Director of AI Innovation and Communications

Salary Range: $160,000–$175,000 per year; DOE

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how communications teams discover stories, conduct research, create and distribute content, monitor issues and understand audiences. It is also a defining area of ASU research, teaching and public impact. Media Relations & Strategic Communications (MRSC) is seeking a Director of AI Innovation and Communications to help the department apply AI responsibly across its work and strengthen how ASU's AI expertise, strategy and impact are communicated to external audiences.

Media Relations & Strategic Communications is the central communications team for Arizona State University, one of the largest public research universities in the country. ASU is an R1 research university with more than $1 billion in annual research expenditures and is a national leader in microelectronics, engineering, space exploration, climate and sustainability, and more.

The Director of AI Innovation and Communications will report to the Vice President for Media Relations & Strategic Communications.

• Develop and lead a department-wide AI communications and innovation strategy across media relations, ASU News, strategic communications, presidential communications, visual communications, broadcast, social media, audience development and distribution.
• Partner with MRSC teams to identify, test and implement AI-enabled approaches, including story discovery and background research, media targeting, pitch development, issue and trend monitoring, and content adaptation and distribution.
• Modernize and enhance daily workflows through responsible use of AI, reducing repetitive work and expanding staff capacity while preserving human judgment, editorial standards, accuracy and accountability.
• Build AI fluency and adoption across MRSC through training, coaching, shared resources, demonstrations and practical playbooks.
• Serve as the strategic and functional lead for MRSC AI initiatives, defining user needs, use cases, requirements, content standards, evaluation criteria and governance.
• Guide the continued development and evaluation of public-facing AI experiences in partnership with ASU News, visual communications, AI developers and Enterprise Technology.
• Lead the development of AI-assisted research, monitoring and knowledge-management capabilities to help MRSC identify stories and track developments across ASU and the AI ecosystem.
• Lead MRSC's communications strategy for ASU's work in AI, coordinating accurate and compelling messaging across research, teaching, operations and public impact.
• Maintain an active network across the AI ecosystem, monitoring emerging technologies, policy, regulation and narrative shifts and translating them into communications opportunities and risk guidance.
• Position ASU as a trusted authority on AI in higher education by identifying timely storylines, experts and thought-leadership platforms.
• Help MRSC anticipate and prepare for AI-related issues such as misinformation, synthetic media, privacy, intellectual property, bias and regulation.
• Establish and promote responsible AI practices for communications, aligning MRSC's work with ASU requirements for human review, verification, privacy and disclosure.
• Measure and report on MRSC's AI initiatives, evaluating adoption, effectiveness and risk, and recommending which approaches should be scaled, revised or discontinued.

Bachelor's degree and ten (10) years of experience appropriate to the area of assignment/field; OR, any equivalent combination of experience and/or training from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.

• At least two years of demonstrated experience applying AI in communications or a related professional setting, including identifying use cases, using generative AI for research and content development, designing AI-enabled workflows, and applying responsible AI practices.
• At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in strategic communications, public affairs, journalism, digital communications, technology communications, or a related field.
• Seasoned communicator with strong practical AI fluency and the ability to translate among editorial, communications, technical, and leadership teams.
• Strong communications judgment, curiosity, hands‑on AI experience, and the ability to lead change.
• Ability to explain complex technical and policy developments clearly and collaborate…