Open Positions
Work that is visible, on a team small enough for it to matter.
The Center for Rural AI is a young, growing nonprofit, and we build our team with people who care about rural communities and want to do real work. Because we're early, most roles begin as volunteer or skilled-volunteer positions. As our funding develops we expect to create paid roles, and volunteers are always welcome to apply. You'll work closely with our founder and small core team, and what you do will be visible and will matter.
Current Openings
1 role open right now.
Skilled Volunteer: Business Development & Partnerships
- Durango or Denver, Colorado (periodic in-person availability required)
- Skilled volunteer, 8–10 hrs/week
- Unpaid, initial six-month commitment
About CRAI
The Center for Rural AI (CRAI) is a Durango-based nonprofit with a dual mission: helping rural communities participate in the AI economy, and surfacing how frontier AI models under- and misrepresent rural data. We build programs and tools across training and education, applied AI products, research and benchmarks, and real-world pilots — working with partners that range from small businesses and local governments to national research institutions and philanthropic funders. This is a hands-on chance to help shape a mission-driven organization from the ground up, with direct exposure to our leadership and core team.
The Role
We're looking for a skilled volunteer based in or near Durango, Southwest Colorado, or Denver to support business development and partnership activity across our program portfolio. You'll help identify, cultivate, and support relationships with the institutional partners, pilot sites, and channel partners that make our work possible — including Small Business Development Centers, community foundations, tourism boards, rural electric cooperatives, local governments, and regional business associations.
This is an unpaid, skilled-volunteer position requiring roughly 8–10 hours per week for an initial six-month commitment. We welcome candidates near Durango, elsewhere in Southwest Colorado, or in the Denver area who can meet in person periodically and ideally have ties to Colorado's business or civic community.
What You'll Do
- ▪Research and prioritize potential partner organizations across CRAI's target channels, including SBDCs, community foundations, tourism boards, chambers of commerce, rural electric cooperatives, and local, regional, and state government
- ▪Support outreach and relationship-building with prospective and existing partners and pilot sites, including scheduling, timely follow-up, and accurate pipeline tracking
- ▪Help prepare one-pagers, proposals, pitch decks, and follow-up communications, and support partnership discussions and agreement development (the Executive Director retains final approval and signing authority)
- ▪Represent CRAI at mutually agreed local or regional events, and help coordinate the identification, vetting, and onboarding of partner organizations and pilot sites
What We're Looking For
- ▪Based in or near Durango, elsewhere in Southwest Colorado, or in the Denver area, with periodic availability for in-person meetings
- ▪Interest in or experience with business development, partnerships, sales, or relationship management
- ▪Comfortable doing outreach — cold and warm — and building relationships with business owners, civic leaders, and institutional stakeholders
- ▪Familiarity with the regional business, economic development, or nonprofit landscape is a plus (SBDC, tourism board, chamber, or local government experience especially welcome)
- ▪Strong written and verbal communication skills
- ▪Self-directed and comfortable in a small, fast-moving nonprofit environment
- ▪Interest in rural economic development and/or AI is a plus, but not required — we can teach the subject matter
Time Commitment & Structure
- ▪Roughly 8–10 hours per week for an initial six-month commitment, with consistent availability across the week for timely partner follow-up and participation in Friday team meetings
- ▪Flexible schedule, with local meetings and events arranged by mutual agreement
- ▪A weekly 30-minute check-in with the Executive Director. CRAI provides onboarding, relevant introductions, partnership templates, and access to its CRM and collaboration tools. Reasonable, pre-approved expenses incurred on CRAI's behalf are reimbursed.
- ▪This is an unpaid volunteer position, and either CRAI or the volunteer may end the arrangement at any time. If CRAI later creates a funded position, the volunteer may apply and would be considered alongside other candidates; no future employment or compensation is promised.
Why Join CRAI
- ▪A high-visibility role in a growing nonprofit with national relationships (advisory ties to organizations including Anthropic, Microsoft, and state and national institutions) and deep local roots
- ▪The chance to build real partnerships that directly support rural businesses and communities
- ▪Close collaboration with our founder and small core team — your work will be seen and will matter
- ▪The chance to build measurable partnerships, expand your professional network, and help shape CRAI's growth strategy — with a professional reference and documentation of your contributions upon successful completion
How to Apply
Send a short note about your interest and background to andrew@ruralai.org.
Email andrew@ruralai.orgDon't see a role that fits but want to be involved?
We'd still like to hear from you. Email andrew@ruralai.org and tell us how you'd like to help.
Email andrew@ruralai.org