Hybrid Project Manager, AI – Automation

at Duke Careers

• Job title: Project Manager, AI – Automation
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Mid level, Senior
• Salary: Not specified
• Degree requirement: Bachelor's Degree
• Tech skills: PMP, RPA
• Location requirements: Hybrid, Durham, United States

About the role

• Project Manager managing AI and automation initiatives across HR, finance, and business processes at Duke University. Collaboration with multiple stakeholders to ensure timely delivery and effective communication.

Responsibilities

• Plan, organize, and coordinate a portfolio of AI and automation initiatives across HR/payroll, finance, and business processes.
• Maintain the project pipeline, drive scoping and requirements gathering, and ensure that active projects are delivered on time, within scope, and with clear communication to partners.
• Maintain a central portfolio of candidate and active AI/automation projects, including status, priority, owners, and key dates.
• Design and run lightweight intake and prioritization processes for new project requests from HR, finance, and other business units; track 5+ concurrent projects across discovery, design, implementation, and evaluation.
• Develop and maintain formal project plans with timelines, milestones, testing phases, and implementation steps; coordinate kick-offs, define scope and objectives, and clarify success criteria.
• Monitor progress against plan; identify and escalate risks, issues, and scope changes; propose adjustments to keep projects on track; support end-to-end execution from proof-of-concept through deployment and post-implementation review.
• Schedule, prepare, and facilitate project meetings and working groups (agendas, notes, action items); maintain clear, consistent communication so stakeholders always know status, decisions, and next steps.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, information systems, public administration, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience.
• Four or more years of progressively responsible experience managing projects or complex initiatives in a professional setting.
• Demonstrated experience creating and maintaining project plans and timelines; coordinating work across multiple stakeholder groups; leading meetings, documenting decisions, and following up on action items.
• Experience working on projects related to operations, IT systems, data, or process improvement.
• Experience in a higher education or similarly complex, decentralized organization.
• Exposure to AI, automation, analytics, or workflow tools (e.g., RPA, chatbots, low-code/no-code platforms, or enterprise AI tools).
• Experience mapping workflows and supporting end-to-end IT or process transformation projects.
• Project management certification (e.g., PMP, CAPM, Scrum Master) or formal training (preferred but not required).

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Retirement plans
• Paid time off
• Flexible work arrangements
• Professional development