AI Technician

AI Technician

Classification: Office of Research
Reports To: Manager of Artificial intelligence & Application Integration

About The American International University

American International University (AIU) is a private institution in Kuwait, founded in 2019, offering undergraduate programs in Engineering and Computing, Architecture and Design, Business, Arts and Sciences, and Education. The programs are delivered in English and follow the American model of higher education. AIU serves a community of more than 4,000 students and is implementing the RISE Strategy 2026–2030, a five-year institutional transformation strategy anchored in research development, international accreditation, student success, employability, and community engagement.

For more information, visit: www.aiu.edu.kw

Position Summary

The AI Technician provides technical and operational support for AI-related projects, AI initiatives, research clusters, software development activities, data workflows, and digital research tools within the Research and Grants Office.

The role supports faculty, students, and project teams by assisting with AI prototype development, data preparation, automation, coding support, dashboards, documentation, tool testing, troubleshooting, and project deployment under the direction of the Assistant vice president of research. The position is intended to strengthen AIU’s applied research capacity and ensure that AI-related initiatives are technically organized, reliable, and aligned with institutional research priorities.

Core Domains

• Technical support for AI initiatives and AI-related research clusters.
• Software development, prototyping, scripting, automation, and AI tool implementation.
• Data preparation, cleaning, storage, documentation, and workflow support for research projects.
• Technical support for research dashboards, analytics, and internal digital tools.
• Troubleshooting and user support for faculty, students, and research teams using AI tools.
• Documentation, testing, version control, and technical reporting for AI research outputs.

Key Responsibilities

1. AI Research and Project Technical Support

• Provide hands-on technical support for AI-related research projects, applied research prototypes, and digital research tools.
• Assist faculty, students, and research cluster leads with technical implementation of AI and data-driven projects.
• Support the setup, testing, troubleshooting, and documentation of AI models, scripts, dashboards, and prototype systems.
• Translate project requirements into practical technical tasks, timelines, and implementation steps under supervision.
• Maintain technical records for AI projects, including code notes, version updates, datasets used, dependencies, testing notes, and known issues.

2. Software Development, Automation, and Prototyping

• Develop and maintain simple software tools, scripts, prototypes, forms, automation workflows, and AI-enabled utilities to support research activities.
• Assist in building internal tools for research tracking, publication support, grant workflow support, data analysis, and administrative automation.
• Support integration of AI tools with approved university systems where authorized and technically feasible.
• Use version control and structured documentation practices to ensure that project files are traceable, reusable, and maintainable.
• Test tools before internal use and prepare simple user instructions or technical handover notes.

3. Data Management and Technical Documentation

• Assist with data collection, cleaning, organization, formatting, anonymization, and preparation for AI and research analytics projects.
• Support the maintenance of structured datasets, code repositories, project folders, and technical documentation in approved storage locations.
• Prepare technical summaries, workflow diagrams, data dictionaries, and step-by-step guides for research-related tools and processes.
• Support compliance with university data protection expectations, research ethics requirements, and responsible AI practices.
• Escalate data quality, access, privacy, security, or compliance concerns to the Director of Academic Research and/or AVPAR.

4. AI initiatives and Research Cluster Support

• Provide technical support for AI initiatives, AI cluster activities, internal pilots, workshops, demonstrations, and proof-of-concept projects.
• Assist in preparing technical materials for AI-related workshops, hackathons, research seminars, and student/faculty training sessions.
• Support project teams in documenting AI use cases, prototype outcomes, limitations, and next-step recommendations.
• Coordinate with faculty and students to collect technical requirements and provide practical support within approved project scope.
• Assist with demonstrations of AI tools and prototypes for internal events, research showcases, and leadership briefings.

5. Dashboards, Analytics, and Research Tools

• Support the development and maintenance of dashboards, trackers, and visualization tools for research outputs, grants, KPIs, events, and project status.
• Assist with extracting, organizing, and validating research-related data for internal reporting and decision support.
• Work with the Research Data & Impact Analyst, when applicable, to support technical aspects of dashboards and reporting tools.
• Maintain backup copies, documentation, and version history for approved dashboards and tools.
• Identify opportunities to simplify research office workflows through responsible automation and AI-enabled support tools.

