Engineering Senior Manager - AI Enablement

M&T Bank•Buffalo, NY

1d•$167,600 - $279,400•Onsite

About The Position

The Head of AI Enablement is accountable for establishing and operating the enterprise capabilities required to enable safe, scalable, and measurable adoption of AI across the organization. The role leads enablement for AI platforms, tooling, implementation support, governance execution, and adoption practices so that AI capabilities are institutionalized, repeatable, and durable—not dependent on one-off delivery or individual heroics. This leader manages the activities and strategic direction of the AI Enablement function, including a blended team of engineers and contractors supporting implementation, governance coordination, and specialized AI-related work. The role is responsible for translating AI strategy into practical execution, driving cross-functional adoption, and ensuring AI enablement capabilities are scalable, controlled, and aligned to enterprise technology, risk, and regulatory expectations. The Head of AI Enablement serves as a primary contact to divisional peers, Technology leadership, risk and control partners, and business stakeholders, and oversees team development, execution management, and vendor coordination.

Requirements

A combined minimum of 13 years’ higher education and/or work experience, including a minimum of 4 years’ engineering, architecture, technology, or systems experience and 9 years’ technology management / program leadership experience including people management.
Proficiency with pertinent project management, word processing, spreadsheet, and collaboration applications.
Capable of working on multiple projects of a complex nature.
Experience on large system enhancements, technology implementations, and production problem resolution.
Complete understanding of the system development life cycle.
Excellent problem-solving skills to assist in issue resolution.
Familiarity with application development software and hardware platforms.
Understanding of supported business areas and related terminology.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Excellent analytical skills.
Excellent decision-making skills.
Excellent organizational and time management skills.
Prior experience encouraging teamwork and serving as role model when leading and directing others.
Understanding of technical, business, and operational impacts of a project or problem.
Confidence in leading multiple teams often in different geographic locations and time zones.
Prior experience presenting to senior management.
Demonstrated experience leading enterprise enablement capabilities, engineering transformation efforts, platform adoption, or similarly scaled technology capabilities.
Experience working in regulated environments with attention to governance, control requirements, and documented operating practices.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Minimum of 12 years’ technology management or large program leadership experience.
Extensive application, product, and technology knowledge relevant to AI enablement, engineering platforms, or enterprise technology capabilities.
Subject matter expertise in the technology area being led with strong understanding of interfacing and integrated applications.
Understanding of multiple business areas’ functions.
Proven mentoring and leadership capabilities from a project management perspective.
Experience with the skills, applications, and functions of the technology area being led.
Good understanding of the Bank’s application framework.
Awareness of the Bank’s business plan and strategic objectives with ability to help shape direction.
Mastered knowledge and focus of the broader technology environment and support for projects outside normal business-as-usual activities.
Self-motivated and able to motivate others.
Experience supporting enterprise AI use-case adoption, including intake, onboarding, implementation support, controls coordination, and readiness practices.
Strong understanding of AI governance concepts, implementation considerations, application controls, and operational guardrails for enterprise usage.
Experience coordinating work across internal teams and external vendors while retaining clear internal accountability for outcomes.
Experience building reusable implementation patterns, enablement materials, reference architectures, and adoption playbooks.

Responsibilities

Define and operationalize the enterprise AI enablement model, including onboarding, implementation guidance, reusable patterns, support processes, and scaling mechanisms for development teams and business technology partners.
Lead execution of AI platform enablement across the organization, ensuring teams have practical pathways to adopt approved AI capabilities in a controlled, supportable, and measurable manner.
Establish and maintain reusable implementation patterns, technical guardrails, reference architectures, and self-service materials that support adoption of approved AI capabilities across products, workflows, and engineering processes.
Drive operational enablement for strategic AI initiatives, including coordination of platform readiness, implementation support, and adoption execution for priority enterprise efforts.
Own the enablement of AI-related tooling and supporting processes so teams can independently and consistently apply approved capabilities while adhering to enterprise standards.
Partner with governance, risk, security, architecture, and technology control stakeholders to ensure AI enablement is aligned to enterprise policies, approval requirements, control expectations, and evidence needs.
Coordinate governance execution as it relates to AI implementation, including intake support, implementation standards, traceability, and readiness expectations for adopting teams.
Provide oversight for specialized AI-related workstreams, including contractor-supported implementation efforts and focused technical initiatives requiring accelerated delivery or subject matter expertise.
Build durable adoption mechanisms beyond training, including office hours, implementation playbooks, templates, reusable examples, FAQs, and measurable enablement practices.
Track adoption, implementation progress, execution risks, dependencies, and impediments across the enablement portfolio; escalate issues early and drive actions to closure.
Support enterprise AI use-case delivery by helping teams move from concept to controlled execution, with clear expectations regarding platform usage, implementation discipline, and production readiness.
Drive clear communication to technology teams and leaders regarding AI enablement priorities, timelines, prerequisites, and standards for adoption.
Direct and participate in consults with Technology and business partners in the analysis of short- and long-range enablement and engineering requirements of a complex nature and recommend innovations that anticipate future business and technology needs.
Monitor technology direction of the industry and vendor applications specific to supported areas; manage supporting research and initiate change where necessary to ensure implementation of appropriate technologies.
Manage vendor and product analyses and recommendations to ensure delivery of the most appropriate solutions based on available resources, inclusive of budget.
Develop and manage budgets related to the AI Enablement function and associated workstreams.
Provide senior-level leadership across AI platform enablement, engineering implementation support, governance coordination, and related technology domains.
Manage the Department and be responsible for financial, compliance, human resources, and risk operations within the function.
Develop and maintain contacts within the organization to obtain the requisite support related to AI enablement and implementation activities managed.
Maintain relationships with vendors and professional organizations to remain current on industry trends and best practices.
Direct activities of assigned teams, including assignment of staff to projects and priorities, and ensure timely completion within budget; coordinate activities with other managers as required to support efforts of mutual interest.
Manage the implementation of technology consistent with Division standards and long-range plans, seeking opportunities to leverage capabilities across other teams where applicable.
Ensure activities managed adhere to all Department and Technology standards and procedures, including documentation requirements necessary to protect Bank interests and serve as a reference source.
Manage and ensure the recommendation of implementation approaches and solution patterns based on business and technology requirements.
Manage identification of issues and concerns throughout delivery and ensure they are investigated and resolved.
Manage monitoring of project plans and execution activities to ensure work remains on track; identify and address significant issues that may result in delays.
Exercise usual authority of a manager concerning staffing, performance appraisals, promotions, salary recommendations, performance management, and terminations.
Understand and adhere to the Company’s risk and regulatory standards, policies, and controls in accordance with the Company’s Risk Appetite; design, implement, maintain, and enhance internal controls to mitigate risk on an ongoing basis; identify risk-related issues needing escalation to management.
Promote an environment that supports belonging and reflects the M&T Bank brand.
Maintain M&T internal control standards, including timely implementation of internal and external audit points together with issues raised by external regulators as applicable.
Complete other related duties as assigned.