Software Engineering Manager, Data & AI

** This is a direct‑hire position with our client. The role is open to candidates local to the Hartford, CT area, or remote/hybrid with monthly travel to Hartford. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship.**

The Software Engineering Manager leads internal software, data, and AI initiatives, mentoring a small, high‑impact team while turning business needs into scalable, production‑ready solutions. This role blends strategic ownership with hands‑on execution and is ideal for a leader who wants to ship meaningful work, not just manage tickets.

This role steps into a strong technical foundation with leadership support and funding already in place:

• AWS‑native development environment with established CI/CD pipelines

• Infrastructure‑as‑code and modern cloud patterns already adopted

• Python‑centric development with active AI and data initiatives

• A small internal team spanning AI, data, BI, and reliability

• A third‑party development partner to help scale delivery

• AI is already on the roadmap and in motion. This role focuses on operationalizing, scaling, and delivering real value, not selling the idea.

• Lead internal software, data, and AI development initiatives

• Mentor and develop a small team of engineers across multiple disciplines

• Own development delivery, quality, and technical direction

• Define development frameworks, workflows, and best practices

• Partner with business stakeholders to translate needs into technical solutions

• Support AI‑driven, data, and application development initiatives

• Oversee work delivered by internal teams and third‑party vendors

• Communicate project status, risks, and priorities clearly to leadership

• Balance speed, quality, and governance in a production environment

• Experience leading software development teams or initiatives

• Strong understanding of modern application development life cycles

• AWS experience or cloud‑based development background

• Ability to translate complex business problems into practical technical solutions

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Comfort working with ambiguity, competing priorities, and real deadlines

• Python development experience

• Exposure to AI, data platforms, or analytics systems

• Experience building or supporting internal or enterprise tooling

• Familiarity with code quality standards, linting, and security reviews

• Experience working closely with non‑technical business teams

At Emergent Staffing, we work hard to find the technical leaders who are the right fit for our clients. Here are the steps of our vetting process for this position: