AVP, Software Engineer - Artificial Intelligence

If you’re passionate about being part of a dynamic organization that enables a Fortune 100 company with nearly $70 billion in annual sales to drive innovation and adopt new technologies that deliver business results, then Nationwide’s Technology team could be the place for you! At Nationwide®, “on your side” goes beyond just words. Our customers are at the center of everything we do and we’re looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care. #LI-RR1 Job Description Summary If you’re passionate about building and operating secure, reliable technology platforms that help Nationwide deliver extraordinary care, then this opportunity may be the place for you. Our technology workforce embraces an agile, collaborative, and inclusive culture to deliver outstanding solutions and results. As the AVP, Software Engineer – Artificial Intelligence, you’ll provide strategic direction and executive oversight for an enterprise portfolio of shared AI platforms, systems, agent capabilities, model and tool catalogs, evaluation and observability tooling, reusable services, patterns, guardrails, and controls. You’ll own the portfolio lifecycle—from strategy and build-ahead investment through production readiness, adoption, reliable operation, continuous improvement, and retirement—and lead the people, financial, and supplier strategies required to sustain these capabilities. Job Description Key Responsibilities Defines the strategy, operating model, product discipline, and multi-year roadmap for AI Platform Engineering, Core Capabilities and Operations in alignment with enterprise technology, architecture, security, risk, data, and business priorities. Translates enterprise demand, technology and AI trends, adoption data, operational performance, cost, and reuse opportunities into prioritized investments with clear service boundaries, adoption paths, and measurable outcomes. Leads the proactive development and responsible adoption of reusable AI and agent capabilities, model and tool catalogs, platform services, testing and evaluation frameworks, observability, and cost-management capabilities. Ensures platform investments demonstrate credible demand, architectural fit, measurable reuse, strong developer experience, safe self-service, responsible financial stewardship, and appropriate risk and control requirements. Maintains responsible AI, model governance, evaluation, safety, privacy, security, provenance, access, and lifecycle practices for shared AI and agent capabilities. Holds accountability for availability, reliability, resiliency, performance, capacity, security, observability, supportability, lifecycle health, and cost management across the assigned AI systems and tooling portfolio. Establishes production-readiness, service-management, resilience, security, privacy, access, versioning, migration, deprecation, and retirement practices; monitors adoption, reuse, reliability, quality, risk, cost, and consumer satisfaction. Partners with Build Alongside and Build For organizations and enterprise stakeholders to understand needs, co-design reusable solutions, guide adoption, and incorporate feedback into the portfolio roadmap. Provides platforms, reference architectures, guardrails, documentation, training, and enablement that help delivery teams create business value more quickly and safely. Owns budgeting, forecasting, workforce planning, capital and expense planning, vendor spend, licensing, investment trade-offs, and unit-cost and consumption measures. Governs portfolio intake, prioritization, sequencing, dependencies, risk, capacity, supplier performance, and executive reporting across portfolio health, delivery, adoption, operations, financial performance, and outcomes. Leads a multidisciplinary software engineering organization, including workforce planning, hiring, performance management, compensation, career development, succession, training, recognition, and organizational effectiveness. Builds an inclusive, high-trust organization with clear accountability across product, engineering, architecture, security, and operations; develops leaders and capabilities in modern engineering, cloud, AI, platform, reliability, and operational practices. May perform other responsibilities as assigned. Reporting Relationships: Reports to VP, Innovation and Artificial Intelligence. Leads direct and indirect resources and coordinates internal teams, strategic and consulting partners, and third-party suppliers. Leads technology professionals in a highly matrixed environment. Typical Skills and Experiences Education : Undergraduate studies in computer science, software engineering, computer engineering, information systems, business, or a related field preferred. Advanced degree preferred. License/Certification/Designation : Relevant cloud, software engineering, AI, product management, service management, security, architecture, or program management certifications are helpful but not required unless designated by the business. Experience : Minimum ten years of progressive technology leadership experience across software engineering, platform engineering, technology product management, cloud, infrastructure, operations, or related disciplines. Demonstrated success leading enterprise-scale platforms or shared services; setting product strategy and adoption models; operating production technology; managing budgets, workforce plans, suppliers, and third-party solutions; leading large, multidisciplinary, matrixed organizations; and embedding security, privacy, risk, compliance, and architecture controls without unnecessarily slowing delivery. Knowledge, Abilities and Skills : Expert knowledge of enterprise technology strategy, software and platform engineering, cloud, AI and emerging technologies, reliability and service management, resilience, observability, security, privacy, identity, risk, compliance, architecture, reusable patterns, guardrails, and modern delivery practices. Advanced knowledge of technology economics, cost optimization, consumption management, portfolio and supplier management. Proven executive influence, communication, talent development, organizational design, change leadership, strategic thinking, decision-making, innovation, learning agility, ambiguity management, and business acumen. Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence. Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the hiring manager's leader and Human Resources Business Partner. Values: Regularly and consistently demonstrates Nationwide Values. Job Conditions Overtime Eligibility : Not Eligible (Exempt). Working Conditions : Normal office environment or hybrid work options may be available. ADA: The above statements cover what are generally believed to be principal and essential functions of this job. Specific circumstances may allow or require some people assigned to the job to perform a somewhat different combination of duties. Benefits We have an array of benefits to fit your needs, including: medical/dental/vision, life insurance, short and long term disability coverage, paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date, nine paid holidays, 8 hours of Lifetime paid time off, 8 hours of Unity Day paid time off, 401(k) with company match, company-paid pension plan, business casual attire, and more. To learn more about the benefits we offer, click here . Nationwide is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels challenged, appreciated, respected and engaged. Nationwide prohibits discrimination and harassment and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to any characteristic (or classification) protected by applicable law. NOTE TO EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES: We value the partnerships we have buil