Enterprise Technology Research Consultant (AI) (Indianapolis)

IWU is seeking an Enterprise Technology Research Consultant (AI) (Independent Contractor ‑ 1099 / Contract-to-Hire) for a large-scale technology reorganization project.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

• IWU is re-platforming its enterprise on a multi-site, active/active, and on-premises data center foundation and an AI-first application stack – with dozens of technology choices to evaluate, standardize, and sequence across a multi-year program. We are seeking a Technology Research Specialist to maintain deep awareness of emerging technologies, translate trends into actionable guidance for IT and business leaders, and help define the foundation architecture IWU standardizes on for hardware, software, and platform adoption.
• This is not a pure academic research role and not a vendor sales liaison. IWU has made a deliberate decision to run workloads on infrastructure we own and operate. You will evaluate emerging capabilities – AI platforms, integration middleware, observability, data infrastructure, security tooling, and more – through the lens of on-premises deployability, total cost of ownership, regulatory fit, and operational reality in a higher-education institution serving roughly 15,000 learners.
• You will be an experienced professional individual contributor : you work independently with general supervision, tackle difficult but typically non-complex problems, and influence peers through well-documented facts, evaluations, and recommendations – not authority.

Technology Horizon Scanning and Intelligence

• Maintain a structured view of emerging technology trends – AI/ML platform evolution, data and integration tooling, infrastructure software, security innovations, and higher-ed relevant SaaS patterns – with emphasis on what can run in IWU's on-premises, dual-site model.
• Produce technology briefs, landscape assessments, and comparison matrices – capabilities, licensing, support models, maturity, and fit – that architects, solution designers, and workstream leads can act on.
• Monitor vendor roadmaps, open-source communities, and industry analysts – distill signal from noise and flag shifts that affect IWU's re-platforming bets.
• Track peer and sector adoption – CCCU institutions, higher-ed IT, and comparable enterprise deployments – for benchmarking and lesson learning.

Architecture and Standards Support

• Understand IWU's strategic direction and how supporting IT systems and architectures enable the AI-first re-platforming, dual-site data centers, integration hub, and analytics program.
• Assist in researching architecture and technology needs based on new and emerging capabilities – prioritize options consistent with business goals, funding constraints, and economic viability.
• Contribute to foundation architecture – hardware and software standards, approved technology lists, and reference patterns that reduce one-off decisions across workstreams.
• Research technologies aligned to long-term business plans – build-vs-buy-vs-open-source analysis, phased adoption paths, and exit/risk considerations documented for architecture review.
• Support the solution standards catalog – research inputs, evaluation summaries, and exception requests with evidence.

Evaluation, Proof-of-Concept, and Stakeholder Education

• Design and execute structured technology evaluations – lab setups, PoC criteria, scorecards, and reproducible test plans – in partnership with platform, security, and development teams.
• Facilitate technology education for IT and business stakeholders – briefings, demos, and plain-language summaries that connect emerging capability to institutional outcomes.
• Partner with the Enterprise AI Architect, solution designers, and workstream leads – you inform what is possible and proven; they decide what ships in production.
• Document assumptions, findings, and recommendations in audit-ready form for architecture review board and funding decisions.

Program Alignment and Collaboration

• Align research priorities with EPMO portfolio and roadmap phases – what needs evaluation before design, build, or procurement gates.
• Coordinate with Information Security , IAM, Data Platform, and Infrastructure on cross-cutting evaluations – security posture, identity integration, data handling, and operability requirements are part of every recommendation.
• Maintain a research backlog and publication cadence – quarterly horizon reports, ad-hoc deep dives for steering decisions, and post-adoption retrospectives.
• Contribute to knowledge management – Confluence or equivalent repository of evaluations, standards cross-references, and decision logs.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

Required

• According to Indiana Wesleyan University policy, all employees and contract-to-hire contractors must possess a strong Christian commitment and adhere to the standards outlined in the IWU Community Lifestyle Statement
• 4+ years of progressive experience in technology research , enterprise architecture support, technical advisory, systems engineering, or platform evaluation – consistent with an Experienced Professional (P2) scope.
• Demonstrated ability to monitor emerging technologies and produce written assessments that technical and non-technical leaders use in decisions.
• Understanding of enterprise IT architecture components – applications, data, integration, infrastructure, security, and identity – and how they interrelate.
• Experience with structured technology evaluation – criteria definition, PoC execution, scoring, and recommendation memos with trade-offs clearly stated.
• Strong written and verbal communication – you can explain why a technology matters without hype or FUD.
• Familiarity with total cost of ownership and build-vs-buy analysis for enterprise software and platform decisions.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or a related field – or equivalent demonstrated experience .

Strongly Preferred

• Experience evaluating AI/ML platform technologies – model serving, vector retrieval, orchestration frameworks, and MLOps tooling – for on-premises or private deployment models.
• Background in on-premises or colocation environments – not research limited to hyperscaler-native services.
• Hands-on lab or PoC experience with Kubernetes, integration middleware, observability stacks, or data platform components under evaluation.
• Awareness of FERPA, security, and compliance constraints on technology adoption in regulated institutional contexts.
• Relevant certifications or training (cloud/architecture fundamentals, technical writing, or vendor-neutral evaluation credentials).

How You Work

• You separate hype from production readiness – a compelling demo is the start of evaluation, not the conclusion.
• You document assumptions and limits – every recommendation states what would change your mind.
• You write things down . Technology research that lives only in email threads does not scale.
• You collaborate without turf wars – research serves architects and builders; it does not replace them.
• You stay curious on a structured cadence – horizon scanning is a discipline, not a reaction to the last vendor webinar.

Why This Role

• High leverage at an inflection point. IWU is making foundational technology choices for a decade-long re-platforming – your research directly informs what gets standardized and funded.
• Breadth across the stack . AI, data, integration, infrastructure, and security – technology research here is genuinely cross-domain, not a single-product silo.
• Real influence . Experienced professional level – independent work, growing peer influence, and a clear path toward senior research or architecture roles as the program matures.
• Mission-aligned institution . IWU is a century-old Christ-centered university; technology choices should serve learners and stew resources wisely – your evaluations help leadership do that deliberately.

PROJECT REMUNERATION:

Estimated annual project remuneration is $110,000 - $120,000 for this independent contractor (1099) / Contract-to-Hire role.

Contractor Insurance/Bond Requirements

• General Liability: $1m per occurrence / $2m aggregate
• Cyber Liability: $2m per occurrence
• Workers’ Compensation / Employers’ Liability: $500,000; not applicable for approved sole operators
• Professional Liability / Errors & Omissions]]>