AI Incubator Program Lead/SME (Federal)
Job Title AI Incubator Program Lead/SME (Federal)
Overview
Lead the operationalization of a Generative AI Incubator at the Department of Veterans Affairs, enabling VA employees to experiment with GenAI solutions. This is a client-facing program management role at the intersection of AI product knowledge and government consulting.
Responsibilities
Define and document incubator intake processes, SME consult workflows, and PoC tracking mechanisms Write and maintain 5–10 Self-Service Playbooks for VA employees at varying technical levels Develop and execute a Communication Plan to announce the incubator VA-wide Facilitate requirements-gathering sessions with VA stakeholders; manage follow-through on action items Triage intake requests and own status communications back to requesters Conduct and document SME consults — targeting 20+ per period of performance with >4/5 satisfaction Coordinate four AI Lab proof-of-concept efforts with measurable outcomes Author User Satisfaction Reports for each SME consult; manage VA review/approval cycle Track satisfaction metrics and report on incubator effectiveness Required Qualifications 5+ years in program or product management, ideally in federal IT or digital transformation Experience standing up or operationalizing a new program or service offering (not just running an established one) Strong technical fluency in generative AI — enough to run credible SME consults and write useful playbooks, not necessarily to build models Demonstrated ability to produce government-approvable deliverables (plans, reports, playbooks) — clear writing is essential Experience working inside or alongside a federal agency; understands VA or similar large bureaucracy cadence Preferred Qualifications Prior VA, DoD, or HHS experience Familiarity with AI tools in the federal/FedRAMP ecosystem (e.g., Azure OpenAI, AWS Bedrock, VA-approved platforms) Experience with change management or user adoption programs Background in user research or satisfaction measurement Salary Range-$190k-$200k