Director - Applied AI

At ACT, Your Work Makes a Difference

Education has power - a power that changes lives forever. It creates opportunities that lift up individuals, their families, and sparks societal change that echoes through generations to come. From our grassroots we have fought the good fight for equity in education, and we remain devoted to helping anyone who struggles to access that power. This is what matters to us and we must do better -- we've never been more sure of our purpose.

ACT team members are part of an organization dedicated to a mission that has never been more important: Helping people achieve education and workplace success. Advancing that mission within our organization, by helping our team members achieve education and workplace success of their own, is core to our values. ACT values a diverse workplace and is committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable environment in which every team member has an opportunity to grow.

We want our team members to have the well-being and confidence they need to do their best work, in an environment where both they and ACT thrive. To support this, our total rewards include company paid life insurance, medical, dental, vision, flexible health and dependent spending accounts, 401(k) retirement savings with company match, paid holidays, paid time off, and so much more. You can find a comprehensive list of our benefits here.

We are seeking a Director, Applied AI to help us fulfill that mission.

As the Director, Applied AI, you will guide ACT's efforts to explore, apply, and integrate artificial intelligence solutions that advance our mission. You will lead a small cross-functional team focused on translating the potential of AI into practical, high-impact applications across the organization.

The finalist will be hired at the salary and level commensurate with their qualifications. For this position, we anticipate offering an annual salary in the range of $160,000 to $190,000. ACT manages salaries within the range based on relevant factors including, skills, experience, and internal equity.

Location: This is a remote position, based in the United States.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for visa sponsorship.

What you will be working on:

• Lead Applied AI Strategy and Execution
• Serve as ACT's internal thought leader on applied AI, monitoring emerging technologies and trends.
• Develop and communicate a vision for responsible AI use aligned with ACT's mission and values.
• Partner with business leaders to identify high-value opportunities for AI implementation.
• Enable and Educate the Workforce
• Create and deliver training sessions, workshops, and resources to build AI fluency across ACT.
• Empower staff with tools and knowledge to responsibly use AI in their daily work.
• Drive Business Impact with AI Solutions
• Collaborate with product, research, and operational teams to design and recommend AI-enabled solutions that solve real business challenges.
• Evaluate feasibility, business case, and ROI of AI initiatives.
• Ensure ethical AI practices and compliance with governance frameworks.
• Support Technology Implementation
• Partner with ACT's technology teams to integrate AI into internal platforms and external products.
• Provide technical and strategic guidance on model selection, data requirements, and integration best practices.
• Within 1 month, you will gain a high-level understanding of ACT's products, services, and data landscape, and begin building relationships with key stakeholders.
• Within 3 months, you will have delivered early recommendations on priority AI opportunities and launched initial staff training.
• Within 6 months, you and your team will have piloted AI solutions that demonstrate measurable business or learner impact.

Role Progression:

• Within 1 month, you will gain a high-level understanding of ACT's products, services, and data landscape, and begin building relationships with key stakeholders.
• Within 3 months, you will have delivered early recommendations on priority AI opportunities and launched initial staff training.
• Within 6 months, you and your team will have piloted AI solutions that demonstrate measurable business or learner impact.

This could be the job for you if you have (minimum requirements):

• At least 7 years of professional experience in AI, data science, or technology innovation.
• A strong knowledge and demonstrated success in applying and delivering Generative AI solutions at scale, either through custom development or within off-the-shelf solutions
• Demonstrated success leading teams and delivering AI solutions from concept to implementation
• Strong knowledge of machine learning, natural language processing, predictive modeling and emerging AI tools
• Experience with agentic AI solutions in a business context
• Experience with cloud-based AI deployment (AWS, Azure)
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex AI concepts to non-technical audiences
• Strategic thinking with the ability to balance vision, execution, and ethical considerations
• Experience building consensus and influencing stakeholders at all levels
• Skills and knowledge required for success in this position attained through experience, education (Bachelor's degree in computer science, data science, business, education, or related field), or an equivalent combination of both

It's a plus if you have:

• Experience applying AI in education, assessment, or workforce development contexts.
• Familiarity with responsible AI frameworks, data governance, and model transparency best practices.
• Hands-on experience integrating AI into SaaS platforms, APIs, or enterprise systems.

About ACT

When ACT was founded in 1959, it disrupted the assessment industry with a new approach to helping students better understand their readiness so they could take steps to improve it. By leveraging our expertise and authority in assessment and research, we will again disrupt the industry-helping more people learn, better measure their progress, and improve their navigation through life's transitions.

More than ever before, ACT is fulfilling its mission of helping people achieve education and workplace success. We're doing it by pushing the boundaries of learning innovation through the work of our people, who we call team members because we're all in this together.

We know transformation does not come without challenge. That's why ACT invests in a variety of experiences for team members to strengthen their connections, explore ideas, learn from customers, and celebrate success.

Learn more about working at ACT at act.org!

ACT is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. ACT participates in E-verify. ACT's online position announcements are intended only to provide general descriptions of employment opportunities; none of the information provided for any position should be interpreted as a commitment by ACT to specific terms and conditions for employment.

Completion of the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate is recommended. Find a testing site near you to register for the WorkKeys assessments. Finalists for this position will be subject to a criminal background check as a condition of employment.

**If you have received an ACT employment-related communication from an email address that is not affiliated with @act.org and/or that requests personal or financial information, please do not reply. Instead, reach out to us at careers@act.org with the details. ACT's recruitment team appreciates your interest in working with us to transform college and career readiness pathways for all learners and wishes you the best of luck in your career journey.*