Senior Director Software Engineering

Job Summary

Acuity is seeking a dynamic and experienced leader to lead and manage the development of a modern AI‑enabled digital commerce and data platform to transform the end‑to‑end user experience.

The platform will leverage Python‑based AI systems, cloud‑native architectures, and modern data and integration technologies to establish state‑of‑the‑art commerce, intelligence, and engagement capabilities, driving sustainable competitive advantage.

Key Tasks & Responsibilities (Essential Functions)

• Oversee the end‑to‑end Commerce AI and Data Platform portfolio in alignment with business strategy and goals.
• Provide strategic leadership for research and development initiatives:
• Identify, evaluate, and prioritise emerging technologies with a strong emphasis on AI, Cloud (Azure), Multi-Agent Agentic AI, Vector DBs, machine learning, and generative AI.
• Monitor industry trends, advances in AI engineering, and competitive landscapes.
• Partner with the Digital Commerce Experience leader to co‑lead the strategic evaluation, experimentation, and implementation of AI‑driven capabilities that fundamentally transform commerce experiences and unlock new avenues for growth.
• Partner with Customer, Enterprise, Product, Data, and Platform leaders to define the Commerce AI platform roadmap, product outcomes, and experience goals.
• Engineering Leadership: Lead engineering teams to develop and deliver high-quality software solutions, ensuring adherence to best practices and industry standards.
• Manage the prioritisation, sequencing, and resourcing of the portfolio roadmap across multiple AI and software engineering teams.
• Own investment planning and financial oversight related to the development, evolution, and operation of the Commerce AI platform.
• Act as a senior stakeholder across business and technology functions to continuously evaluate and improve end‑to‑end platform effectiveness and user experience.
• Be accountable for software product management and AI engineering teams, encompassing multiple delivery teams.
• Foster a culture of innovation and delivery excellence:
• Encourage structured experimentation, proofs of concept, and responsible adoption of emerging AI technologies.
• Support collaboration with industry partners, research institutions, and internal innovation initiatives, translating insights into production capabilities.
• Support the development of intellectual property (IP), including patents, publications, and presentations at partner or industry forums where appropriate.
• Ensure strict compliance with all relevant data privacy, security, and AI governance policies, mitigating risk and ensuring data integrity across platforms.

Skills and Minimum Experience Required

• Proven experience leading digital commerce, data, cloud or AI‑enabled platform portfolios in an enterprise environment.
• Strong business and technology acumen within the commercial domain, with a deep understanding of B2B customer needs.
• Strong understanding of modern cloud‑native architecture, including distributed systems, microservices, and platform‑oriented design.
• Familiarity with domain‑driven design (DDD), event‑driven architecture, and common architectural patterns used in scalable systems.
• Demonstrated understanding of AI and machine learning concepts, including generative AI systems, large language models (LLMs), and applied AI in enterprise contexts.
• Strong alignment with Python‑centric engineering ecosystems and modern AI development stacks, even if not personally hands‑on.
• Experience working with Agile delivery models including Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, and modern engineering organisations.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing technology investments at portfolio level.
• Experience operating in fast‑moving, growth or transformation‑oriented environments.
• Prior exposure to scaling AI‑driven systems from experimentation into enterprise production.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in software engineering leadership roles.
• Proven track record of successfully managing software portfolios and engineering projects.
• Experience with resource allocation, risk management, and performance monitoring.
• Strong understanding of software development lifecycle and methodologies.