Sr Manager AI Engineering

OVERVIEW

Live the experience . From professional empowerment to continual learning opportunities. From ongoing investment in new and emerging technologies to a career of self-determination. At Ulta Beauty, our tech team is critical to our scalability—and is recognized that way. We’ve been defined as a “mature start-up.” A place where interdepartmental exposure, open doors, and genuine collaboration is ubiquitous. Where challenges come fast and furious, requiring agility, mental dexterity, and creativity. Where our passion for better solutions drives us and is core to who we are.

We’re engineering for the future of retail, and it’s no-holds-barred. But for those motivated by continual change and ambiguity, by superior leadership, by whip smart colleagues who will press you daily for your very best, you’ll find that virtually nothing’s impossible at Ulta Beauty.

THE IMPACT YOU CAN HAVE:

The Senior Manager, AI Product Development leads the artificial intelligence and machine learning initiatives at Ulta Beauty, directing multiple Agile PODs focused on developing AI-powered solutions. This role serves as the technical bridge between data science, engineering, and business stakeholders to deliver transformative AI products. The Senior Manager is responsible for guiding cross-functional teams through the complete AI product development lifecycle—from conception to deployment and continuous improvement. They will drive innovation in personalization technologies, operational efficiency, and customer experience enhancements while establishing best practices for AI development, implementation and operation.

YOU'LL ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS BY:

• Technical Leadership : Lead the strategic direction for AI product development, including solution architecture, technical roadmaps, and implementation standards across multiple AI initiatives and platforms.
• Team Management : Direct and mentor multiple Agile teams comprising data scientists, AI engineers, and ML specialists, fostering a culture of innovation, learning, and excellence in AI development.
• Strategy : Translate business requirements into technical AI roadmaps, working with AI Product Manger and business stakeholders to align AI initiatives with organizational goals while establishing measurement frameworks to track impact.

• Cultural Champion : Drive the adoption of AI-focused agile development practices, and partner with Responsible AI Governance team to promote transparency, explainability and ethical use of AI at Ulta.

• Business & Stakeholder Relationship Management : Partner with cross-functional leaders to identify opportunities for AI implementation, build consensus around AI priorities, and communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Exercise independent judgment in developing AI solution approaches, model selection, and deployment strategies
• Lead the design and implementation of AI-powered solutions for enhancing the customer shopping experience, drive operational efficiency across the enterprise, optimizes imventory, pricing, supply chain, and other operations
• Oversee the development of data pipelines, feature engineering, and model training workflows
• Guide teams in implementing MLOps practices for model deployment, monitoring, and maintenance
• Ensure AI solutions adhere to privacy, security, and ethical standards
• Drive the development of reusable AI components and frameworks to accelerate future initiatives
• Collaborate with enterprise architecture to establish AI platform standards and integration patterns
• Lead technical reviews and provide guidance on AI model performance, scalability, and business impact
• Establish metrics and KPIs to measure the effectiveness of AI initiatives
• Develop POCs (proof of concepts) to validate AI applications before full-scale implementation
• Partner with Product Owners to translate business requirements into AI-specific technical requirements
• Stay current with emerging AI technologies and methodologies, evaluating their potential application
• Provide technical thought leadership across the organization on AI capabilities and possibilities

THE ESSENTIALS FOR SUCCESS:

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, AI/ML, or equivalent professional experience
• 10+ years of experience in AI/ML product development or related technical fields
• 4+ years of experience managing teams of data scientists and AI engineers
• Demonstrated success leading AI initiatives in personalization, recommendation systems, computer vision, or operational efficiency
• In-depth knowledge of machine learning algorithms, frameworks, and best practices
• Hands-on experience with modern ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, etc.) and cloud-based AI services
• Proven experience with agile methodologies in the context of AI/ML
• Strong experience managing the full AI product lifecycle
• Track record of implementing successful AI solutions that delivered measurable value
• Experience with MLOps practices and tools for model deployment and monitoring
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex business problems into AI solution approaches
• Excellent communication skills with ability to explain AI concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Experience in retail or e-commerce preferred
• Familiarity with AI governance, ethics, and responsible AI implementation

• Ability to work effectively in an onshore/offshore development model

• Travel required per the company policy

#LI-CS1

The pay range for this position is $119,300.00 - $185,000.00 / Year with the opportunity for eligible associates to earn additional compensation pursuant to the Company’s bonus plan. Exact pay will be based on factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, level, shift, geographic location, and business and organizational needs. Full-time positions are eligible for paid time off, health, dental, vision, life and disability benefits. Part-time positions are eligible for dental, vision, life, and disability benefits. For additional information concerning our benefits, visit our Benefits and Career Development page:

ABOUT

At Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA), the possibilities are beautiful . Ulta Beauty is the largest North American beauty retailer and the premier beauty destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care products, hair care products and salon services. We bring possibilities to life through the power of beauty each and every day in our stores and online with more than 25,000 products from approximately 500 well-established and emerging beauty brands across all categories and price points, including Ulta Beauty’s own private label. Ulta Beauty also offers a full-service salon in every store featuring—hair, skin, brow, and make-up services.

We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest records, conviction records, or other criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of any applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York City Fair Chance Act.