Manager, Modernization & AI Engineering

Manager, Modernization & AI Engineering - Permanent - Cedar Rapids, IA/ Remote - $120,000 - $138,000

The final salary or hourly wage, as applicable, paid to each candidate/applicant for this position is ultimately dependent on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the candidate's/applicant's qualifications, skills, and level of experience as well as the geographical location of the position.

The end client is unable to sponsor or transfer visas for this position; all parties authorized to work in the US without sponsorship are encouraged to apply.

Our client is seeking a Manager, Modernization & AI Engineering in Cedar Rapids, IA/ Remote.

Role Description

Lead teams through modernization initiatives, including architectural improvements,
API modernization, and cloud-readiness efforts.
Create an environment where engineers can do their best work through clear priorities,
strong engineering practices, and a sustained focus on quality.
Partner with Product Management, Architecture, Professional Services, Sales, and
Marketing to translate business needs and customer opportunities into scalable technical solutions.
Drive continuous improvement across delivery process, DevOps, testing strategies,
and reliability engineering.
Collaborate across the teams to identify, design, and integrate AI/ML capabilities into
existing platforms where they deliver meaningful value.
Lead in talent acquisition systems and processes, including recruitment activities and
decisions on selections.
Identify and nurture talent within the team for future leadership roles.
Collaborate with the team to drive, develop, and execute innovation in our current
products and solutions.
Establish and communicate clear performance expectations.
Identify performance gaps and monitor performance to ensure development plans are
met.
Provide direct support, guidance, and transparent communication across distributed
teams, including offshore contributors.
Ensure fair and equal treatment of employees, avoiding favoritism, addressing difficult
issues (with assistance from Human Resources), and practices empathy and
compassion.
Promote Company policies, procedures, mission, and values by training and providing
direction to direct reports in their use and application.
Other duties as assigned.
Own execution of modernization initiative for OnRoute and Orion platforms.
Assist with other teams revolving: Retrospectives, Sprint Planning, Backlog Grooming,
Roadmap Planning, Reporting. Story Definitions, and prioritization of tasks.
Take an agile approach to workload planning by utilizing JIRA administratively.
Coordinate cross-functionally with other Team Managers to develop comprehensive
solutions for our customers.
Assist with ad hoc requests and take on required initiatives related to improving
efficiency and quality of work across the "design and build" cycle.
Other duties as assigned.

Skills & Requirements

Excellent communicator and active listener capable of influencing team outcomes.
Well versed in the latest tools and technologies to support development initiatives.
Azure and/or AWS expertise strongly preferred.
Hands-on understanding of CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, etc.)
Knowledge of automated testing, regression, and pipeline-based quality gates.
Ability to guide teams in reliability engineering practices.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and related software(s).
Bachelor's degree in computer science, Engineering, or related field; equivalent experience accepted.
4+ years in software engineering or development.
5+ years in leadership roles managing engineering teams.
Understanding of the North American Transit Industry and Agencies is preferred.

Benefits/Other Compensation

Medical, Dental, Life Insurance, 401K.

Why Hays?

You will be working with a professional recruiter who has intimate knowledge of the industry and market trends. Your Hays recruiter will lead you through a thorough screening process in order to understand your skills, experience, needs, and drivers. You will also get support on resume writing, interview tips, and career planning, so when there's a position you really want, you're fully prepared to get it.

Nervous about an upcoming interview? Unsure how to write a new resume?

Visit the Hays Career Advice section to learn top tips to help you stand out from the crowd when job hunting.

Hays is committed to building a thriving culture of diversity that embraces people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better we serve our candidates, clients, and employees. We are an equal employment opportunity employer, and we comply with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, marital status, genetic information, HIV-positive status, as well as any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. One of Hays' guiding principles is 'do the right thing'.
We also believe that actions speak louder than words.
In that regard, we train our staff on ensuring inclusivity throughout the entire recruitment process and counsel our clients on these principles. If you have any questions about Hays or any of our processes, please contact us.

In accordance with applicable federal, state, and local law protecting qualified individuals with known disabilities, Hays will attempt to reasonably accommodate those individuals unless doing so would create an undue hardship on the company. Any qualified applicant or consultant with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to perform the essential functions of the job should call or text .

Drug testing may be required; please contact a recruiter for more information.

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