Sr Consultant, Software Engineer (AI Engineer)

Nationwide•Columbus, OH

1d•$149,000 - $262,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Sr Consultant, Software Engineer (AI Engineer) turns AI strategy into trusted, reusable technology capabilities that enable Nationwide to build and operate AI systems at scale. The role connects enterprise technology, business architecture, transformation strategy, and delivery teams to move from experimentation to secure, measurable, repeatable business outcomes. The position owns the technology-side AI enablement agenda, including defining capability roadmaps and target states, coordinating shared capability development, ensuring reusable products and patterns are built, leading a small engineering pod focused on experimentation and capability building, and helping develop the skills and working practices needed for an AI-native future. The role works hybrid, with two days per week in an office in Columbus, Ohio (preferred), Des Moines, Iowa, or Scottsdale, Arizona; remote internal associates may also be considered. The position could be filled within any of the lower 48 U.S. states. The broader Software Engineer role description emphasizes delivering secure, high-quality, cost-effective technology solutions; mentoring and leading engineers; setting technical direction and engineering standards; and driving collaboration, DevSecOps practices, and continuous improvement. This position reports to a Technology Director or above. It is exempt and not eligible for overtime, and associates may have on-call responsibility after normal working hours and/or on weekends.

Requirements

Significant experience leading technology strategy, product/platform management, software engineering, architecture, or digital transformation in a complex enterprise.
Demonstrated experience delivering practical generative AI, agentic AI, automation, data, or platform capabilities into production.
Strong understanding of cloud, APIs, data and knowledge platforms, modern engineering practices, DevSecOps, observability, and operating requirements for reliable AI Systems.
Experience establishing reusable standards, reference patterns, governance, and product operating models across multiple delivery teams.
Ability to translate complex technology into clear business outcomes and partner effectively with business architects, transformation leaders, executives, and delivery practitioners.
Experience driving organizational change, technology adoption, and enterprise upskilling through practical coaching and measurable enablement.
Executive presence, strategic judgment, strong written and verbal communication, and ability to influence without relying solely on formal authority.
Undergraduate studies in computer science, management information systems, or a related field; technology experience or non-traditional technology certificates may substitute for an undergraduate degree.
Eight or more years of programming, software engineering, or analysis experience.
Hands-on technical leadership experience leading project teams and setting technical direction.
Proficiency in multiple programming languages, such as Java, C++, Python, and JavaScript.
Extensive knowledge of the software development lifecycle.
Ability to tackle sophisticated business and development problems and thrive in a team environment.
Regularly and consistently demonstrate Nationwide Values.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a regulated industry.
Insurance or financial services industry knowledge.

Responsibilities

Own the technology AI Enablement strategy, roadmap, outcomes, and investment priorities across AI platforms, architecture, data, integration, security, quality, observability, and operational controls.
Ensure reusable capabilities are available to build and run AI Systems, including reference architectures, golden paths, engineering patterns, toolchains, knowledge-grounding approaches, evaluation methods, monitoring, auditability, and human-oversight controls.
Lead a small engineering pod focused on experimentation, rapid proofs of concept, and reusable AI capability building.
Lead technology consultants who help delivery teams improve AI readiness, adopt approved patterns, and embed the AI-Assisted Delivery Lifecycle (AI-DLC) into day-to-day work.
Lead shared capability development across enterprise technology and partner organizations, clarifying centralized and federated responsibilities and reducing duplicate or one-off solutions.
Manage reusable AI capabilities as products by establishing vision, roadmaps, backlogs, lifecycle ownership, adoption plans, service health measures, and continuous improvement practices.
Partner with business architects and transformation strategists to map current and future states, redesign value streams, identify appropriate roles for AI, automation, and human judgment, and sequence transformation horizons.
Partner with enterprise AI, architecture, data, cybersecurity, risk, privacy, engineering, product, and business leaders to ensure solutions are secure, responsible, scalable, explainable, and aligned to enterprise standards.
Help teams move proven concepts from prototype to production by establishing repeatable intake, prioritization, delivery, quality, and operationalization practices.
Support upskilling, Enterprise AI Fluency efforts, and development of change management tactics supporting strategic priorities.
Define and communicate measures of success, including adoption, reuse, cycle time, quality, reliability, risk/control performance, capacity released, and business value realized.
Lead and develop the team while influencing through matrixed teams, shared services, strategic partners, and business stakeholders.
Analyze complex solutions and develop, test, debug, document, and deploy software according to standards and best practices.
Apply secure software and systems engineering practices throughout the delivery lifecycle to protect data and technology solutions from threats and vulnerabilities.
Mentor and train others on design techniques, tools, and coding standards; provide technical leadership on solution design and engineering standards.
Execute and provide strategic advice on using technology to achieve technology and business goals.
Drive cross-organizational collaboration across teams and product areas to execute projects and shape shared technical roadmaps.
Set technical direction for DevSecOps practices, tooling, and techniques across teams to strengthen security, automation, reliability, and delivery speed.
Drive continuous learning and improvement through ongoing training, practice, and innovation.
Manage multiple complex project priorities, deadlines, and deliverables proactively.
May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
Life insurance.
Short- and long-term disability coverage.
Paid time off, with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days per full calendar year, prorated quarterly based on hire date.
Nine paid holidays.
Eight hours of Lifetime paid time off.
Eight hours of Unity Day paid time off.
401(k) with company match.
Company-paid pension plan.
Business casual attire.