"Lead Systems Engineer for AR/AI Simulation (5031)"

The AI Prototyping & Systems Integration Lead for the AR/AI Simulation Facility at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (SIU SOM) plays a critical hands-on role in rapidly building, iterating, and maintaining AI-enabled experiences that support medical training. This position focuses on practical implementation: taking creative concepts, translating them into working prototypes using frontier language models and AI-assisted development platforms, and ensuring the facility's systems remain reliable, usable, and continuously improving. Working closely with the Chief Systems Architect, the incumbent will help stand up and evolve both physical and virtual infrastructure, with an emphasis on demonstrable builds and repeatable workflows rather than formal credentials.

THIS POSITION IS ON-SITE ONLY

Administration/Infrastructure Development: 20%
A. Support the setup and installation of physical and virtual systems used in the AR/AI Simulation Facility.
B. Coordinate with contractors, construction teams, and technology vendors to ensure the integration of hardware, software, and room systems supports rapid prototyping and reliable operation.
C. Oversee configuration and optimization of AR/AI systems and their connection to facility infrastructure, including basic documentation of system layouts, dependencies, and recovery steps.

Service: 55%
Technical Operations & Maintenance:
A. Oversee day-to-day technical operations of the facility to ensure systems function reliably and are ready for scheduled educational activities and demos.
B. Develop and implement protocols for updates, troubleshooting, routine maintenance, and "reset-to-known-good" procedures that minimize downtime.
C. Continuously monitor system performance, address issues promptly, and document root causes and resolutions.

AI Prototyping & Build Delivery (AI-Assisted Development):
D. Build and iterate AI-enabled prototypes for medical training using frontier model workflows, focusing on semantic quality, interaction design, and instructional usefulness.
E. Use AI-powered coding platforms (e.g., AI-assisted editors and agentic development environments) to generate, revise, and integrate code into working applications and demonstrations, while maintaining basic engineering hygiene (version control practices where applicable, simple tests/checks, reproducible run steps).
F. Translate creative concepts into technical artifacts: prompts, structured scenario specs, acceptance criteria, evaluation rubrics, and reusable "prompt packs"/templates for consistent results.
G. Run lightweight evaluations of AI behavior (not ML training): compare outputs across prompts and settings, track failure modes, refine constraints, and document what works and what does not.
H. Collaborate with interdisciplinary stakeholders to incorporate new capabilities into simulation programs, including fast-turn feedback cycles and iterative releases.

Research: 15%
A. Work closely with the Chief Systems Architect to explore and implement improvements to the facility's AI-enabled training experiences and supporting infrastructure.
B. Stay informed on emerging trends in frontier model capabilities and AI-assisted development workflows, and propose practical upgrades that improve learning value, reliability, or build velocity.
C. Contribute to internal pilots and evaluation efforts that enhance the educational value of simulations and maintain SIU SOM's leadership in medical training technology.

Teaching: 10%
A. Assist in training medical students, faculty, and staff on the use of AR/AI systems and AI-enabled training experiences, providing clear, non-technical guidance when needed.
B. Work alongside academic and technical teams to develop training materials, quick-start guides, and "how to run this scenario" playbooks to ensure systems are user-friendly and efficient for medical education.

Credentials to be Verified by Placement Officer
1. High school diploma or equivalent.
2. Bachelor's degree
3. Portfolio requirement: at least two (2) AI-assisted prototype projects completed in the last twelve (12) months, evidenced by links or attachments (e.g., demos, repositories, or hosted projects) and a brief description of goals, approach, and outcomes.
4. Work experience in any one or any combination totaling two (2) years (24 months) from the following categories:
   A. Hands-on experience with at least one frontier model ecosystem used to produce working prototypes (e.g., via documented workflows, project logs, or build notes showing how the model was used to plan, iterate, test, and refine technical solutions).
   B. Experience using AI-powered coding platforms (e.g., AI-assisted editors and/or agentic build environments) to create or extend software projects, evidenced by the portfolio materials above.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)

1. Knowledge of the systems and operations used within the areas and departments of responsibility.
2. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
3. Ability to oversee and coordinate activities of user groups.
4. Ability to effectively communicate with other colleagues, supervisors, administrative staff, and other IT users.
5. Ability to identify and resolve technical problems.
6. Ability to effectively communicate and professionally interact with all staff levels.

Condition of Employment
Pursuant to the State Universities Civil Service System, an out-of-state resident who is hired into this position must establish Illinois residency within 180 calendar days of their start date.