Associate Director, GenAI

About the role

The Associate Director leads a small team of software engineers responsible for designing and delivering the data pipelines, retrieval systems, and knowledge integrations that power a generative AI platform. This role combines technical leadership with people management — setting architectural direction, removing blockers, and ensuring the team delivers high-quality, scalable solutions.

Responsibilities

• Directly manage team(s) focused on delivering high quality project results within one or more major technology disciplines: strategy, software development, operations, engineering, development services, information security, and compliance.
• Focus on team leadership, delivery of business value, risk mitigation, cost optimization and return on investment.
• Deliver results based upon FINRA annual goals, department goals and management requests.
• Coordinate organization's financial and budget activities to fund operations, maximize investments, and increase efficiency for a project(s).
• Ensure technology best practices are being implemented and improved within team(s).
• Analyze information and evaluate results to choose the best solutions and solve problems.
• Support the evaluation of new technologies, techniques, and tools.
• Report status and issues to senior Technology management team.
• Work directly with outside vendors to negotiate services and product agreements.
• Willingness to lead, take responsibility and offer options.
• Serve as a backup to more senior level management as needed.
• Develop constructive and cooperative working relationships with peers both within and outside of Technology, and maintain them over time.
• Establish and maintain external relationships with strategic product/service vendors and industry forums (government & private councils, standards bodies, product forums, etc.), as appropriate.
• Contribute to the establishment, evolution and continued compliance with standard practices and processes within the disciplines.
• Affirm technology policies and comply with all security controls.
• Ensure all work products meet/exceed FINRA standards and risks are effectively managed.
• Participate in periodic Disaster Recovery (DR), Business Continuity Planning (BCP) and Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) testing and reporting.

Resource Management

• Identify and hire resource/skills needed within their organization.
• Responsible for staff performance management and training.
• Cookordinate assignment of subordinate staff.
• Demonstrate FINRA’s values.
• Collaborate, both in-person and virtually, in furtherance of FINRA’s mission of investor protection and market integrity.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership & Architecture
• Team Leadership & People Management
• Engineering Excellence & Quality
• Planning & Delivery
• Stakeholder Collaboration
• Generative AI & Emerging Technologies
• Security & Compliance

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems or related discipline with at least five (5) years of related experience, or equivalent training and/or work experience; Master’s degree and past Financial Services industry experience preferred.
• Minimum of 3 years of managing technical programs and/or processes including staff management of at least four (4) resources and budget of at least $1 million annually.
• Knowledge of business, technology and management principles involved in strategic planning, organizational change management, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, and coordination of people and resources.
• Direct project experience in one of the following areas: strategy, software development, operations, engineering, development services, information security, and/or compliance.
• Extensive knowledge of industry leading technology best practices including familiarity with technology methodologies including at least one of ISO-9000, ITIL, Agile and iterative.
• Excellent written and verbal technical communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to develop effective working relationships and leverage those relationships to improve the quality of work products.
• Ability to maintain focus and develop proficiency in new skills rapidly.
• Ability to work in a fast paced environment.

Education/Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems or related discipline with at least five (5) years of related experience, or equivalent training and/or work experience; Master’s degree and past Financial Services industry experience preferred.
• Minimum of 3 years of managing technical programs and/or processes including staff management of at least four (4) resources and budget of at least $1 million annually.
• Knowledge of business, technology and management principles involved in strategic planning, organizational change management, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, and coordination of people and resources.
• Direct project experience in one of the following areas: strategy, software development, operations, engineering, development services, information security, and/or compliance.
• Extensive knowledge of industry leading technology best practices including familiarity with technology methodologies including at least one of ISO-9000, ITIL, Agile and iterative.
• Excellent written and verbal technical communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to develop effective working relationships and leverage those relationships to improve the quality of work products.
• Ability to maintain focus and develop proficiency in new skills rapidly.
• Ability to work in a fast paced environment.

Work Conditions

• Hybrid work environment, with defined in-person presence requirements.
• Occasional travel and extended hours may be required.