Development & AI Strategy Manager
Jahnel Group, Houston, TX, United States
Jahnel Group’s mission is to provide the absolute best environment for software creators to pursue their passion by connecting them with great clients doing meaningful work.
This is a full time position with one of our closest clients.
Who We’re Looking For
Our client is seeking a Development & AI Strategy Manager to lead software delivery, data transformation, and AI innovation for a rapidly growing firm. The ideal candidate will bridge field operations and executive leadership by driving a governed, AWS-native data and AI strategy—while ensuring secure, compliant, and high-quality delivery at scale.
Primary Responsibilities
Software Delivery & Governance
Own and prioritize the development backlog, balancing business value and technical feasibility
Manage third-party vendors to ensure quality, velocity, and knowledge transfer
Embed DevSecOps best practices and maintain SOX-compliant processes
Track and report delivery metrics to improve speed, quality, and efficiency
Data Platform & Transformation
Lead design and evolution of a governed data lakehouse
Ensure high standards for data quality, lineage, and timeliness
Build and enforce data governance frameworks (classification, access, retention, privacy)
Migrate Excel-based workflows to scalable, automated solutions
Enable secure self-service analytics across the organization
AI Strategy & Execution
Define, prioritize, and operationalize the AI roadmap
Deliver production-grade AI features: conversational insights, intelligent automation, predictive analytics
Implement AI governance, including guardrails for LLM usage, bias mitigation, and compliance
Partner with business teams to identify and deliver high-value AI use cases
Application & UX Leadership
Oversee development of applications for diverse users: mobile‑first field tools to executive dashboards
Champion intuitive design, usability, and accessibility
Modernize legacy systems, reduce technical debt, and implement cloud‑native, API‑first solutions
Build developer enablement practices: reusable patterns, libraries, and documentation
Team & Vendor Leadership
Lead, mentor, and grow a high‑performing internal team across software, AI, and data disciplines
Structure and manage relationships with external development partners
Drive accountability, quality, and innovation across teams
Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and measurable business impact
Skills and Qualifications
10+ years in software development, 5+ leading teams and vendor‑managed delivery
Experience in regulated environments (SOX, NIST, ISO 27001) and large backlog prioritization
Skilled at communicating with technical teams and executives
AWS‑native development (Lambda, ECS, API Gateway, DynamoDB, RDS, S3)
Infrastructure‑as‑code (CDK/Terraform), CI/CD pipelines, Python & Node.js
Data engineering & lakehouse architecture, BI (PowerBI/QuickSight)
Production AI: LLM‑based features, AWS AI services, AI governance
DevSecOps, SOX ITGC controls, NIST CSF 2.0
Data governance: classification, access, lineage, audit logging
Preferred Qualifications
Construction, engineering, field services, or project‑based industry experience (understand the business, not just the tech)
Agile/SAFe certification and practical experience scaling agile
Experience with various ERP systems, InEight, or similar construction management platforms
UX/UI design collaboration experience (working with designers to ensure usability)
Open source contributions or technical thought leadership (blogs, conference talks, etc.)
Advanced degree in Computer Science, Data Science, or related field
Where We’re Looking For It
Glastonbury, Connecticut
Hybrid
Other Information
Quarterly job site visits (2-3 sites/quarter) to observe users in their environment, gather feedback, build empathy for field constraints. Occasional AWS events (re:Invent, Summits) or vendor conferences.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
This is a full time position with one of our closest clients.
Who We’re Looking For
Our client is seeking a Development & AI Strategy Manager to lead software delivery, data transformation, and AI innovation for a rapidly growing firm. The ideal candidate will bridge field operations and executive leadership by driving a governed, AWS-native data and AI strategy—while ensuring secure, compliant, and high-quality delivery at scale.
Primary Responsibilities
Software Delivery & Governance
Own and prioritize the development backlog, balancing business value and technical feasibility
Manage third-party vendors to ensure quality, velocity, and knowledge transfer
Embed DevSecOps best practices and maintain SOX-compliant processes
Track and report delivery metrics to improve speed, quality, and efficiency
Data Platform & Transformation
Lead design and evolution of a governed data lakehouse
Ensure high standards for data quality, lineage, and timeliness
Build and enforce data governance frameworks (classification, access, retention, privacy)
Migrate Excel-based workflows to scalable, automated solutions
Enable secure self-service analytics across the organization
AI Strategy & Execution
Define, prioritize, and operationalize the AI roadmap
Deliver production-grade AI features: conversational insights, intelligent automation, predictive analytics
Implement AI governance, including guardrails for LLM usage, bias mitigation, and compliance
Partner with business teams to identify and deliver high-value AI use cases
Application & UX Leadership
Oversee development of applications for diverse users: mobile‑first field tools to executive dashboards
Champion intuitive design, usability, and accessibility
Modernize legacy systems, reduce technical debt, and implement cloud‑native, API‑first solutions
Build developer enablement practices: reusable patterns, libraries, and documentation
Team & Vendor Leadership
Lead, mentor, and grow a high‑performing internal team across software, AI, and data disciplines
Structure and manage relationships with external development partners
Drive accountability, quality, and innovation across teams
Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and measurable business impact
Skills and Qualifications
10+ years in software development, 5+ leading teams and vendor‑managed delivery
Experience in regulated environments (SOX, NIST, ISO 27001) and large backlog prioritization
Skilled at communicating with technical teams and executives
AWS‑native development (Lambda, ECS, API Gateway, DynamoDB, RDS, S3)
Infrastructure‑as‑code (CDK/Terraform), CI/CD pipelines, Python & Node.js
Data engineering & lakehouse architecture, BI (PowerBI/QuickSight)
Production AI: LLM‑based features, AWS AI services, AI governance
DevSecOps, SOX ITGC controls, NIST CSF 2.0
Data governance: classification, access, lineage, audit logging
Preferred Qualifications
Construction, engineering, field services, or project‑based industry experience (understand the business, not just the tech)
Agile/SAFe certification and practical experience scaling agile
Experience with various ERP systems, InEight, or similar construction management platforms
UX/UI design collaboration experience (working with designers to ensure usability)
Open source contributions or technical thought leadership (blogs, conference talks, etc.)
Advanced degree in Computer Science, Data Science, or related field
Where We’re Looking For It
Glastonbury, Connecticut
Hybrid
Other Information
Quarterly job site visits (2-3 sites/quarter) to observe users in their environment, gather feedback, build empathy for field constraints. Occasional AWS events (re:Invent, Summits) or vendor conferences.
#J-18808-Ljbffr