AI Engineer (Temporary)

AI Engineer (Temporary)

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This position is a hybrid position, position responsibilities are a combination of those performed remotely and those performed in person on the Cornell University Campus in Ithaca, New York.

No Visa sponsorship available for this position.

What is Cornell University and what is Information Technology @ Cornell?
Cornell University, unique among peers, is the federal land-grant institution of New York State, a private endowed university, and a member of the Ivy League. Information technologies (IT) is a strategic enabler for many functions at Cornell. Check out this link to find out more about IT Cornell.

The AI Strategy, Enablement, and Innovation team works closely with faculty, staff, students, and campus partners to build and support AI services. The team also is responsible for piloting emerging tools and platforms, guiding responsible use, and translating institutional needs into practical solutions. The team collaborates across a shared internal toolset that includes Jira, Teams, SharePoint, TDX, workflow automation platforms, LiteLLM, GitHub, Confluence, and Outlook. The team’s work spans platform access and support, semester-long projects, consulting engagements, internal tools, and training and enablement, following a structured lifecycle from intake and triage through kickoff, sprint cycles, demo and review, and offboarding/handoff to ensure continuity, quality, and responsible delivery.

What will you do:

The AI Engineer (Temporary) will be an integral part of Cornell University’s AI Program, a pioneering initiative that harnesses the power of generative AI to address real-world challenges critical to the university’s mission. Reporting to the Program Manager, this position will work at the intersection of cutting-edge AI technologies and practical implementation, building bespoke solutions that empower university departments, faculty, and students to optimize their workflows, improve decision-making, and unlock new opportunities for innovation. The position combines technical excellence with user-focused development to ensure AI solutions enhance equity, accessibility, and transparency, reinforcing Cornell’s commitment to fostering inclusion and innovation across its campus.

The position will not only collaborate on transformative projects but also shape how higher education harnesses AI to do the greatest good. This is a unique opportunity to engage in high-priority, high-impact projects while shaping how AI transforms higher education in the years to come.

As an individual contributor you will model and support a culture of inclusion, belonging, and wellbeing and continually seek to understand how your role, behaviors, and actions impact the success of this culture.

While position responsibilities vary greatly, the Skills for Success and Leadership Skills for Success are foundational to what is expected of every employee and leader working at Cornell. These skills are essential for individual and organizational success. Staff Skills for Success; Leadership Skills for Success. Additionally, every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.

This role will be responsible for:

• Leveraging AI to tackle challenges such as improving academic advising processes, designing dynamic learning tools, enhancing operational efficiency, and scaling administrative tasks.
• Working on highly visible projects, from creating AI-driven dashboards for personalized student advising to developing natural language processing (NLP) based tools that streamline faculty research searches for media inquiries.
• Collaborating closely with stakeholders across the university, including faculty, researchers, staff, and students, focusing on both immediate problem-solving and long-term innovation.
• Serves as Tech Lead for selected projects, translating stakeholder needs into clear, buildable solutions; facilitating sprint-based work; supporting student engagement where applicable; and contributing to internal operational tools and offboarding documentation.
• Manages AI-related…