Engineering Manager - AI specialist

Engineering Manager - AI Specialist (all genders)

Why Valtech? We’re the experience innovation company - a trusted partner to the world’s most recognized brands. To our people we offer growth opportunities, a values-driven culture, international careers and the chance to shape the future of experience.

The opportunity

At Valtech, you’ll find an environment designed for continuous learning, meaningful impact, and professional growth. Whether you're pioneering new digital solutions, challenging conventional thinking or building the next generation of customer experiences, your work will help transform industries. 

We are proud of: 

The context

Valtech is a strategic partner for this client, responsible for the design, delivery, and operation of large-scale digital platforms across eRetail and Retail.

After successfully industrializing e-commerce and retail delivery, the next strategic frontier is Artificial Intelligence as a core transformation lever, impacting the entire value chain: engineering productivity, delivery predictability, quality, testing, operations, and production support. 

AI is no longer treated as a set of isolated experiments. It is a foundational capability that must be embedded into Valtech delivery operations, at scale, with measurable business and operational impact. 

Beyond AI, Valtech is continuously expected to innovate and improve its delivery and support model, strengthening efficiency, quality, resilience, and time-to-market in a demanding retail environment. 

This role exists to ensure that AI transformation within Engineering excellence and broader operational innovation are structured, governed, value-driven, and industrialized, while reinforcing operational excellence across all delivery domains. 

The role  

The role is transversal by design: authority comes from expertise, vision, and execution leadership, not from direct hierarchical control. Reporting to Client Partner and Managers at Valtech for our luxury and international client you will: 

• Lead Valtech’s  end-to-end AI transformation and operational excellence for the client account. 
• Own the definition, orchestration, and execution of AI initiatives, ensuring they move  from POC to industrialized, production-grade capabilities  delivering tangible value. 
• In close coordination with the AI Transformation Program Manager,  ensure AI-driven transformation is consistently embedded across the four core pillars of delivery: 
• Agile Operating Model 
• Engineering
• Quality & Testing 
• Production & Support 
• Beyond AI, actively drive  innovation and continuous improvement of delivery and support operations , leveraging AI, automation, process optimization, and new operating practices. 

Key Responsibilities 

AI Transformation Leadership 

• Define and own the global AI transformation roadmap across eRetail and omnichannel delivery. 
• Ensure AI initiatives are aligned with the client’s business priorities and Valtech’s delivery and operational objectives. 
• Drive AI adoption beyond experimentation, with clear industrialization paths, ownership models, and value tracking. 
• Position AI as a structural enabler of delivery performance, quality, and operational efficiency. 

Coordination with AI Transformation Program Management 

• Work in close partnership with the AI Transformation Program Manager, ensuring alignment between strategic roadmap, execution planning, and delivery reality. 
• Contribute delivery and operational expertise to program-level prioritization, sequencing, and risk management. 
• Ensure consistency between program governance and on-the-ground execution across teams.
• Act as the operational counterpart to the program manager, securing adoption, scalability, and sustainability of AI initiatives. 

Governance & Stakeholder Management 

• Act as Valtech’s AI and operational excellence reference toward the client. 
• Represent AI and delivery innovation initiatives in SteerCos, transformation committees, and executive forums. 
• Provide clear, structured reporting on progress, value delivered, risks, and dependencies.
• Escalate blockers early and propose concrete, execution-ready mitigation plans. 

Transversal Team & Community Leadership 

• Animate and federate a transverse community of AI and innovation champions embedded across engineering, QA, support, and product teams. 
• Lead and coordinate distributed AI Ops, scripting, automation, and tooling resources, notably in India. 
• Ensure consistency of practices, standards, tooling, and documentation across all domains. 
• Reinforce a shared ownership model: innovation and AI are collective responsibilities, not isolated initiatives. 

AI Integration Across the 4 Pillars:

Engineering 

• Promote AI-native architectures, developer productivity tools, and best practices.
• Support AI-assisted development, code quality, refactoring, and technical acceleration.

Agile Operating Model 

• Adapt delivery rituals, governance, and planning to support AI-driven and data-intensive initiatives. 
• Improve predictability and flow while managing experimental constraints. 

