AI Lab Technical Advisor in Lawrence Township, New Jersey at The Lawrenceville School

Summary:

We are seeking a technically skilled practitioner who is passionate about working with and mentoring young people. The ideal candidate combines expertise in software development and AI with the ability to meet students where they are, make complex concepts accessible, and guide them through the process of turning ideas into thoughtful, well-designed projects. Central to the role is helping students develop the technical skills, judgment, confidence, and independence to build responsibly.

The AI Lab Technical Advisor works in close partnership with the Director of Student AI Projects and coordinates AI Lab initiatives with the Assistant Head of School for Strategic Priorities. The Advisor also collaborates with Information Technology Services (ITS) when student projects intersect with School systems, infrastructure, cybersecurity, privacy, data governance, or other areas requiring institutional review.

The anticipated schedule is approximately 4–6 hours per week, with flexibility based on student project activity and the needs of the AI Lab. The role is primarily in-person and follows the School’s academic calendar, with no regular expectation of work during school breaks or the summer.

The weekly commitment includes direct student advising and mentorship, technical and code review, project preparation and follow-up, and coordination with the Director of Student AI Projects, faculty, and ITS as needed.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to students developing AI Lab projects, helping them make sound decisions regarding architecture, tools, coding practices, implementation, and technical problem-solving.
• Establish and maintain appropriate development protocols for AI Lab projects, including expectations for project documentation, version control, testing, technical review, and responsible development practices.
• Oversee GitLab as the central repository for AI Lab projects and code, establishing appropriate repository structures, permissions, documentation expectations, and development workflows.
• Conduct regular reviews of active projects and code, help students troubleshoot technical challenges, provide feedback on implementation, and identify issues requiring additional technical expertise or institutional review.
• Help assess the technical feasibility, scope, and infrastructure requirements of proposed student projects, including identifying when projects should be refined, require additional expertise, or need further institutional review before proceeding.
• Periodically review AI Lab equipment and technical environments located in Bunn Library to identify technical issues, configuration concerns, or potential attempts to circumvent established safeguards. Escalate identified concerns to ITS or other appropriate School personnel. The Technical Advisor supports this review process but does not replace ITS's responsibility for institutional cybersecurity, network security, or technology infrastructure.
• Coordinate with the Director of Student AI Projects and ITS on projects or issues requiring additional review related to technical infrastructure, data, privacy, cybersecurity, security, or institutional systems.
• Perform other duties as requested

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
• Minimum of 3 years of professional experience in software development, programming, artificial intelligence, or a related technical field.
• Strong technical proficiency in software development and programming, with experience designing, building, debugging, and reviewing software projects.
• Working knowledge of artificial intelligence and machine learning systems, including contemporary AI development tools, APIs, models, and application architectures.
• Experience with Git-based version control and collaborative development environments, preferably including GitLab or comparable platforms.
• Ability to review student code and provide constructive technical feedback on architecture, implementation, documentation, testing, security, and maintainability.
• Familiarity with technical considerations related to data privacy, cybersecurity, access controls, APIs, cloud services, and responsible AI development, with the judgment to recognize when an issue requires escalation to ITS or other School personnel.
• Ability to evaluate the technical feasibility and scope of proposed projects and help students translate ambitious ideas into achievable development plans.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly to students with different levels of technical experience.
• A demonstrated interest in mentoring and developing young people, with the patience to guide students through problem-solving rather than simply solving technical problems for them.

Preferred Experience

Experience in one or more of the following areas would be particularly valuable:

• Developing applications using large language models, generative AI, machine learning, or related technologies.
• Python and other programming languages commonly used in AI and software development.
• AI APIs, agentic systems, retrieval-augmented generation, databases, cloud platforms, or application deployment.
• Software engineering practices, including testing, documentation, code review, and secure development.
• Supporting student, educational, research, open-source, or early-stage technical projects.
• Working in a school, university, youth program, or other educational environment.

Work Characteristics and Physical Demands:

The work environment characteristics and physical demands described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1. Physical demands are in excess of those for sedentary work. Must be able to remain on their feet for extended periods of time, go up and down flights of steps, as well as stoop, kneel, crouch, and lift.
2. Routinely use standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, fax machines, etc.
3. Must be capable of using visual display terminal with continuous wrist movement on a keyboard
4. Required to stand for long periods of time
5. Required to, talk, hear, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel and reach with hands and arms
6. Required to work evenings, weekends and holidays in conjunction with School calendar and events
7. Must be able to lift up to 25lbs. without assistance
8. Ability to see with normal parameters.
9. Operate in a professional work environment
10. This is an on-campus position and works a flexible schedule

The Lawrenceville School is a diverse and inclusive community and makes all employment decisions without regard for an individual’s race, creed, color, religion, national origin, nationality, sex, pregnancy, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, veteran status, physical or mental disability (including AIDS and HIV related illness), genetic information, refusal to provide genetic information, refusal to submit to genetic testing, ancestry, familial status, marital status, domestic partnership status, civil union status, atypical cellular or blood trait, military service, application for military service, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. The Lawrenceville School will also provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals in accordance with applicable law.

The Lawrenceville School conducts pre-employment screening for all positions which includes a criminal background check, verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses, and certifications. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Eligible employees receive a competitive benefit package that includes health insurance coverage, paid leave and retirement plan options and many other valuable programs.