Essential Work Samples for Evaluating AI Center of Excellence Leadership Candidates

Establishing an AI Solutions Center of Excellence (CoE) represents a critical strategic initiative for organizations looking to harness artificial intelligence capabilities at scale. The leaders responsible for building these centers must possess a unique blend of technical understanding, strategic vision, change management expertise, and cross-functional leadership abilities. Traditional interviews often fail to reveal whether candidates truly possess these multifaceted skills.

Work samples and role plays provide a window into how candidates approach the complex challenges of establishing AI governance, building cross-functional teams, managing stakeholders, and creating sustainable AI implementation frameworks. By observing candidates in action, organizations can assess their ability to translate theoretical knowledge into practical solutions that drive business value.

The stakes for selecting the right AI CoE leader are exceptionally high. A poor choice can result in misaligned AI initiatives, wasted resources, and failed digital transformation efforts. Conversely, the right leader can establish a foundation for competitive advantage through responsible, scalable AI implementation across the enterprise.

The following work samples are designed to evaluate candidates' capabilities across the key dimensions required for successful AI CoE leadership. These exercises simulate real-world scenarios that AI CoE leaders face, allowing organizations to make more informed hiring decisions based on demonstrated competencies rather than self-reported experience alone.

Activity #1: AI CoE Strategic Roadmap Development

This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for establishing an AI Center of Excellence. It tests their understanding of organizational AI maturity, governance requirements, and the phased approach needed to build AI capabilities. This skill is fundamental as the CoE leader will need to chart a clear path forward that aligns with business objectives while being realistic about implementation challenges.

Directions for the Company:

• Provide the candidate with a brief on your organization's current AI maturity level, existing initiatives, business priorities, and any industry-specific considerations.
• Include information about available resources (budget range, potential team size, executive sponsorship).
• Allow candidates 2-3 days to prepare a strategic roadmap presentation (15-20 minutes).
• Prepare a panel of 2-3 stakeholders who would typically be involved in AI initiatives to ask questions.
• Create a scorecard that evaluates: strategic thinking, practical implementation considerations, governance awareness, and alignment with business objectives.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Develop a 12-18 month strategic roadmap for establishing an AI Center of Excellence within the organization.
• Your roadmap should include:
• Vision and mission for the AI CoE
• Governance structure and operating model
• Key phases of implementation with milestones
• Required resources and organizational structure
• Success metrics and KPIs
• Risk mitigation strategies
• Prepare a 15-20 minute presentation explaining your approach, followed by Q&A.
• Be prepared to justify your decisions and discuss alternative approaches.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the presentation, provide specific feedback on one strategic element the candidate handled exceptionally well.
• Offer one area for improvement regarding their implementation approach or governance model.
• Allow the candidate 5-10 minutes to revise their approach based on the feedback and explain how they would incorporate this feedback into their plan.

Activity #2: Executive Stakeholder Alignment Role Play

This role play assesses the candidate's ability to communicate the value of an AI CoE to skeptical executives and gain buy-in for necessary resources. Securing executive sponsorship and cross-functional alignment is critical for any successful AI CoE, making stakeholder management a core competency for this leadership role.

Directions for the Company:

• Select 2-3 employees to play the roles of executives with different perspectives:
• A technology-focused executive who is enthusiastic but has unrealistic expectations
• A business leader concerned about ROI and practical applications
• A risk/compliance officer worried about governance and ethical implications
• Provide role players with specific objections, concerns, and questions to raise.
• Give the candidate a brief on the fictional or real company situation, including current AI initiatives and business priorities.
• Allow the candidate 30 minutes to prepare after receiving the brief.

Directions for the Candidate:

• You will meet with key executives to gain support for establishing an AI Center of Excellence.
• Your objectives are to:
• Articulate the value proposition of the AI CoE
• Address concerns about resources, governance, and implementation
• Establish realistic expectations about timelines and outcomes
• Secure commitment for necessary resources and support
• The meeting will last 20-30 minutes.
• Be prepared to handle objections and answer detailed questions about implementation.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on one aspect of stakeholder management the candidate handled effectively.
• Identify one stakeholder concern that could have been addressed more effectively.
• Allow the candidate to re-approach the conversation with the specific stakeholder, implementing the feedback provided.

Activity #3: AI Governance Framework Development

This exercise evaluates the candidate's ability to establish appropriate governance structures for AI implementation. Creating robust governance frameworks is essential for responsible AI deployment, ensuring ethical considerations, regulatory compliance, and risk management are properly addressed throughout the organization.

