Agentic AI Product Manager, HBS AI Institute

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive. The HBS AI Institute at Harvard is accepting applications for an Agentic AI Product Manager. The HBS AI Institute (re)invents how organizations compete and thrive in the digital world and educates a new generation of leaders. This institute provides a new architecture for rigorous research, immersive learning, and cutting-edge practice. The Institute is built to dynamically adapt and scale, and responsibilities will evolve over time. Visit our website for more information: https://d3.harvard.edu/ . We are seeking an experienced Agentic AI Product Manager to lead the development, oversight, and optimization of agentic AI applications supporting the HBS AI Institute Executive Education portfolio. Reporting to the Senior Associate Director, Data Science Vendors, this role is responsible for product ownership of AI-driven agent systems that enhance program delivery, operational efficiency, and learner experience. This position serves as the primary owner of agentic AI capabilities across executive education initiatives, working closely with faculty, program leadership, and external vendors. Job-Specific Responsibilities: Product Ownership and Strategy Own the vision, roadmap, and lifecycle management of agentic AI systems supporting executive education content and operations. Maintain and prioritize the product backlog for agentic AI initiatives. Translate business requirements into technical specifications for development teams. Communicate progress, risks, and opportunities to leadership through regular reporting. Agentic Framework Development & Oversight Oversee the architecture, deployment, and optimization of agentic AI frameworks. Evaluate, select, and implement agentic frameworks and tools aligned with D³’s strategic objectives. Establish and adhere to existing governance protocols for AI agent behavior, including guardrails, monitoring, and quality assurance. Faculty and Program Collaboration Partner with faculty and program directors to translate educational goals into AI-enabled capabilities. Facilitate alignment between technical teams and program staff on AI integration. Support adoption of agentic AI capabilities across teams. Automation & Process Optimization Identify high-impact automation opportunities across the executive education program lifecycle. Design and prioritize automation initiatives based on ROI, feasibility, and alignment with educational goals. Collaborate with stakeholders to map existing workflows and reimagine them with agentic capabilities. Measure and report on automation outcomes, including efficiency gains and error reduction. Vendor Management Provide functional oversight of external data science and AI vendors. Coordinate vendor deliverables with internal roadmap priorities. Governance and Performance Ensure compliance with governance, data privacy, and ethical AI standards. Define and track success metrics and KPIs for agentic AI products. Implement feedback loops to continuously refine agent performance. Stay current on emerging agentic AI technologies, frameworks, and best practices. Additional Responsibilities: Build trust and collaboration by being present on-site and engaging directly with colleagues and various constituents. This role is responsible for other duties as assigned. Basic Qualifications: Minimum of seven years’ experience post-secondary education or relevant work experience Supervisory experience Other Required Qualifications and Skills: Bachelor’s degree required. Minimum of 5 years of experience in product ownership for technology-enabled platforms or services. Plus minimum of 2 years of experience working with AI/ML systems, intelligent automation, or advanced analytics. Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate between technical and non-technical audiences. Additional Qualifications and Skills: Advanced degree in a relevant field is preferred. Experience with agentic AI architectures or autonomous systems. Familiarity with agentic AI concepts such as autonomous agents, multi-agent systems, tool use, and orchestration. Hands-on experience with agentic frameworks such as LangChain, AutoGen, CrewAI, or similar. Familiarity with automation platforms such as n8n, Make.com, or Zapier. Understanding of Model Context Protocol (MCP) or agent-to-agent (A2A) architectures. Background in prompt engineering and LLM application development. Experience managing external vendors. Agile/Scrum certification or equivalent experience. Appointment End Date: This position is approved for a 2-year term (with possibility of renewal/extension) which begins on the person's first day of employment. Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Education Other Information: This is a hybrid position which we consider to be a combination of remote and onsite work at our Boston, MA based campus. HBS expects all staff to be onsite a minimum of 3 days per week and departments provide onsite coverage Monday – Friday. Specific hours and days onsite will be determined by business needs and are subject to change with appropriate advanced notice. We may conduct candidate interviews virtually (phone and/or via Zoom) and/or in-person for this role. A cover letter is required to be considered for this opportunity. Work Format Details This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University’s Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts . Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment. Salary Grade and Ranges This position is salary grade level 059. Please visit Harvard's Salary Ranges to view the corresponding salary range and related information. Benefits Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to: Generous paid time off including parental leave Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one Retirement plans with university contributions Wellbeing and mental health resources Support for families and caregivers Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page . EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination . We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes. Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy . Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.