Postdoctoral Scholar - Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity
Posting Number: S01579JP
Department: Hastings Initiative
Job Summary:
Bowdoin College invites applications for a Hastings Initiative Postdoctoral Scholar beginning September 1, 2026 as part of the Hastings Initiative for AI and Humanity. This position offers a unique opportunity for scholars working at the intersection of artificial intelligence and the liberal arts to shape the future of AI engagement in higher education. The appointment will be for two years. The ideal candidates will have a demonstrated commitment to integrating AI in their scholarship and instruction and may come from any discipline. A PhD is expected prior to the start date.
The Postdoctoral Scholar will serve as one of the Initiative's AI specialists, helping to shape the College's approach to AI integration while maintaining its liberal arts values.
Responsibilities include:
- Collaborating with and supporting Bowdoin faculty in integrating AI tools and methodologies into their teaching and research. This work will include:
- Offering one-on-one consultations, which may develop into longer-term research collaborations, including substantive and potentially coauthored scholarship
- Envisioning, planning, and running workshops and symposia with support from the Hastings Advisory Committee and Post-baccalaureate Fellows in AI and Humanity
- Teaching in the planned workshops
- Actively promoting the ethical use of AI beyond the Bowdoin community through scholarly output and activities, including participation in conferences, workshops, and other outreach initiatives.
- Working with the Hastings Advisory Committee to further develop the Initiative.
- Supporting the Initiative's Director in administrating the Initiative
- Developing the Scholar's own research program
COMPENSATION
- The hiring range for this position is expected to be: $78,000-$83,000
BENEFITS AND PERKS
- A variety of health insurance plans (Medical, Vision, Dental)
- Generous Retirement Plan - 401(a) and 403(b)
- Life and Disability Insurance
- Paid Time Off: 20 days of vacation per calendar year, 12 days of personal/sick time
- Paid Holidays and Special Days Off: https://www.bowdoin.edu/hr/our-workplace/college-holidays-and-special-days-off.html
- Paid Parental Leave (Available after one year of service)
- Household access to many of the College's facilities including the gym and pool
- Free fitness and wellness classes!
- And more: https://www.bowdoin.edu/hr/benefits-perks/index.html
Education/Skills Requirements:
- Doctoral Degree required
- Working knowledge of all aspects of planning and deploying an AI project, including initial problem specification, data gathering and analysis, model creation, and implementation
- Strong understanding of artificial intelligence applications and methodologies, such as working knowledge of generative AI tools, use of large language models, machine learning, and ethical frameworks for AI implementation.
- Ability to apply AI to interdisciplinary research or developing AI models for interdisciplinary research.
- Evidence of scholarly promise in one or more fields related to artificial intelligence.
- A commitment to cross-disciplinary collaboration.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across disciplines and explain technical AI concepts to non-specialist audiences.
- Demonstrated interest in teaching.
Experience Requirements and/or Equivalents:
The ideal candidates will bring:
Knowledge: Practical and research experience with artificial intelligence, including using it in one's own research. Such experience will ideally entail all aspects of planning and deploying an AI project. This includes initial problem specification, data gathering and analysis, model creation, and implementation. Applicants should be willing to learn and use agentic AI to build and deploy models, and should have a working understanding of core areas of modern AI systems, including generative AI, agentic AI, and AI ethics.
Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication. The facility to work with a range of AI platforms. Setting up and troubleshooting AI platforms. Data gathering and curation for AI-based models, and designing and implementing AI-based models applied to interdisciplinary questions/problems.
Abilities: Working adeptly in collaborative relationships with a variety of Bowdoin students, staff members, and faculty. Quickly adapting as AI continues to change. Collaborating with non-technical faculty and explaining complex AI concepts in accessible terms. Interest and/or background in AI ethics, fairness, bias, or societal implications of AI. Building and creating inclusive and collaborative communities around AI.
Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications in this posting to be considered for hire.
Standard Work Days and Hours:
- Based on-site at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, the standard schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- As a full-time, exempt-level role, this position is a 1.0 FTE working 40 hours/52 weeks and requires the time commitment to complete the essential duties of the position.
We regret that Bowdoin College is unable to provide visa sponsorship for staff positions.
Employment at Bowdoin College is contingent upon satisfactory completion of applicable background checks including but not limited to: criminal records, educational verifications, driving records (when job-related), and/or credit history (when job related).
About Bowdoin:
Bowdoin embraces diversity in all forms, and the College is home to talented students, faculty and staff-with a variety of racial, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds; religious beliefs; and gender identities, among other factors.
We encourage applications from candidates committed to the support of an inclusive campus community and those who will enrich and contribute to the College's multifaceted diversity. We value a community in which individuals of all backgrounds are warmly welcomed and encouraged to succeed.
Founded in 1794, Bowdoin has maintained its commitment to the liberal arts for well over 200 years. Bowdoin's reputation as a preeminent liberal arts college rests on the excellence of its faculty, students, and staff; intimate size; strong sense of community; and connections to the people, history, and natural beauty of Maine.
Bowdoin's campus is situated in a beautiful natural setting. Located in Brunswick, Maine, a town of approximately 20,000, the College is a short drive from the Maine coast, twenty-five miles from Portland and 120 miles from Boston.
Shift: N/A
Employment Category: Full Time Year Round
Benefits Eligible: Yes
Pay Type: Salaried
Background Check Package Requirements: Faculty/Administrative
Is driving a Bowdoin vehicle an essential function of this job?:
Is a pre-placement physical required for this position?: No
Posting Date: 07/24/2026
Applications Accepted Until:
Open Until Filled: No
Special Instructions to Applicants: Please submit the following materials:
- A cover letter describing your interest in the position
- A two-page statement highlighting how your experience intersects with the goals of the Initiative, and your approach to interdisciplinary collaborations. We are particularly interested in the details of AI projects that you have been involved in from start to finish.
- A current curriculum vitae
- Names and contact information for three references who have agreed to provide letters of recommendation
Bowdoin College accepts only electronic submissions. Questions about the position may be directed to the Initiative's Director, Eric Chown, at echown@bowdoin.edu.
Review of applications will begin August 1st and will continue until the position is filled. The target start date is September 1, but we will be flexible depending on how the search progresses.
If selected as a finalist, you will be required to submit information for three references, including name, email address, phone number and how you know the reference.
EEO Information:
Bowdoin College complies with applicable provisions of federal and state laws that prohibit unlawful discrimination in employment, admission, or access to its educational or extracurricular programs, activities, or facilities based on race, color, ethnicity, ancestry and national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, age, marital status, place of birth, genetic predisposition, veteran status, or against qualified individuals with physical or mental disabilities on the basis of disability, or any other legally protected statuses.
To apply, visit https://apptrkr.com/9716760"">https://careers.bowdoin.edu/postings/18076 je-0b0bf0658c104e03bb16f91605152102
