Vertex Commercial AI Value Stream has delivered flagship AI products and is undergoing a significant cultural and technical transformation to embed AI across the business. This Senior Manager of AI Engineering role involves leading a talented team to build and deploy advanced AI/ML solutions, driving projects from concept to reality, and influencing change across diverse teams. The position requires strong technical expertise, architecture skills in AI, and the vision to bridge technology and business, translating complex AI capabilities into transformative business value at an enterprise scale.

Must Have

• Lead and manage multidisciplinary teams, cultivating a high-performance culture of innovation and accountability.
• Develop and implement AI engineering strategies and product roadmaps aligned with business objectives.
• Oversee the design, development, and deployment of AI models, algorithms, and applications from concept through production.
• Work closely with product management, architecture, and operations teams to integrate AI capabilities.
• Serve as a change agent for AI adoption across the organization, driving a culture of innovation and agile best practices.
• Lead key decisions on AI architectures, tools, and frameworks, staying up-to-date with advancements.
• Own delivery of AI engineering projects, managing timelines and resources effectively.
• Partner with senior leadership to shape AI use cases and requirements, articulating capabilities and limitations.
• Monitor solution performance and user feedback, leading research and experimentation to refine models.
• 10+ years of experience in software engineering with proven leadership experience (4+ years managing engineering teams).
• Demonstrated success in designing, implementing, and launching AI-powered products in production.
• Deep understanding of where AI excels and its practical challenges and limitations.
• Strong knowledge of modern AI and machine learning technologies, tools, and frameworks.
• Excellent programming and system design skills, with proficiency in major languages and architectural skills.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, able to translate complex technical concepts.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field.

Good to Have

• Familiarity with Microsoft Azure and its AI/ML services.
• Knowledge of deploying solutions in cloud environments, using containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), automation, and CI/CD pipelines for ML.
• Master’s or Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science or a related domain, or equivalent practical experience.

Perks & Benefits

• Vertex Bonus Plan (VOB)
• Role-specific sales commission/bonus
• Equity grants

Senior Manager - AI Engineering

Job Description Summary:

• Vertex Commercial AI Value Stream is new and already delivered the first two flagship AI products – a testament to our center of excellence approach and bold vision. We’re leading a significant cultural and technical transformation to embed AI across the business, operating on the bleeding edge of innovation. To accelerate this momentum, we are seeking a Senior Manager of AI Engineering who will take on high-impact leadership roles in this fast-paced, ever-evolving environment. This role offers the opportunity to shape the future of AI at Vertex, driving projects from concept to reality while influencing change across diverse teams.
• This Senior Manager – AI Engineering position offers a unique opportunity to shape the AI future of a market-leading company. If you are excited by the challenge of building new AI solutions from the ground up, leading teams through fast growth, and driving change at enterprise scale, we encourage you to apply and join us on this transformative journey. Inspire, innovate, and make an impact with Vertex’s Commercial AI team!

Role Overview:

• As a Senior Manager of AI Engineering, you will play a pivotal leadership role in delivering advanced AI-powered products for Vertex. You will lead a talented team to build and deploy AI/ML solutions that align with our strategic business objectives. This role requires not only strong technical expertise and architecture skills in AI, but also the vision and influence to bridge technology and business: translating complex AI capabilities into transformative business value. If you are excited by the opportunity to work on high-profile AI projects, drive innovation at enterprise scale, and mentor teams in an environment that celebrates agility and continuous learning, then this role is made for you.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and Mentor AI Engineering Teams: Lead, and manage multidisciplinary teams, cultivating a high-performance culture of innovation and accountability. Provide technical guidance and mentorship to develop your team’s skills and careers.
• Strategic AI Roadmap Execution: Develop and implement the AI engineering strategies and product roadmaps to align with business objectives, ensuring our AI solutions drive clear business value. Balance quick wins with long-term vision to continuously advance Vertex’s AI capabilities.
• End-to-End Solution Delivery: Oversee the design, development, and deployment of AI models, algorithms, and applications from concept through production. Ensure rigorous testing, validation, and QA processes for high-quality, reliable, and scalable AI solutions.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with product management, architecture, and operations teams to integrate AI capabilities into existing systems and workflows. Communicate technical issues and insights in plain language to non-technical stakeholders, acting as an effective bridge between business and technology.
• Champion AI Adoption & Innovation: Serve as a change agent for AI adoption across the organization. Drive a culture of innovation and agile best practices, coaching other teams in how to leverage AI technologies effectively. Promote knowledge sharing, experiment with emerging AI tools, and lead the charge in expanding our AI-first mindset throughout Vertex.
• Technical Excellence & Governance: Lead key decisions on AI architectures, tools, and frameworks. Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in AI/ML and evaluate emerging technologies, ensuring Vertex remains on the cutting edge and uses the best techniques for each problem. Establish and enforce engineering best practices (coding standards, MLOps, CI/CD pipelines, etc.) to maintain technical excellence.
• Project Management & Delivery: Own delivery of AI engineering projects. Manage project timelines, and resources effectively to meet milestones and deliver results on schedule. Proactively identify and resolve obstacles or risks, ensuring an iterative and transparent delivery process in line with our agile methodology.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Partner with senior leadership to shape AI use cases and requirements. Clearly articulate the capabilities and limitations of AI solutions, setting realistic expectations and ensuring that delivered products truly meet customer needs and compliance standards.
• Continuous Improvement: Monitor solution performance and user feedback and iterate to improve our AI products post-deployment. Lead research and experimentation to refine models or pilot new approaches, continually pushing the envelope on what our AI technologies can achieve for the business.

Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills & Abilities):

• Extensive Software Engineering Experience: 10+ years of experience in software engineering (or a related field) with proven leadership experience (4+ years managing and growing engineering teams). A track record of building successful software products and leading teams through multiple release cycles is required.
• AI Product Delivery Expertise: Demonstrated success in designing, implementing, and launching AI-powered products in production. You bring hands-on experience taking AI/ML projects from initial concept to deployed solution, with clear examples of high-impact outcomes.
• Pragmatic AI Insight: Deep understanding of where AI excels and where it doesn’t. You know how to apply AI/ML to the right problems and have a healthy appreciation for the practical challenges and limitations. This allows you to set realistic expectations and guide teams to the most effective solutions (AI-based or otherwise) for a given challenge.
• Deep AI/ML Knowledge: Strong knowledge of modern AI and machine learning technologies, tools, and frameworks.
• Strong Engineering & Coding Skills: Excellent programming and system design skills. Proficiency in one or more major languages and architectural skills to design scalable, maintainable software solutions. You practice sound software engineering principles and can guide the team in coding best practices.
• Leadership & Communication: Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills. Able to translate complex technical concepts into clear, non-technical terms for business leaders and clients. You excel at stakeholder management, cross-team collaboration, and building consensus around a vision.
• Cloud & MLOps Familiarity: Experience with cloud platforms and modern development infrastructure. Familiarity with Microsoft Azure and its AI/ML services is a strong plus (we are an Azure-centric shop). Knowledge of deploying solutions in cloud environments, using containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), automation, and CI/CD pipelines for ML is highly valuable.
• Passion and Curiosity: A passion for innovation and continuous learning in the AI space. You stay current with the latest research and trends, and you inspire your team to explore new ideas, methodologies, and technologies that can keep Vertex’s AI initiatives ahead of the curve.

Education & Training:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field is required.
• Master’s or Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science or a related domain is preferred, or equivalent practical experience in advanced AI projects.

Other Qualifications

The Winning Way behaviors that all Vertex employees need in order to meet the expectations of each other, our customers, and our partners.

• Communicate with Clarity - Be clear, concise and actionable. Be relentlessly constructive. Seek and provide meaningful feedback.
• Act with Urgency - Adopt an agile mentality - frequent iterations, improved speed, resilience. 80/20 rule – better is the enemy of done. Don’t spend hours when minutes are enough.
• Work with Purpose - Exhibit a “We Can” mindset. Results outweigh effort. Everyone understands how their role contributes. Set aside personal objectives for team results.
• Drive to Decision - Cut the swirl with defined deadlines and decision points. Be clear on individual accountability and decision authority. Guided by a commitment to and accountability for customer outcomes.
• Own the Outcome - Defined milestones, commitments and intended results. Assess your work in context, if you’re unsure, ask. Demonstrate unwavering support for decisions.

COMMENTS:

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals in this position. Other functions may be assigned, and management retains the right to add or change the duties at any time.

Pay Transparency Statement:

US Base Salary Range: $159,600.00 - $207,500.00

Base pay offered to new hires may vary based upon factors including relevant industry and job-related skills and experience, geographic location, and business needs.* The range displayed does not encompass the full potential of the role, which allows for further growth and career progression.

In addition, as a part of our total compensation package, this role may be eligible for the Vertex Bonus Plan (VOB), a role-specific sales commission/bonus, and/or equity grants.

Learn more about Life at Vertex

and connect with your recruiter for more details regarding Vertex's compensation and benefit programs.

*In no case will your pay fall below applicable local minimum wage requirements*.