentials. (preferred)
Appropriate level will be determined based upon experience and knowledge.
Transformative innovation is happening in the electric industry, from digitalizing homes and distributed resources to renewable energy and an ever-changing grid. MISO manages the electricity superhighway in the Central U.S. and through use of groundbreaking research and advanced technology, our highly skilled employees ensure power flows reliably to 45 million Americans. Operating the electricity grid, running a robust energy market, planning for a bright future – it’s what our immensely hardworking and dedicated team does every day.
The base salary compensation range being offered for this role is $114,000-139,000 USD annually. Base salary range for this position is included in accordance with requirements of various state/local pay transparency legislation. Please note that salaries may vary for different individuals in the same role based on several factors, including but not limited to location of the role, individual competencies, education/professional certifications, and qualifications/experience.
Position is also eligible for an annual bonus if individual performance and company objectives are met. At MISO we offer a comprehensive benefits package, including 401k, vacation, sick and safe time, available on your first day of employment.
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What We Do
Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that delivers safe, cost-effective electric power across 15 U.S. states and the Canadian province of Manitoba. MISO is committed to the reliable, non-discriminatory operation of the bulk power transmission system and collaborating with all stakeholders to create cost-effective and innovative solutions for our changing industry. MISO operates one of the world’s largest energy markets with approximately $22 billion in annual gross market energy transactions.
