Sr Consultant Software Engineering Leader - AI for Tech

If you're passionate about innovation and love working in an environment where you can constantly improve and adopt new technologies to drive business results, then Nationwide's Information 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.

This role will be filled in a hybrid capacity, with in-office collaboration in our Columbus, OH office 2 days per week.

This role does not qualify for employer-sponsored work authorization. Nationwide does not participate in the Stem OPT Extension program.

Senior Consultant Software Engineering Leader (SEL) - Internal AI for Technology

We are seeking a Senior Consultant Software Engineering Leader to lead experimentation, prototyping, and validation of AI and automation solutions across the software development lifecycle (SDLC), with a focus on enhancing productivity and efficiency across all technology professions. This position will focus exclusively on our Technology organization and will be accountable for managing and coordinating all aspects of our Technology work across Nationwide's SDLC. Operating within Technology Enterprise Solutions (TES), this role will drive innovative, AI-powered solutions aimed internally to technology at improving how software is defined, engineered, tested, deployed, secured, and supported. The successful candidate will collaborate across architecture, procurement, Developer Experience, and NTWE professions and roles, to deliver measurable technology outcomes through emerging end to end solutions. This role will play a critical part in establishing measurement frameworks to assess prototypes from inception through validation and potential enterprise scaling.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead the design, execution, and evaluation of prototypes leveraging various AI and automation tools to address bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and productivity challenges across technology professions (planning, portfolio, requirements engineering, testing, security, architecture, etc.)
• Develop frameworks for measuring prototype outcomes, including metrics for developer productivity, automation impact, time-to-market improvement, and operational efficiency
• Establish clear success criteria and key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess technical feasibility, scalability, and ROI from experiments and pilots in concert with numerous profession stakeholders
• Orchestrate solution development in collaboration with internal teams, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture, security, compliance, and operational standards
• Collaborate closely with enterprise architecture and product/platform teams to integrate prototypes with architectural roadmaps, technical standards, and modernization strategies
• Manage external technology partners and vendors, leading vendor selection, proof-of-concept execution, and evaluation of external tools and platforms
• Partner with procurement and legal teams to negotiate vendor contracts, licensing, IP rights, and data access requirements related to AI/automation solutions
• Document and communicate outcomes, learnings, and recommendations to senior technology leadership, supporting evidence-based decision-making for scaling solutions
• Promote a culture of experimentation and continuous learning across the technology organization, encouraging innovation with responsible risk-taking
• Advocate for responsible AI and ethical automation practices, ensuring privacy, security, and compliance standards are embedded in prototypes and solutions

Required Skills and Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in technology consulting, enterprise architecture, or technical solution leadership, preferably within a financial services technology organization
• Proven expertise in AI, LLMs, AI-assisted development tools, and automation solutions across the SDLC
• Demonstrated experience leading prototypes and experiments from design through validation, including evaluation of technical feasibility, ROI, and scalability
• Strong understanding of SDLC processes and experience designing measurement frameworks and success metrics to quantify productivity improvements, automation impact, and technical outcomes
• Proven ability to manage external technology partners, including vendor evaluation, proof-of-concept oversight, and contract/licensing management
• Familiarity with enterprise architecture, IT security, data governance, and compliance standards relevant to financial services technology
• Excellent collaboration skills across multidisciplinary technical teams (engineering, architecture, DevXP, security, infrastructure, procurement)
• Strong communication and influence skills to translate technical insights into actionable recommendations for senior IT leadership
• Awareness of ethical AI, responsible AI, and data privacy standards in AI/ML and automation solutions

Job Description Summary
If you're enthusiastic about delivering secure technology solutions to support a company providing extraordinary care to its customers, then Nationwide Technology is the place for you. Nationwide's industry-leading technology workforce embraces an agile work environment and a collaborative culture to deliver outstanding solutions and results. If that sounds like something you aspire to, we want to hear from you!

As a Software Engineering Leader, you'll be accountable for technology capability uplift and the effective and efficient delivery of software to enable business outcomes. You'll guide technology professionals, contractors, and teams in a matrix environment on how work is accomplished across the software lifecycle. You'll also drive software engineering maturity and operational excellence by providing coaching on Lean, agile and DevSecOps principles, tools, and techniques. You'll serve as a technology expert and strategic partner for a line of business, providing innovation and thought leadership.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

• Responsible for enabling technology and business outcomes by serving as the main point of contact for one or more lines of business.
• Ensures software engineering, planning, and development capability uplift.
• Defines and implements strategies to enable Nationwide as a digital company.
• Provides strategic thinking to evolve software engineering methodologies and champions innovation and lean methodologies.
• Responsible for applying secure software and systems engineering practices throughout the delivery lifecycle to ensure our data and technology solutions are protected from threats and vulnerabilities.
• Identifies key insights and trends from metrics such as time to market (speed), quality and efficiency, and drives continuous improvement.
• Drives an "automation-first" approach.
• Consults on technology team formation, including consolidating, optimizing and de-constructing agile teams.
• Partners with Procurement to provide vendor support and relationship management. Drives variable capacity management for Technology teams to ensure appropriate staffing.
• Assists with the development of Technology professionals by providing coaching and feedback.

May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Reporting Relationships: Reports to Technology, Associate Vice President or above. May have 0-2 direct reports.

Typical Skills and Experiences:

Education: Undergraduate studies in computer science, management information systems, mathematics or related field is strongly preferred.

License/Certification/Designation: Certified Scrum Master, Certified Agile Leader, Amazon Web Services Practitioner, or other related certifications are encouraged, but not required.

Experience: Typically, eight years of experience using Lean, agile and DevSecOps principles. Five or more years in leading strategic, large-scale initiatives across a variety of technical disciplines.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skills: Proven track record of optimally leading teams in a matrixed environment. Experience influencing and empowering an engaged workforce. Experience developing and maintaining strong business partnerships. Vendor management experience a plus. Insurance/financial services industry knowledge a plus.

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 HR Business Partner.

Values: Regularly and consistently demonstrates Nationwide Values.

Job Conditions:

Overtime Eligibility: Exempt (Not Eligible)

Working Conditions: Hybrid to normal office environment. Associates may have on-call responsibility after normal working hours and/or on weekends.

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 built with our preferred vendors. Nationwide does not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies. All resumes submitted by employment agencies directly to any Nationwide employee or hiring manager in any form without a signed Nationwide Client Services Agreement on file and search engagement for that position will be deemed unsolicited in nature. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is subsequently hired as a result of the referral or through other means.