General Manager,
AI Academy

See all open positions

Role: General Manager, AI Academy
Location: SmarterX HQ (Cleveland)
Reports To: Chief Operating Officer (COO) 

About SmarterX

SmarterX is an AI transformation company. We educate and empower leaders to reimagine business models, reinvent industries, and rethink what's possible. 

  • We believe AI will rapidly transform businesses, industries, jobs, the economy, educational systems, and society. 
  • We believe you can build a smarter version of any business through a responsible, human-centered approach to AI.
  • We believe the future of all business is AI native, AI emergent, or obsolete.  
  • We believe AI education and training is the foundation for success in every organization.

Our goal is to Accelerate AI Literacy for AllTM through courses, content and events. Consulting and speaking are also secondary solutions under the SmarterX brand.

SmarterX has three primary public-facing business units and brands:

  • Marketing AI Institute: Media, event and education business founded in 2016 that is designed to make AI approachable and actionable for marketers. The Institute has more than 90,000 contacts, and its flagship in-person conference, MAICON, draws 1,000+ marketers to Cleveland each year. 
  • AI Academy by SmarterX: Originally launched in 2020 under the Marketing AI Institute brand, AI Academy is being spun off as a dedicated site and brand. AI Academy is a high-growth business unit designed to prepare individuals and organizations for the future of work by making AI education accessible and personalized.
  • The Artificial Intelligence Show: The podcast is SmarterX’s fastest growing media channel with 65,000+ downloads per month. The podcast serves as a promotional tool and lead generator for SmarterX and its business units. 

SmarterX also has an internal AI Content Studio that supports audience growth, demand generation, and customer success across all brands / business units. The AI Content Studio produces blog posts, books, blueprints, courses, newsletters, podcasts, presentations, research, videos and webinars.

Role Overview

The General Manager is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction, operational execution, and financial performance of the AI Academy. 

This role will manage day-to-day operations, HR, finance, and overall strategy while owning the Profit & Loss (P&L) for the AI Academy. The ideal candidate will drive efficiency, optimize resources, and ensure the Academy’s long-term success in delivering world-class AI education.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Growth

  • Execute the strategic roadmap for AI Academy growth and scalability.
  • Align the Academy’s offerings with SmarterX’s broader mission and market demand.
  • Collaborate with leadership on new revenue streams and opportunities for expansion.

Operational Management

  • Oversee daily operations, ensuring smooth execution of all programs and initiatives.
  • Implement best practices in workflow automation, process optimization, and resource allocation.
  • Ensure high-quality learner experiences across all AI Academy offerings.

HR & Talent Development

  • Recruit, develop, and manage a high-performing team of educators, instructional designers, and support staff.
  • Foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation.
  • Manage relationships with external educators, trainers, and subject matter experts (SMEs).

Finance & P&L Ownership

  • Own and manage the AI Academy’s P&L, ensuring profitability and sustainable growth.
  • Develop and oversee budgets, revenue forecasts, and financial performance metrics.
  • Optimize cost structures while maintaining high-quality education offerings.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

  • Collaborate with internal teams (marketing, sales, product, customer success) and business units to enhance program visibility and learner success.
  • Ensure seamless integration of AI Academy initiatives with SmarterX’s broader business strategies.
  • Partner with AI and technology teams to enhance learning platforms and experiences.

AI Agent Management

  • Support AI agent planning, development, management and integration.
  • Oversee and optimize the use of AI-powered agents.
  • Ensure AI agents are trained with up-to-date content and data.
  • Continuously evaluate and refine AI-driven strategies that increase efficiency, productivity, growth, creativity, and innovation.

Qualifications & Experience

  • Proven experience in education management, business operations, or general management roles.
  • Strong financial acumen with experience owning P&L and driving revenue growth.
  • Expertise in online education, training programs, or AI-related learning initiatives is preferred.
  • Ability to develop and execute strategic plans while managing day-to-day operations.
  • Strong leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
  • Experience in scaling educational programs or subscription-based learning platforms is a plus.
  • Deep experience with HubSpot and Docebo is preferred.
  • Advanced prompting abilities with standard LLMs and reasoning models. 
  • Extensive experience with OpenAI ChatGPT, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini and / or Microsoft Copilot. 

Compensation & Benefits

  • Competitive base salary with performance-based incentives.
  • Profit-sharing and long-term incentive opportunities.
  • Eligible for the company’s Phantom Stock Program, allowing participation in future company growth.
  • Comprehensive benefits package (health, dental, vision, Simple IRA, etc.).
  • Flexible work environment with a strong team culture.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit their resume and a cover letter outlining their experience and vision for scaling AI education at SmarterX. Apply here!