Director, Software Apps Engineering – AI-Native Development and Product Experiences

Yahoo is a leading technology company known for its consumer products, including Yahoo Mail. The Director of Software Apps Engineering will lead engineering teams to develop AI-native consumer experiences, define the engineering vision, and drive innovation in product development.

Responsibilities:

• Build, lead, and scale high-performing full-stack engineering teams that deliver world-class consumer products and experiences used by millions of customers globally
• Define and execute the engineering vision, strategy, and roadmap, aligning technical investments with product priorities, business objectives, and long-term platform evolution
• Drive AI-native software development practices across the organization, leveraging AI-powered tools, agents, automation, and modern engineering workflows to improve productivity, quality, and speed of execution
• Lead AI transformation initiatives that reimagine how products are built, operated, and experienced, creating measurable value for users, developers, and the business
• Partner closely with Product, Design, Data Science, and business leaders to identify, prioritize, and deliver innovative AI-powered customer experiences that differentiate Yahoo Mail in the market
• Foster a culture of technical excellence, customer obsession, experimentation, and continuous learning while attracting, developing, and retaining top engineering talent
• Stay at the forefront of emerging technologies and AI advancements, guiding architectural decisions, technical reviews, and strategic investments that enable scalable and responsible innovation

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience
• 10+ years of experience building and delivering large-scale consumer software products, with at least 5+ years leading multiple engineering teams and engineering managers
• Proven success leading engineering organizations that consistently deliver high-quality products while balancing innovation, execution, operational excellence, and business outcomes
• Experience leading AI-native product organizations or large-scale AI transformation programs within consumer technology companies
• Demonstrated experience operating in an AI-native development environment and leveraging modern AI technologies, copilots, agents, and automation to transform engineering workflows
• Proven track record leading AI transformation initiatives that have delivered measurable improvements in developer productivity, customer experience, operational efficiency, or business performance
• Strong technical expertise in modern application development, distributed systems, cloud-native architectures, mobile and web platforms, and scalable software design
• Hands-on experience with object-oriented programming languages such as Java, Kotlin, Swift, or similar technologies, with the ability to engage deeply in technical discussions and architectural decisions
• Experience integrating Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), machine learning capabilities, or intelligent agent systems into products, platforms, or engineering processes
• Strong business acumen with the ability to identify and prioritize opportunities where AI can create competitive advantage, accelerate growth, improve customer engagement, and unlock operational efficiencies
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and organizational skills, with demonstrated ability to influence across functions, drive organizational change, and build high-performing, inclusive teams in fast-paced environments
• Experience building, scaling, or modernizing email, messaging, communications, or productivity platforms serving millions of users
• Recognized thought leadership in AI strategy, engineering productivity, platform modernization, or organizational transformation