Senior Manager, Software Engineering - AI Innovation

** This role is not eligible for sponsorship   
** Choice Hotels, one of the world’s largest lodging franchisors, has an exciting new opportunity as our
** Senior Manager, Software Engineering
** for our
** Advanced Technology Activation Team (AT‑AT)
** in the
** Innovation Team**.  The
** Innovation Team
** pioneers next‑generation technology solutions, explores emerging trends, and activates advanced capabilities to transform the experience for
** guests, associates, and franchisees**. We bring bold ideas to life—generative AI, cloud‑native platforms, and agent‑based architectures. As a key member of our Innovation Team, you will lead the charge in delivering scalable, high‑impact software solutions that shape the future of hospitality technology for all our customers.**#Make It Your Choice **.
** Your Responsibilities**
* ** Lead and develop
** a high‑performing engineering team (and potentially managers) to deliver scalable applications/services using cutting‑edge technologies and best‑in‑class methodologies.
* ** Own delivery excellence
** across architecture, design, implementation, code reviews, automated testing, and production readiness; ensure alignment to Innovation’s vision and Enterprise Architecture standards.
* ** Be hands‑on
** when needed to accelerate outcomes—design and build
** POCs**, drive
** Vibe Coding
** sessions, and create
** Spec‑to‑Code demonstrations
** using
** Java/JVM, Python (Streamlit, FastAPI, FASTMCP), or Type Script/Next.js (React, server components)**.
* ** Plan and execute
** on the domain roadmap: anticipate tech needs, evaluate emerging tools, and map them to business outcomes for guests, associates, and franchisees.
* ** Help Transform SDLC → AI‑DLC**: embed AI across planning, design, coding, test, security, and operations; deliver measurable gains in
** speed, quality, resilience, developer experience, and cost**.
* ** Operational excellence**: ensure high availability, reliability, and performance through world‑class monitoring, alerting, SLOs/SLIs, error budgets, and self‑healing practices; lead root‑cause/learning reviews.
* ** Security & compliance**: safeguard systems and data; promote PCI/SOX compliance and participate in audits; codify controls via policy‑as‑code and automated checks.
* ** Program & portfolio leadership**: plan, organize, and deliver multiple complex initiatives with cross‑functional partners (Product, Architecture, PMO, Business stakeholders).
* ** Talent & culture**: hire, onboard, coach, and grow engineers and managers; foster engagement, psychological safety, and a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and continuous improvement.
* ** Standards & patterns**: influence and establish best practices, reference architectures, reusable components, and guardrails; champion design patterns, quality metrics, and automation.
* ** Production leadership**: own incident readiness and response, post‑incident learning, and long‑term remediation; drive continuous improvement of operational runbooks and DR guides.
** Your Experience, Skills & Competencies
*** Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related discipline **(required)**;
Master’s degree **(preferred)**.
* ** 8+ years
** building high‑volume, mission‑critical applications;
** 5+ years
** technical leadership;
** 2+ years
** people management.
* Proven success delivering secure, scalable, highly available systems and modern architectures.
* Exceptional grasp of
** SDLC
* * and
** agile
* * practices (coding standards, reviews, source control, CI/CD, testing, operations) and experience
** embedding AI
** into the lifecycle (
** AI‑DLC**).
* ** Proficiency in one or more modern stacks**:  +
** Java/JVM** (e.g.,
** Spring Boot**) for service/platform engineering,
** or**  +
** Python** (e.g.,
** Streamlit**,
** FastAPI**,
** FASTMCP**) for services, AI‑assisted workflows, and rapid interactive apps,
** or**  +
** Type Script/Next.js** (React, server components, edge/runtime) for modern web experiences and full‑stack delivery.
* Strong grasp of
** RESTful
* * and
** event‑driven
** architectures; experience with
** SQL & No

SQL
** databases and distributed data design.
* Strong…