Directions for the Company:

• Provide the candidate with:
• A description of your industry and relevant regulatory considerations
• Information about 2-3 planned or existing AI use cases in your organization
• Any existing governance structures or policies that might apply
• Allow the candidate 2-3 hours to complete the exercise.
• Prepare evaluation criteria focused on comprehensiveness, practicality, and alignment with organizational needs.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Develop a governance framework for the organization's AI Center of Excellence that addresses:
• Decision rights and approval processes for AI initiatives
• Risk assessment methodology for AI projects
• Ethical guidelines and responsible AI principles
• Data governance considerations
• Model management and monitoring requirements
• Compliance documentation and audit procedures
• Create a 2-3 page document outlining the framework.
• Include a visual representation of the governance structure and decision flow.
• Be prepared to explain how this framework would apply to the specific use cases provided.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on one strength of the governance framework, highlighting elements that demonstrate foresight or practical implementation.
• Identify one area where the framework could be strengthened or made more practical.
• Allow the candidate 15-20 minutes to revise the identified area and explain their updated approach.

Activity #4: AI CoE Team Structure and Talent Assessment

This exercise evaluates the candidate's ability to design an effective organizational structure for the AI CoE and identify the right talent mix. Building the right team with complementary skills is crucial for a successful AI Center of Excellence, requiring the leader to understand both technical and business requirements.

Directions for the Company:

• Provide the candidate with:
• A description of your organization's size and structure
• Information about existing technical capabilities and skill gaps
• 3-4 fictional or anonymized resumes/profiles of potential team members with varying backgrounds
• Budget constraints for hiring (e.g., headcount limitations)
• Allow 60-90 minutes for the exercise.
• Prepare evaluation criteria focused on team composition logic, role definition clarity, and resource allocation.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Design an organizational structure for the AI Center of Excellence that includes:
• Key roles and reporting relationships
• Required skills and competencies for each position
• Rationale for the proposed structure
• Phased hiring plan based on budget constraints
• Evaluate the provided candidate profiles and explain:
• Which roles they would be suitable for
• Any skill gaps that would need to be addressed
• Development plans for team members to grow capabilities
• Create a 1-2 page document with an org chart and staffing plan.
• Be prepared to discuss how this team would collaborate with other departments.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Provide feedback on one aspect of the team structure or talent assessment that demonstrates strong organizational design thinking.
• Identify one area where the candidate could improve their approach to team building or skill assessment.
• Allow the candidate 10-15 minutes to revise their approach based on the feedback and explain their reasoning.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should we allocate for these work samples in our interview process?

These exercises are designed to be thorough evaluations and should be spread across multiple interview stages. The strategic roadmap and governance framework exercises work well as take-home assignments followed by in-person discussions, while the stakeholder alignment role play and team structure assessment can be conducted during on-site interviews. In total, plan for 3-4 hours of candidate evaluation time spread across different sessions.

Should we use all four exercises for every candidate?

Not necessarily. Select the exercises most relevant to your organization's immediate needs. If you're in early stages of AI adoption, the strategic roadmap and stakeholder alignment exercises may be most valuable. For organizations with existing AI initiatives looking to formalize governance, the governance framework and team structure exercises might be more appropriate.

How should we evaluate candidates who have strong technical AI backgrounds versus those with more organizational leadership experience?

Look for balance rather than perfection in any single area. The ideal AI CoE leader needs both technical understanding and organizational leadership skills. Use these exercises to identify candidates' strengths and weaknesses, then consider how those align with your specific organizational context and the support team that will surround them.

Can these exercises be adapted for virtual interviews?

Yes, all four exercises can be modified for remote hiring processes. The strategic roadmap and governance framework exercises can be submitted digitally, while the stakeholder alignment role play and team structure assessment can be conducted via video conference. Consider providing additional preparation time for virtual exercises to account for potential technology challenges.

How do we ensure these exercises don't disadvantage candidates from non-traditional backgrounds?

Provide clear context and background information to level the playing field. The exercises are designed to test capabilities rather than specific industry knowledge. Be explicit that you're evaluating problem-solving approach and leadership thinking rather than familiarity with your specific organization. Consider providing examples or templates to ensure candidates understand expectations.

Should we share our evaluation criteria with candidates in advance?

Transparency about evaluation criteria can help candidates prepare appropriately and reduce anxiety. Consider sharing the key competencies you're assessing without revealing specific scoring mechanisms. This approach balances fairness with maintaining the exercise's ability to differentiate candidate capabilities.

Building an effective AI Center of Excellence requires leadership that spans technical understanding, strategic vision, and organizational change management. These work samples provide a comprehensive framework for evaluating candidates across these critical dimensions, helping organizations identify leaders who can successfully establish AI capabilities that drive business value while managing associated risks.

By implementing these practical assessments, your organization can move beyond resume reviews and traditional interviews to truly evaluate how candidates will perform in this crucial leadership role. For additional resources to support your AI talent acquisition strategy, explore Yardstick's comprehensive tools for creating AI-optimized job descriptions, generating effective interview questions, and developing complete interview guides.

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