Artificial Intelligence (AI) Developer

Posting Number

STA00036PO26

Job Family

Information Technology

Job Function

IT Business Systems Analysis

USC Market Title

IT Business Analyst

Link to USC Market Title

https://uscjobs.sc.edu/titles/133277

Job Level

P4 - Professional

Business Title (Internal Title)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Developer

Campus

Upstate

Work County

Spartanburg

College/Division

USC Upstate College/Division Level

Department

UPS Business Intelligence

State Pay Band

9

Approved Starting Salary

$95,954

Advertised Salary Range

$95,954;Salary is commensurate with education and experience.

Location of Vacancy

USC Upstate, Spartanburg, SC

Part/Full Time

Full Time

Hours per Week

37.5

Work Schedule

Monday – Friday; 8:30am – 5pm; Some evenings and weekends as needed are required.

Basis

12 months

Job Search Category

Information Technology

About USC

About University of South Carolina

From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the University of South Carolina system is transforming the lives of South Carolinians through the impact of our eight institutions and 20 locations throughout the state. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of eight institutions, including the research campus in Columbia and comprehensive four-year universities in Aiken, Upstate and Beaufort. In addition, our Palmetto College campuses in Salkehatchie, Union, Lancaster and Sumter enable students to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service — helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.

Veterans' Preference Statement

The University of South Carolina is committed to equal opportunity and proudly values the skills and experience military veterans bring to our workforce. Across South Carolina, we are making veterans a priority for employment and recognize their vital contributions to our state and our communities.

Benefits for FTE Positions

The University of South Carolina (USC), through the State of SC and Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA), offers employees a valuable benefits package, including health and life insurance, generous paid leave and retirement programs. To learn more about USC benefits, access the "Working at USC" section on the Applicant Portal at https://uscjobs.sc.edu. Research Grant or Time-limited positions may be eligible for all, some, or no benefits, based on the grant or project funding.

Position Description

Advertised Job Summary

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Developer

University of South Carolina Upstate

STA00036PO26

Spartanburg, SC

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Developer supports the USC Upstate’s AI environment in the design, development, and deployment of advanced AI solutions, with a focus on Generative AI (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs). This position will develop tools and applications to support enterprise-level administrative operational use cases across the university. The AI Developer collaborates with faculty, staff, and administrative stakeholders to create scalable, secure, and user-friendly AI systems aligned with institutional goals.

This position will work with academic administrative stakeholders to design AI solutions that align with university policy, foster ethical innovation, and improve student and operational outcomes.

Job Related Minimum Required Education and Experience

Requires a bachelor’s degree in a job related field and 4 or more years of job related experience, which may be substituted by an equivalent combination of job related certification, training, education, and/or experience.

Required Certification, Licensure/Other Credentials

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in a related field. At least 2 years of experience with AI/ML development, including LLMs, transformers, or NLP systems.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Successful background is required.
• Advanced AI Knowledge: Expertise in developing, fine-tuning, deploying, and serving Generative AI models and Large Language Models (LLMs).
• Technical Programming Skills: Proficient in Python programming, and skilled in using AI frameworks and tools such as Hugging Face Transformers, LangChain, and OpenAI APIs.
• System and Cloud Integration: Skilled in integrating AI solutions through REST APIs, microservices architectures, containerization (Docker), and deployment within cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP) or high-performance computing (HPC) systems.
• Collaboration and Communication: Ability to effectively collaborate and communicate with interdisciplinary teams, including faculty researchers, administrative stakeholders, and technical staff.
• Problem-solving and Innovation: Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex technical issues and develop innovative AI solutions aligned with organizational objectives.
• Documentation and Governance: Skilled in producing clear, accurate technical documentation and a solid understanding of data governance frameworks, privacy, and compliance standards relevant to research and enterprise environments (e.g., HIPAA, FERPA).
• Customer Service Orientation: Commitment to responsive, high-quality service, proactively addressing user needs to enhance stakeholder satisfaction.

The position has a normal 37.5-hour work week under normal office conditions. Occasional work outside normal hours may be required.

During peak periods, overtime may be required, and it is expected that the employee will take the necessary steps to meet this requirement.

Job Duties

Job Duty

AI Application Development

• Design, build, and optimize scalable, maintainable AI applications using GenAI and LLMs for administrative tasks, optimized for cloud environments.
• Develop APIs, microservices, or web-based interfaces that enable secure and intuitive interaction with AI models.
• Prototype and test AI tools for data summarization, Q&A, semantic search, text generation, and other advanced capabilities.

Essential Function

Yes

Percentage of Time

40

Job Duty

Support and Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with administrative stakeholders, bridging technical and non-technical teams to identify and implement customized AI workflows or tools.
• Assist in evaluating, fine-tuning, and deploying open-source or proprietary LLMs for domain-specific tasks.
• Provide guidance on responsible AI use and model limitations in administrative operational contexts.

Essential Function

Yes

Percentage of Time

25

Job Duty

Enterprise AI Integration

• Work with IT development team to identify opportunities to integrate GenAI into university business processes (e.g., knowledge management, process automation). IT development team leader approves projects.
• Ensure solutions comply with data security, privacy, and governance policies.

Essential Function

Yes

Percentage of Time

20

Job Duty

Testing and Technical Documentation

• Write documentation for developed tools, workflows, and APIs for review and audit. Coordinates with AI Educator.
• Conduct model validation and performance evaluations in controlled environments.

Essential Function

Yes

Percentage of Time

5

Job Duty

Continuous Learning and Innovation

• Stay up-to-date on emerging AI models, frameworks, and best practices.
• Participate in AI-related communities of practice or consortium activities representing the university.
• Recommend and test new AI techniques that align with the university’s data strategy and digital transformation goals.
• Participate in establishing and maintaining AI governance and responsible AI deployment frameworks, ensuring transparency, fairness, and compliance with university standards.

Essential Function

Yes

Percentage of Time

5

Job Duty

Other Duties

• Other duties as assigned.

Essential Function

Yes

Percentage of Time

5

Position Attributes

Employees in Safety-Sensitive or Security-Sensitive positions will be subject to pre-employment and post-employment drug testing in accordance with University policy HR 1.95 Drug and Alcohol Testing.

Safety Sensitive or Security Sensitive

No

Hazardous weather category

Non-Essential

Posting Detail Information

Number of Vacancies

1

Desired Start Date

Job Open Date

01/16/2026

Job Close Date

Open Until Filled

Yes

Special Instructions to Applicant

The application must be completed including all current and previous work history and education. A resume may be attached, but not substituted for completing work history and education sections of the application.

USC Upstate offers a valuable benefits package including but not limited to:

• Health and Life Insurance
• Retirement Programs
• Paid Tuition Program
• Dependent Scholarships
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Annual Leave
• Sick Leave
• 13 Paid Holidays (including an extended December holiday)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Professional Development Opportunities

Quicklink for Posting

https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/201484

EEO Statement

The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender (including transgender), gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDs status, military status, national origin, pregnancy (false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, childbirth, recovery therefrom or related medical conditions, breastfeeding), race, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other bases under federal, state, local law, or regulations.