Quality & Testing 

• Define strategies for AI testing, validation, explainability, and monitoring. 
• Embed AI and automation into test strategies, regression prevention, and defect analysis.

Production & Support 

• Implement AIOps capabilities for proactive monitoring, incident prediction, and MTTR reduction. 
• Strengthen production stability, observability, and operational resilience. 

Operational Excellence, Innovation & Industrialization 

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across delivery and support operations, beyond AI-only use cases. 
• Identify and promote innovations in automation, tooling, processes, and operating models.
• Ensure initiatives meet enterprise-grade standards: security, scalability, observability, compliance. 
• Drive measurable improvements on delivery and support KPIs (cycle time, quality, incidents, automation rate, cost efficiency). 
• Ensure smooth transition from build to run, with full ownership by support teams.
• Avoid “shadow initiatives” by enforcing clear governance, documentation, and ownership.

Organization & Role Positioning 

The Head of AI Transformation & Operational Excellence is a transversal leader. 

• Coordinate closely with the AI Transformation Program Manager and delivery leaders. 
• Authority is based on strategic vision, delivery credibility, and execution rigor. 
• Orchestrate, influence, and federate teams embedded in their respective domains. 
• Success is measured by adoption, industrialization, operational impact, and value delivered, not by the number of POCs.

Must have hardskills 

• Proven track record in leading complex, data-driven or AI-enabled transformation programs. 
• Demonstrated ability to move initiatives from POC to industrialized, production-grade solutions.
• Experience leading distributed delivery teams (onshore/offshore). 
• Strong understanding of e-commerce, retail, or omnichannel ecosystems. 
• Ability to operate at both strategic and operational levels. 
• Fully bilingual French / English is mandatory. 

Must have softskills

• Strong transformation leader with a clear, forward-looking vision. 
• Clear, direct, and structured communicator; able to simplify complexity. 
• Pragmatic, execution-focused, and value-driven. 
• High autonomy, ownership, and ability to influence without formal authority. 
• Comfortable operating in complex, high-pressure, multi-stakeholder environments. 

If you do not meet all the listed qualifications or have gaps in your experience, we still encourage you to apply. At Valtech, we recognize that talent comes in many forms, and we value diverse perspectives and a willingness to learn.

Commitment to reaching all kinds of people

We design experiences that work for all kinds of people - and that starts with our own teams. At Valtech, we’re intentional about building an inclusive culture where everyone feels supported to grow, thrive and achieve their goals. No matter your background, you belong here.  Explore our Diversity & Inclusion site to see how we’re creating a more equitable Valtech for all. 

The benefits

This is a  permanent  position based in  Paris/France  with 3 days at the client’s office.

Beyond a competitive compensation package, we offer: 

• Flexibility, with remote and hybrid work options (country-dependent) 
• Career advancement, with international mobility and professional development programs
• Learning and development, with access to cutting-edge tools, training and industry experts

Our benefits are tailored to each location. Your Talent Partner will provide full details during the hiring process. 

Your application process

Once you apply, our Talent Acquisition team will review your application. If your skills and experience align with the role, we’ll reach out for next steps.

⚠️ Beware of recruitment fraud: Only engage with official Valtech email addresses ending in @valtech.com.

We are committed to inclusion and accessibility. If you need reasonable accommodations during the interview process, please either indicate it in your application or let your Talent Partner know. 

About Valtech

Valtech is the experience innovation company that exists to unlock a better way to experience the world. By blending crafts, categories, and cultures, we help brands unlock new value in an increasingly digital world. 

At the intersection of data, AI, creativity, and technology, we drive transformation for leading organizations, including L’Oréal, Mars, Audi, P&G, Volkswagen Dolby, and more. 

At Valtech, we don’t just talk about transformation. We make it happen. Our people are the heart of our success, and we foster a workplace where everyone has the support to thrive, grow and innovate. 

Are you ready to create what’s next? Join us.

As per the AGG (General Equal Treatment Act) in Germany and equivalent in France, jobs must be advertised in a gender-neutral manner. We use the statement (all genders) to make it clear that this position is open to all genders in these countries, even if the job title itself can be translated or interpreted as "masculine" in the French or German language.