Director, AI Center of Excellence

At Instructure, we believe in the power of people to grow and succeed throughout their lives. Our goal is to amplify that power by creating intuitive products that simplify learning and personal development, facilitate meaningful relationships, and inspire people to go further in their education and careers. We do this by giving smart, creative, passionate people opportunities to create awesome. And that's where you come in: ABOUT THE ROLE. We're standing up an AI Center of Excellence, and we're looking for a Director, AI Transformation to lead it. You'll own the system that makes Instructure an AI-native company: shared infrastructure, governance, a cross-functional roadmap, and a clear, honest read on impact. You'll partner with leaders in every function to turn AI from scattered pilots into a capability that gets sharper every quarter. This role reports to the SVP, Data. Our mission for this team is simple: make Instructure the most operationally capable AI-native company in education — turning every function and team into a system that gets smarter and faster every quarter. WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING.

• Build the foundation. Stand up and run the shared AI infrastructure — integrations, data boundaries, the approved-model registry, and a standard AI stack with single sign-on and data-loss prevention that every function can build on.
• Set the guardrails. Charter and run the governance council, and put in place the security, privacy, approval, and quality monitoring that let teams move fast without creating risk.
• Own the roadmap.

• Build capability. Create centralized training libraries and enablement programs along with HR team, and build the place where teams share what works so the whole company benefits.
• Lead the operating model.

• 12 or more years of experience in technology, data, or product roles, including 5 or more years leading teams, with a track record of delivering measurable operational impact at scale — not just pilots.
• 2 or more years working directly with AI or machine-learning systems, including hands-on familiarity with modern AI tooling, agentic systems, and large language models.
• Deep understanding of the infrastructure, data, and security that production AI requires, including model registries, integrations, single sign-on, and data-loss prevention.
• Strong governance instincts.

• Proven ability to influence across an organization, from individual contributors to executives, and to build coalitions in a decentralized operating model.
• A bias for clear metrics and honest reporting.

• Experience building enablement and training programs that change how people actually work.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to make complex technical topics clear to non-technical audiences.
• A bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, data, business, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

• Flexible work culture.

• Generous time off, including local holidays and our annual “Dim the Lights” period in late December, when teams are encouraged to step back and recharge based on departmental needs.
• Comprehensive wellness programs and mental health support - Learning and development resources, including professional development tools and tuition reimbursement, to support your growth - The technology and tools you need to do your best work - Motivosity employee recognition program - A culture rooted in inclusivity, support, and meaningful connection We believe in hiring great people and treating them right.

• Show a concise AI‑Transformation Blueprint: Create a 2‑page PDF that outlines a full‑cycle AI roadmap (vision, pilot, scaling, governance) for a SaaS learning platform, include key milestones, stakeholder owners, and an Excel‑based ROI model (e.g., projected time‑to‑value, cost‑savings, impact on learner outcomes). Attach this as a supplemental “case study” to your application so recruiters see you’ve already thought through Instructure’s AI‑native future.
• Demonstrate AI governance expertise: Prepare a short (5‑slide) deck that walks through a governance framework you built—cover model versioning, data privacy, bias testing, and audit trails. Highlight any policies you authored and show a sample Excel tracker you used to monitor compliance across teams; reference how this could map onto Instructure’s cross‑functional “Center of Excellence” structure.
• Highlight remote, cross‑functional leadership: Compile a one‑page “collaboration matrix” that lists the functions you’ve partnered with (Product, Engineering, Customer Success, Marketing, Legal) and the remote tools you leveraged (Miro, Asana, Teams, GitHub). Include concrete metrics (e.g., reduced pilot‑to‑production time by 30% or unified AI backlog across 5 squads). Bring this matrix to the interview and be ready to discuss specific communication rituals you’d replicate at Instructure.
• Prepare an Excel‑driven impact story: Build a live Excel workbook (or Google Sheet) that simulates an AI feature’s effect on student completion rates and support ticket volume. Use slicers and charts to let interviewers toggle assumptions (adoption rate, model accuracy) and instantly see the financial/learning impact. Mention the workbook during the interview to prove you can translate AI concepts into actionable business insights.
• Negotiate with data on remote AI leadership comps: Research 2024 benchmarks for Director‑level AI roles at remote‑first ed‑tech firms (e.g., $190‑$230 k base + 15‑20 % equity). When you receive an offer, reference Instructure’s “mission‑driven” culture and the strategic importance of the new AI CoE to justify a package at the top of that range, and ask for a performance‑linked equity tranche tied to the first AI‑driven product launch.