Sr Manager - Enterprise AI Delivery Lead

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.

We are seeking a highly experienced and dynamic Enterprise AI Delivery Lead to oversee the successful execution and delivery of multiple, concurrent AI projects. This role will manage and oversee five or more independent AI delivery pods, ensuring they operate efficiently, adhere to agile principles, and deliver high‑quality, impactful solutions on time. The ideal candidate is a seasoned technology delivery expert with a deep understanding of agile methodologies, proven ability to navigate complex, matrixed organizational structures, and a talent for managing cross‑functional teams.

Experience providing oversight for projects utilizing multiple professional services firms is an advantage. This role requires a blend of leadership, hands‑on operational management, and an unwavering commitment to driving predictable, high‑velocity delivery across the Enterprise AI portfolio.

• Manage Multiple AI Pods: Provide overarching leadership and direction for 5+ AI delivery pods (comprising data scientists, machine learning engineers, and software engineers), ensuring alignment with overall business objectives and technology strategy.
  • Establish cadences that enable transparency, accountability, and proactive risk management across multiple teams and stakeholders
• Drive Agile Excellence: Ensure all delivery pods consistently apply and mature their use of agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, or hybrid models) to maximize velocity, transparency, and responsiveness.
  • Drive cross‑functional execution using agile methodologies to maximize value and minimize time‑to‑market for Data & AI solutions
• Portfolio Health & Reporting: Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics across all pods, proactively identifying and mitigating risks, bottlenecks, and dependencies. Provide regular, accurate status reporting to senior stakeholders.
• Drive adoption of shared delivery practices, reusable platforms, and consistent standards across business domains
• Manage External Partners (Bonus): Provide oversight and manage the operational relationship with staff augmentation professional services firms, ensuring external teams integrate effectively with internal processes and deliver against defined statements of work (SOWs).

• Matrix Navigation: Successfully navigate and partner with teams/stakeholders across a complex, matrixed organization (e.g., product, engineering, legal, security, and business units) to unblock teams and secure necessary resources and decisions.
• Process Standardization: Define, implement, and continuously improve standardized delivery processes, tooling, and best practices across the AI delivery portfolio.
  • Facilitate enterprise‑wide alignment by acting as the delivery bridge between centralized Data & AI teams and embedded functional units
• Delivery Tools: Leverage tools like Jira for agile planning, tracking, and reporting, and Service Now (or similar platforms) for incident, change, intake and service management processes where applicable.
• Budget & Resource Management: Partner with Program Management and Finance teams to manage budget allocation and resource capacity across the delivery pods.

• Team Leadership: Coach, mentor, and…