Vice President, Software Engineering

Company Description Experian is a global data and technology company, powering opportunities for people and businesses around the world. We operate across a range of markets, from financial services to healthcare, automotive, agribusiness, insurance, and many more. Experian invests in people and new advanced technologies to unlock the power of data. We have an amazing team of 25,200 people in 32 countries. At Experian Automotive, we are transforming how the automotive industry uses data to drive actionable insights. We help you manage risk, better understand your markets, target the right customers at the right time with the right offer - and keep them coming back. We are the only primary source of consumer, credit, vehicle, and digital identity data assets under one roof. From AutoCheck® Vehicle History Reports to market reporting and advanced marketing solutions, we use our unique data and advanced analytics to help the automotive industry make more informed decisions Job Description We are seeking a Vice President of Software Engineering to lead software development for Experian Automotive's marketing and statistical products. This is a senior leadership position, reporting to our Auto CTO, while working closely with other technology leaders to define and execute our software engineering and AI transformation strategy. This role oversees the design, development, delivery, and scalability of products and platforms, ensuring alignment with business goals while fostering a high-performance engineering culture. The ideal candidate brings strong technical knowledge in modern application development, strong business and financial acumen to balance innovation with business objectives, and a proven track record of leading technology transformation. This leader will champion AI-driven engineering practices and modern software architectures to boost engineering productivity, accelerate product delivery, and create differentiated customer experiences. Key Responsibilities Strategic Leadership • Define and drive the long-term engineering vision, strategy, and roadmap • Partner with executive leadership (CTO, Product, Sales and Sales Ops Leaders) to align technology initiatives with business objectives • Evaluate emerging technologies (Generative AI, Agentic AI, LLMs, MCP, automation platforms) and translate them into measurable business value. • Lead technology transformation, modernization, and innovation efforts Engineering Execution • Oversee end-to-end software development lifecycle (SDLC) including architecture, development, testing, release, and operations • Ensure delivery of high-quality, scalable, secure, and reliable software systems • Establish and monitor engineering KPIs (velocity, quality, uptime, cost efficiency) • Establish an AI-first software engineering framework leveraging GenAI-assisted development, intelligent testing, code generation, documentation, and deployment automation to significantly improve developer productivity and software quality Architecture & Technology • Drive architectural decisions, platform strategy, and technology standards • Ensure modern engineering practices (cloud-native, microservices, DevOps, CI/CD, AI integration where relevant) • Balance build vs. buy decisions and optimize technology investments Cross-Functional Collaboration • Work closely with Product Management to deliver customer-centric solutions • Partner with sales and sales ops team to listen to voice of customer and improve customer satisfaction • Partner with Security, Infrastructure, Data, and Operations to ensure integrated delivery and governance for responsible AI • Align with finance and business leaders on budgeting and ROI for investment Operational Excellence • Establish governance, processes, and best practices for engineering operations • Improve engineering productivity, quality, and predictability • Manage budgets, vendor relationships, and external partners Organization & Talent • Build, lead, and scale high-performing engineering teams across multiple disciplines while fostering an AI-first culture emphasizing continuous learning and upskilling • Recruit, mentor, and retain top engineering talent and while ensuring we have succession plans & leadership pipelines Qualifications Experience • 15+ years of software engineering experience with at least 5+ years in senior leadership roles • Proven track record of leading distributed engineering teams in US and overseas • Experience delivering complex, enterprise-scale or high-growth SaaS platforms with high availability, scalability and performance (SLA & RTO) • Experience developing AI-enabled customer-facing products or integrating AI capabilities into enterprise applications. • Experience in setting up framework to establish delivery predictability and cycle time improvements • Knowledgeable about FinOps for cloud cost efficiency and ROI on capital investments Technical Expertise • Strong background in modern software architect