TxDOT CIO Says Agency Is Building Out AI Team

Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) CIO Anh Selissen said the agency is hiring for several artificial intelligence-related positions as TxDOT continues expanding its use of AI across transportation operations, data management, training and internal business functions.

In a LinkedIn post, Selissen wrote that the agency is looking to fill “key AI positions” as part of what she described as a transformation journey. The roles she identified include senior AI developers, senior data architects, project management apprentices, communications and business relationship managers, an AI trainer and a business analyst apprentice.

The post follows TxDOT’s broader movement from planning to implementation. In a previous update to the agency’s AI Strategic Plan, TxDOT reported more than a dozen completed AI projects, more than 20 active projects and more than 200 identified use cases. Those efforts include invoice processing, traffic incident detection, onboarding automation and generative AI tools for staff.

Selissen’s post describes the senior AI developer roles as positions that would help TxDOT design, build and scale end-to-end machine learning models and AI systems for transportation-related challenges. Examples cited in the post include traffic prediction, computer vision for infrastructure inspection, project estimates and route optimization.

The agency is also seeking senior data architects to support complex data infrastructure, including data modeling, cloud and distributed systems, data governance and stakeholder management. That emphasis aligns with TxDOT’s earlier focus on its Enterprise Data Platform, which the agency has credited with supporting AI implementation at scale by integrating data sources, supporting real-time processing and helping teams develop localized solutions.

Training and workforce development are also reflected in the hiring push. Selissen said TxDOT is looking for an AI trainer to work with teams and provide training to agency end users. The position requires technical knowledge as well as the ability to translate complex concepts into information employees can understand and retain, according to the post.

The apprentice positions referenced by Selissen point to the agency’s staffing strategy of building a pipeline for early-career technology and project roles. The project management apprentice roles are intended for college graduates seeking hands-on experience supporting projects, while the business analyst apprentice role is aimed at someone early in their career who can help analyze workflows, identify solutions and use AI tools to improve documentation and generate insights.

Selissen has previously described TxDOT’s AI work as part of a larger effort involving data quality, enterprise tools and workforce enablement. At an Industry Insider — Texas member briefing in March, she said the agency was continuing to build out its AI strategic plan while determining which tools could be deployed at scale and how a workforce of more than 13,000 people could use them effectively.