6. Technical Support, Training, and Troubleshooting

• Provide first-line technical support to faculty, students, and staff involved in approved AI research activities.
• Troubleshoot common issues related to code, datasets, AI tools, dashboards, forms, automation workflows, and research software utilities.
• Prepare simple training materials and support sessions for approved AI tools and research systems.
• Coordinate with IT department for infrastructure, access, security, software installation, hardware, and system-level requirements that exceed the role’s scope.
• Maintain a log of recurring technical issues and recommend improvements to reduce repeated problems.

7. Governance, Responsible AI, and Risk Awareness

• Support responsible AI use by following approved policies, ethical standards, data protection practices, and project-specific instructions.
• Avoid unauthorized use, sharing, or uploading of confidential institutional, student, faculty, or research data to unapproved platforms.
• Document limitations, assumptions, data sources, and risks associated with AI tools or prototypes where applicable.
• Support the preparation of technical evidence for research ethics, grant, or internal review processes when needed.
• Immediately report cybersecurity, privacy, data leakage, misuse, or compliance concerns to the appropriate supervisor.

Education Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, or a closely related field. Master’s degree is preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in technical support, AI projects, software development, data analytics, research technology, or university project support.
• Strong working knowledge of Python and/or other relevant programming languages used in AI, data analysis, automation, and prototyping.
• Experience with machine learning libraries, data processing tools, APIs, databases, dashboards, or web-based tools is preferred.
• Familiarity with Git/version control, documentation practices, testing, and structured project file management is preferred.
• Awareness of data privacy, cybersecurity, research ethics, and responsible AI practices.
• Strong troubleshooting, communication, organization, and teamwork skills.

Technical Skills

• Programming and scripting: Python preferred; JavaScript, R, SQL, or similar tools are an advantage.
• AI and data tools: familiarity with machine learning workflows, prompt engineering, data preparation, model testing, and evaluation basics.
• Data handling: spreadsheets, databases, data cleaning, anonymization, visualization, and documentation.
• Software tools: Git/version control, APIs, dashboards, web tools, automation platforms, and basic cloud or local deployment concepts.
• Productivity tools: Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Teams, Forms, Excel, Power BI or equivalent dashboard tools.
• Security awareness: safe handling of institutional data, account access, credentials, and approved platforms.

Core Competencies

• Practical technical problem-solving and ability to convert research needs into working tools or workflows.
• Ability to support faculty and students with patience, clarity, and professionalism.
• Strong documentation discipline and attention to detail.
• Ability to work across multiple projects, deadlines, and stakeholders.
• Commitment to responsible AI, data protection, and ethical research support.

• Willingness to learn new tools, platforms, and AI methods as research needs evolve.

Key Performance Indicators / Success Measures

• AI project tools, prototypes, scripts, or dashboards delivered according to agreed timelines.
• Technical issues logged, resolved, or escalated in a timely manner.
• AI initiatives and research cluster activities supported with accurate technical preparation and documentation.
• Research datasets, code files, and technical documentation maintained in organized approved locations.
• Faculty and student users supported effectively with positive feedback from project leads.
• Research automation or AI-enabled workflow improvements implemented under supervision.
• Responsible AI, data protection, and internal compliance expectations followed consistently.

Working Conditions and Expectations

• The position is campus-based and may require support for workshops, research events, demonstrations, and project meetings outside normal office routines when needed.
• The role requires careful handling of institutional, student, faculty, research, and partner data in line with approved university procedures.
• The role is expected to coordinate with IT on infrastructure and security matters and must not make unauthorized system changes or external data transfers.
• The role must maintain accurate records, communicate risks early, and support the priorities of the Academic Research and Grants Office.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should visit the Job Opportunities section on our website and submit a resume and cover letter via: https://aiu.edu.kw/careers/jobs

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. The successful candidate is expected to commence employment immediately.