Associate Director, Product Software Engineering - Information Retrieval

Wolters Kluwer•Waltham, MA

22d

About The Position

As an Associate Director in Software Engineering – Information Retrieval, you will lead multiple engineering teams and drive the strategic direction for software development initiatives. This role is responsible for delivering innovative, high‑quality core search and information retrieval solutions that enhance business operations while fostering a culture of engineering excellence and continuous improvement. You will make critical decisions on technical approaches, resource allocation, and project prioritization, ensuring alignment with organizational goals. Key Responsibilities Provide strategic leadership and direction for the information retrieval team focused on modernizing our search capabilities and up‑skilling the team in a rapidly evolving space, aligning with overall business objectives in a matrixed organization. Make strategic decisions on project prioritization, resource allocation, and technical direction. Communicate effectively with senior management, peers, and direct reports to ensure alignment and collaboration. Foster strong, cohesive teams and encourage collaboration and mutual support. Monitor development processes and ensure adherence to modern architectural patterns and standards. Utilize data analysis and insights to drive data‑driven decisions and measure product success. Stay updated on emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices to drive innovation. Enable teams to be high‑performing by upholding high quality standards, software development best practices, and introducing new technologies to improve productivity. Conduct performance evaluations and support career development for team members. Lead complex problem‑solving efforts and deliver innovative technical solutions. Develop objectives and strategies for software projects aligned with business goals. Coach and mentor team members to promote skill growth and advancement. Ensure compliance with industry standards and best practices in software development. Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to estimate resources and meet project needs. Required Skills & Expertise Product software engineering experience, including designing, developing, testing, and deploying search, retrieval, and knowledge systems leveraging modern AI retrieval technologies. Ability to execute strategies effectively and oversee project delivery. Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills. Experience applying agile methodologies and adaptive planning. Expertise in designing and developing APIs with best-practice security and performance considerations. Experience with automation frameworks to improve engineering efficiency. Knowledge of architectural patterns and scalable design solutions. Cloud computing experience (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud). Strong leadership skills, including people management, coaching, and team development. Experience with DevOps and automation practices for continuous delivery and agility. Financial budget management and resource planning capabilities. Knowledge of application security and compliance standards. Core Competencies Judgment & Decision Making Accountability Inclusive Collaboration Inspiration & Alignment Courage to Take Smart Risks Financial Acumen Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related engineering field, and relevant experience in product software engineering. Deep knowledge of information retrieval concepts and technologies (e.g., Lucene, OpenSearch, Solr, Elasticsearch). Knowledge of vector databases and embedding models. Knowledge of machine learning and knowledge graphs. Knowledge of modern AI technologies. Minimum of 5 years developing search or information retrieval solutions. Minimum of 5 years leading architects and engineering teams in a product software environment. This is a senior leadership role requiring a strategic mindset, technical depth, and strong people‑management capability. If you are passionate about driving innovation and building high‑performing engineering teams, we encourage you to apply.

Requirements

Product software engineering experience, including designing, developing, testing, and deploying search, retrieval, and knowledge systems leveraging modern AI retrieval technologies.
Ability to execute strategies effectively and oversee project delivery.
Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
Experience applying agile methodologies and adaptive planning.
Expertise in designing and developing APIs with best-practice security and performance considerations.
Experience with automation frameworks to improve engineering efficiency.
Knowledge of architectural patterns and scalable design solutions.
Cloud computing experience (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud).
Strong leadership skills, including people management, coaching, and team development.
Experience with DevOps and automation practices for continuous delivery and agility.
Financial budget management and resource planning capabilities.
Knowledge of application security and compliance standards.
Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related engineering field, and relevant experience in product software engineering.
Deep knowledge of information retrieval concepts and technologies (e.g., Lucene, OpenSearch, Solr, Elasticsearch).
Knowledge of vector databases and embedding models.
Knowledge of machine learning and knowledge graphs.
Knowledge of modern AI technologies.
Minimum of 5 years developing search or information retrieval solutions.
Minimum of 5 years leading architects and engineering teams in a product software environment.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership and direction for the information retrieval team focused on modernizing our search capabilities and up‑skilling the team in a rapidly evolving space, aligning with overall business objectives in a matrixed organization.
Make strategic decisions on project prioritization, resource allocation, and technical direction.
Communicate effectively with senior management, peers, and direct reports to ensure alignment and collaboration.
Foster strong, cohesive teams and encourage collaboration and mutual support.
Monitor development processes and ensure adherence to modern architectural patterns and standards.
Utilize data analysis and insights to drive data‑driven decisions and measure product success.
Stay updated on emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices to drive innovation.
Enable teams to be high‑performing by upholding high quality standards, software development best practices, and introducing new technologies to improve productivity.
Conduct performance evaluations and support career development for team members.
Lead complex problem‑solving efforts and deliver innovative technical solutions.
Develop objectives and strategies for software projects aligned with business goals.
Coach and mentor team members to promote skill growth and advancement.
Ensure compliance with industry standards and best practices in software development.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to estimate resources and meet project needs.