Director, AI/ML Engineering

Key Role Responsibilities: As a Director for AI/ML Engineering, you will: Establish a technology vision and strategy for AI engineering — spanning agentic AI, generative AI, AI workflow automation, machine learning engineering, platform, and services, focusing on business outcomes tracked via key metrics, including overall financial management Define and execute a roadmap for Agentic AI systems — autonomous, multi-step AI agents that take action on behalf of customers and associates — integrating with existing ML and data science platforms Lead the adoption of generative AI technologies (including large language models and multimodal AI) to create differentiated customer experiences, associate tools, and internal productivity solutions Architect and govern AI workflow and automation pipelines that connect generative AI, agentic components, and traditional ML models into end-to-end intelligent business processes Lead and develop a 40+ member team (FTEs & contractors) responsible for feature engineering, agentic AI development, generative AI engineering, ML engineering, automation, and ML Ops for data science models Partner with Technology and Product leadership to define, drive, and deliver our AI/ML services to power the brand's omni-channel front-end experiences (website, mobile apps, in-store experience)Closely collaborate with data science and leadership to identify solutions, prioritize the roadmap and ensure delivery commitments Foster a product engineering culture within the team and establish best practices around discovery, prototyping, continuous and rapid testing, and learning, with a relentless focus on delivering customer value Establish responsible AI governance practices, including safety, bias mitigation, explainability, and compliance guardrails for generative and agentic AI systems Collaborate with other Product Managers and Architects on the design and integration with other products and/or technology platforms Collaborate with other key stakeholders (e.g., legal, security, etc.) to ensure product features meet all security and privacy requirements — with particular attention to data governance and safety requirements for generative AI and agentic systems Partner with Reliability Engineering team to ensure proper controls have been implemented for proactive monitoring of critical product features, availability, and stability

Qualifications and Requirements: Proven technology leader with experience building and managing highly engaged teams Passionate about AI engineering — including agentic AI, generative AI, and AI automation — as well as Data Science and Machine Learning engineering Persuasive communicator – able to explain complex or intangible concepts to stakeholders at all levels Good listener – weighs input from multiple perspectives when forming opinions and recommendations Collaborative and team-oriented work approach Experience gaining consensus among a large, diverse group of stakeholders Experience managing, training and mentoring others in Engineering methodologies and best practices Able to easily motivate and inspire team members, peers, stakeholders and executives Innovative; thinks beyond boundaries Analytical; solves problems at root cause and prioritizes effectively Continuous improvement mentality; never satisfied Comfortable speaking to large audiences and executives Flexible and open-minded; proactively seeks input from others Entrepreneurial drive and spirit; enjoys working in a fast-paced environment Handles constructive criticism with ease; adapts easily and efficiently to change Education and/or ExperienceBA/BS Degree required. Master's Degree a plus.10+ years' experience in AI engineering, generative AI, or Data Science/Machine Learning or related engineering field. Experience with large language models (LLMs), agentic AI frameworks, and AI automation platforms is highly preferred. ML Ops experience is a plus.5+ years' experience managing direct reports Experience with lean/agile development processes Hands-on familiarity with generative AI tools and platforms (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic, AWS Bedrock, Azure OpenAI) and agentic frameworks (e.g., Lang Chain, Auto Gen, or similar)Experience designing and deploying AI workflow automation solutions integrating LLMs, APIs, and traditional ML models into cohesive business processes Work Location and Arrangement: This role will be based out of the Car Max Home Office in Richmond, VA and Associates will work onsite 4 days per week. Work Authorization: Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Sponsorship will not be considered for this specific role. The annual salary for this position is:$181,400.00 - $290,200.00