Position Summary
Michigan State University actively promotes a dynamic research and learning environment in which qualified individuals of differing perspectives, and cultural backgrounds pursue academic goals with mutual respect and shared inquiry.
The College of Social Science at Michigan State University invites applications for a fixed term instructor with expertise in artificial intelligence practice in business and nonprofit applications.
Job Responsibilities
Teach a 3-credit project-based experiential learning course in applied AI and organizational intelligence , delivering current production practice
Serve as an active-practitioner instructor by drawing on current, hands-on experience building and deploying AI systems in live organizational settings, and continually translating that firsthand work into course content, demonstrations, and case examples.
Identify, secure, and manage external partner organizations each semester (for example, area businesses, nonprofits, or public-sector agencies) whose real-world challenges anchor student team projects and who receive working, student-built deliverables.
Design, prepare, host, and maintain the technical learning environment on which students build, including the self-hosted model access, workflow-automation, and vector-database infrastructure that supports the course.
Provide hands-on instruction across the full applied AI stack, including prompting, embeddings, large language models, retrieval-augmented generation, vector databases, multi-modal generation, function calling, agents, multi-agent systems, and workflow automation.
Deliver instruction through live demonstrations, guided build sessions, real-time debugging, and iterative sprint-style deliverables rather than lecture and exams, applying recognized AI-competency and team-performance frameworks to structure applied learning.
Continually update course materials, tools, and assessments to keep pace with rapidly evolving AI technologies, ensuring content remains current between offerings.
Design and administer assignments and assessments, prepare and provide all class materials, communicate regularly with students, coordinate with the instructor of record and program staff on progress and logistics, and submit final grades (Pass/No Pass) by university deadlines.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.
Required Degree
Masters
Minimum Requirements
- Master's Degree by date of hire
- Prior professional experience in delivering AI or software solutions for organizations.
Desired Qualifications
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Hands-on expertise across the full applied AI stack, including agents and multi-agent systems, retrieval-augmented generation, vector databases, and workflow-automation tooling, together with the ability to stand up and maintain the supporting technical infrastructure.
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Both a graduate credential in education or a closely related area, and business or organizational-management expertise (such as an MBA), reflecting the ability to pair a student-centered, project-based instructional approach with real business and organizational context.
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Demonstrated ability to translate complex technical systems for non-technical stakeholders through discovery, documentation, training, and professional presentation.
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Familiarity with responsible-AI principles in practice, including data protection, guardrails, transparency, and human-centered design.
Required Application Materials
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Statement of Teaching Experience and Interests
- Name and contact information for 3 professional references
MSU Statement
Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 160 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.
