Job Overview/ Summary:

The External Relations (ER) department is comprised of three main but complementary functional areas: Private fundraising, Communications, and Advocacy. The main objective of the department is to enable this organization of more than 15,000 staff to have the resources needed to continue serving 18 million people worldwide in places affected by war and disaster.

The AI Operations Manager builds the organizational infrastructure and operational processes required to scale AI adoption across Mass Markets and enabling business units. This role translates strategic AI vision into repeatable, sustainable execution by establishing governance frameworks, coordinating cross-functional implementation, and enabling teams to deploy AI capabilities effectively. Reporting to the Director of Digital Transformation & AI Enablement, this role focuses on operationalizing AI strategy.

Major Responsibilities:

• Design and run 2-week sprint cycles for AI implementation projects, coordinating execution across Mass Markets, Creative Studio, Digital Engagement, MarTech, and Analytics teams.
• Triage and remediate AI use case backlog, categorizing initiatives by feasibility (quick wins vs strategic vs not viable), designing pilot structures for low-risk proof points, and creating playbooks for common deployment patterns.
• Translate AI fluency training into operational reality by supporting teams through implementation, creating templates and frameworks for AI solution requests and deployment, and building the bridge between learning and doing.
• Develop repeatable processes and documentation so AI implementation is sustainable, including agent deployment playbooks, governance decision trees, and self-service tooling for common patterns.
• Work alongside AI engineers and technical specialists as they are brought onto projects, serving as the operational coordinator who ensures builds align with organizational needs and governance requirements.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Demonstrated hands-on experience building with AI tools in the past 12 months, including multiple custom GPTs, automation workflows using tools like N8N, Make, or Zapier, or agents in platforms like Copilot Studio, LangGraph, or similar orchestration frameworks.
• Strong program management capabilities with experience coordinating complex cross-functional initiatives, managing stakeholder expectations, and running agile sprint cycles in ambiguous environments.
• Systems thinking approach to organizational change, understanding how to build infrastructure that scales beyond individual projects to sustainable organizational capabilities.
• Self-directed work style with demonstrated ability to figure things out independently in ambiguous situations, make pragmatic tradeoffs between ideal and viable, and drive progress without extensive coaching.
• Technical fluency sufficient to have credible conversations with engineers and data teams about architecture, integrations, and technical constraints, even if not writing production code yourself.
• Experience with or strong understanding of enterprise data workflows, API integrations, and how AI systems connect to existing technology stacks like CRMs, data warehouses, and business intelligence platforms.

Preferred:

• Experience implementing AI adoption programs or digital transformation initiatives in nonprofit, mission-driven, or similarly complex organizational environments.
• Background in product operations, technical program management, or similar roles that blend technical depth with organizational coordination.
• Familiarity with the nonprofit fundraising technology landscape including platforms like Salesforce NPSP, donor management systems, or digital marketing tools.

Application Requirements:

Along with your resume and cover letter, please submit examples of AI tools, workflows, or applications you have personally built in the past 12 months. This could include:

• Links to custom GPTs you have created
• Screenshots or documentation of automation workflows you have built
• Demos or code samples of agents you have configured
• Brief descriptions of AI implementations you have led, including the tools used and outcomes achieved

We are specifically looking for evidence of recent hands-on building experience with current AI tools and platforms. The goal is to see how you approach solving problems with AI, not to evaluate you on years of experience in a field where many of these tools have only existed for months.

Union Eligible:
This position is represented by the OPEIU union and subject to the terms and conditions of a collective bargaining agreement.

Compensation: (Pay Range: $80,000 - $120,000) Posted pay ranges apply to US-based candidates. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Professional Standards: All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.

US Benefits: We offer a comprehensive and highly competitive set of benefits. In the US, these include: 10 sick days, 10 US holidays, 20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure, medical insurance starting at $163 per month, dental starting at $6.50 per month, and vision starting at $5 per month, FSA for healthcare and commuter costs, a 403b retirement savings plans with immediately vested matching, disability & life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program which is available to our staff and their families to support counseling and care in times of crisis and mental health struggles.