AI Specialist Jobs in Illinois

About Us:

Preferred Electric is a leading commercial electrical contractor specializing in innovative and reliable electrical solutions for diverse industries. We pride ourselves on delivering high-quality projects while fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment.

Job Summary:

The AI & Business Automation Specialist identifies, designs, builds, deploys, and supports AI agents and workflow automations that improve productivity across Preferred Electric. Working directly with field and office teams, this role facilitates workflow discovery, translates operational needs into clear agent requirements, and delivers practical, secure, and supportable solutions within a Microsoft-centered technology environment.

This is a hands-on agent builder and business partner role. The successful candidate will work effectively with stakeholders to understand how work is performed, determine where agents or automation can create value, improve the process where needed, deliver the solution, and remain accountable for adoption, performance, documentation, and measurable value.

Key Responsibilities:

Build and Support Solutions

• Design, test, deploy, maintain, and improve AI agents and assistants using Microsoft Copilot and related Microsoft technologies.
• Build workflow automations using Power Automate, Power Apps, SharePoint, Teams, APIs, and other approved services.
• Create reliable solutions with appropriate permissions, error handling, monitoring, documentation, and support procedures.
• Coordinate with the managed service provider and software vendors when solutions require administrative access, integrations, licensing, or specialized development.

Discover and Prioritize Opportunities

• Partner with leaders, project teams, and field personnel to understand workflows, pain points, manual handoffs, and business requirements.
• Determine whether a need is best addressed through an agent, automation, application, integration, system configuration, process change, or a combination of approaches.
• Maintain a prioritized backlog based on business value, effort, risk, readiness, and scalability.
• Create practical solutions for estimating, project management, field operations, safety, BIM/VDC, purchasing, accounting, and corporate services.

Governance, Adoption, and Value

• Follow and help improve standards for intake, development, testing, deployment, access, change control, support, and retirement.
• Ensure solutions align with Microsoft 365 governance, cybersecurity, data protection, identity and access controls, and responsible AI practices.
• Lead pilots, training, release communications, and user adoption efforts across office and jobsite environments.
• Measure and report outcomes such as time saved, cycle-time reduction, error reduction, adoption, throughput, and user satisfaction.

Qualifications & Skills:

• Substantial hands-on experience in AI agent development, business automation, Power Platform development, business systems, process improvement, digital transformation, or solution delivery, with agent-building experience as the primary emphasis.
• Demonstrated experience building and deploying multiple production AI agents or assistants used collaboratively by multiple users, including ongoing support, iteration, governance, and adoption.
• Demonstrated experience building and supporting production workflows with Microsoft Power Automate and Microsoft 365.
• Experience gathering requirements, mapping processes, testing solutions, documenting systems, and managing work through implementation.
• Ability to translate operational problems into technical solutions and communicate effectively with executives, office employees, field personnel, vendors, and technology partners.
• Strong independent problem-solving, prioritization, ownership, and follow-through.
• Ability and willingness to visit active jobsites and comply with site-specific safety requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with Microsoft Copilot, Power Apps, SharePoint Online, Teams, Power BI, Microsoft Graph, APIs, connectors, Azure services, or Azure DevOps.
• Experience in commercial construction, electrical contracting, specialty contracting, general contracting, construction management, or a related project environment is strongly valued because it can accelerate understanding of field and project workflows, but it is not required. Priority will be given to candidates with a strong record of building and deploying agents and partnering with users to define workflows, requirements, and appropriate agent solutions. Familiarity with construction processes and documentation—including RFIs, submittals, drawings, specifications, change orders, purchase orders, contracts, schedules, closeout documentation, and project correspondence—is beneficial.
• Familiarity with construction platforms such as Procore, Sage, Bluebeam, Trimble, Autodesk, Accubid Classic, safety, or workforce management systems.
• Working knowledge of Power Platform administration, environment strategy, deployment practices, identity, permissions, data governance, security, licensing, and responsible AI.
• Experience quantifying business value and reporting solution outcomes.
• Bachelor's degree in information systems, construction management, engineering, business, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience

Salary and Benefits:

• Salary Range: $90k – $115k annually
• Benefits Package Includes:
• Health, dental, and vision insurance through Local 701 IBEW.
• 401(k) plan with company match.
• Enrollment in Unlimited Paid time off (PTO) policy and paid holidays.
• Professional development and training opportunities.
• Enrollment in Quarterly Support Staff Bonus Program.

How to Apply:
If you are an experienced AI & Business Automation Specialist looking to take the next step in your career, we want to hear from you! Please submit your resume, cover letter, and references to careers@preferred-electric.com.

Preferred Electric is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applicants from all backgrounds to apply.

Pay: $90,000.00 - $115,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Experience:

• AI agent development: 3 years (Required)
• Microsoft Copilot: 3 years (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (Required)

Work Location: In person