AI Platform Technical Lead

About the Role

Blackbaud is expanding how AI agents and copilots support our teams, customers, and mission-driven organizations around the world. The AI Platform Technical Lead plays a pivotal role in making that a reality. This role leads the team of Value Stream Product Owners (POs), owns the technical depth of Blackbaud's internal AI platform, hands-on AI fluency, agent architecture evaluation, MCP server governance, and vendor-neutral technical analysis that informs every platform decision. Reporting to the Director, AI & Enterprise Platform Enablement, you will serve as the technical force multiplier for the function keeping the platform grounded in what AI can actually do today, what vendors are really delivering, and where enterprise constraints require real architectural judgment.

If you are energized by translating cutting-edge AI capability into real enterprise workflow change, and by being the person who has a recommendation ready before anyone asks, this role is for you.

What You'll Do:

• Serve as the embedded technical partner and team lead for value stream Product Owners (e.g., Awareness to Revenue, Implementation to Renewal), providing hands-on guidance on agent design, model selection, and workflow architecture.

• Help value stream POs translate business requirements into well-scoped agent specifications that the engineering team can build against reliably.

• Bridge the gap between platform capability and value stream delivery ensuring POs know what the platform can support currently and in the future.

• Set the technical direction for how Blackbaud builds and governs AI agents establishing standards, patterns, and guardrails that scale across value streams and teams.

• As the AI Engineer/Builder function grows, serve as the lead architect and day-to-day technical lead for a team of two to three engineers focused on API and agentic architecture.

• Represent the technical platform in Steering Committee discussions, PI Planning, and cross-functional forums providing the analysis that grounds platform decisions in reality.

• Mentor and upskill practitioners across the Champions Network and value stream teams for AI development across the organization.

• Assess new releases, capability claims, and integration options across Claude Enterprise, Copilot/Copilot Studio, Agentforce, and Watson Orchestrate.

• Produce platform recommendations within days, not weeks — with a clear rationale the Director can act on and the ELT can understand.

• Evaluate vendors on technical merit for each use case, with no commercial allegiance to any single platform.

• Own the internal MCP server taxonomy ensuring governance standards apply.

• Coordinate with the CTO's architecture team on crossover zones where internal and external platform tooling intersects.

• Make architecture recommendations on when an internal workflow warrants an MCP server vs. a simpler integration.

• Define design standards for operational agents and review agentic workflow designs before they reach production

• Serve as the technical resource for the internal Champions Network.

• Run technical office hours, review workflow designs, and flag risks before they reach production.

• Prepare technical platform inputs for PI Planning highlighting what capabilities are ready for value stream adoption.

• Partner with the CTO's platform architecture team on technical governance of split-ownership tools and the boundary between internal tooling and external product capability.

• Track new model releases, agent frameworks, and vendor capabilities and communicate what matters to the Steering Committee.

• Translate field developments into actionable platform implications for the Director and senior stakeholders.

What You Bring:

• 2+ years experience hands-on with LLM APIs and agent frameworks, including experience inside or alongside an enterprise AI adoption effort.

• Demonstrated hands-on AI fluency, experience building prompts, working with more than one LLM API, and experience pushing AI into real workflows preferred.

• Agentic workflow design experience in an enterprise context.

• MCP server architecture literacy with ability to govern a taxonomy and make architecture recommendations.

• Familiarity with multiple Enterprise AI platforms including Claude Enterprise, Microsoft Copilot/Copilot Studio, Salesforce AgentForce, and IBM Watson Orchestrate

• Strong communication skills and able to communicate complex technical platform recommendations to non-technical and executive audiences

• Experience with AI governance, responsible AI, security, and compliance considerations in an enterprise context.

• Background in consulting or systems integration implementing Claude Enterprise, Copilot, or AgentForce at enterprise scale.

• Passion for making complex organizations better incorporate AI into their teams, workflows, and processes.

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Blackbaud powers social impact through purpose‑driven technology and responsible AI. Guided by our Intelligence for Good® vision, we’re building a culture where innovation, trust, and human expertise come together to help organizations make a greater difference in the world.

Blackbaud is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive work environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, or veteran status or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.

The starting base pay is $117,200.00 to $157,500.00. Blackbaud may pay more or less based on employee qualifications, market value, Company finances, and other operational considerations.

Benefits Include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Remote-flexible workforce

• Wellness Programs

• 401(k) program with employer match

• Flexible paid time off

• Generous Parental Leave

• Donations for Doers

• Pet insurance, legal and identity protection

• Tuition reimbursement program