Director Engineering - Automation, Performance and AI Quality

At NiCE, we don’t limit our challenges. We challenge our limits. Always. We’re ambitious. We’re game changers. And we play to win. We set the highest standards and execute beyond them. And if you’re like us, we can offer you the ultimate career opportunity that will light a fire within you.
So, what’s the role all about?
We are looking for a visionary engineering leader to architect and lead our quality engineering discipline into the AI era. You will own automation infrastructure, performance engineering, and all AI-driven quality initiatives — building and mentoring high-performing teams of engineers and architects who set the standard for how modern software is validated at scale.
This is not a maintenance role. You will disrupt legacy testing paradigms, champion agentic test generation, and embed AI-quality thinking into every stage of the SDLC — from the first commit to production monitoring. You will be the organizational bridge between engineering velocity and product reliability.
How will you make an impact?
AI Quality Strategy
Define and lead all AI-augmented quality initiatives across the organization
Deploy LLM-powered test generation, triage, and root-cause analysis tooling
Build frameworks for validating AI/ML model outputs and non-deterministic behaviors
Evaluate and integrate emerging AI quality toolchains (GitHub Copilot, Claude, agents)
Champion responsible AI testing practices, coverage standards, and governance models
Automation Engineering
Own the full automation strategy across UI, API, and integration layers
Architect scalable, maintainable test frameworks
Drive shift-left testing embedded in CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitHub Actions)
Establish coverage KPIs, flakiness SLAs, and automation ROI metrics
Lead adoption of self-healing and AI-assisted test maintenance
Performance Engineering
Lead performance and load testing strategy at enterprise scale
Define SLOs/SLAs and partner with SRE on reliability thresholds
Design continuous performance validation integrated into delivery pipelines
Drive root-cause analysis for regressions, bottlenecks, and latency spikes
Oversee toolchain including k6, JMeter, Gatling, and APM integrations
People & Org Leadership
Lead and grow teams of automation engineers, performance engineers, and architects
Set technical direction, OKRs, and career ladders for the quality engineering org
Hire senior ICs and architect-level talent; build succession depth
Foster a culture of ownership, engineering craft, and continuous learning
Partner cross-functionally with Product, DevOps, and R&D leadership
Have you got what it takes?
12+ years in software engineering or QA, with 5+ years in engineering leadership at the Director level or senior Staff+ with direct reports
Deep hands-on background in test automation architecture — you've built frameworks from scratch, not just inherited them
Proven track record leading performance engineering at scale (10,000+ concurrent users, distributed systems, cloud-native environments)
Experience shipping or operating AI/ML systems and understanding the unique quality challenges they introduce
Prior success managing multi-team orgs with both IC engineers and architects (10–40+ total headcount)
Enterprise software domain experience strongly preferred (SaaS, CCaaS, fintech, or similar high-uptime/regulated environments)
AI & Technical Acumen
Working knowledge of LLM capabilities and limitations relevant to software testing (prompt engineering, RAG, agentic workflows)
Experience evaluating or integrating AI coding assistants (GitHub Copilot, Claude, Cursor, or equivalents) in engineering workflows
Comfort with statistical testing concepts: model drift detection, data validation, behavioral testing for non-deterministic outputs
Proficient in at least one scripting/programming language (Python, TypeScript, Java) and modern CI/CD tooling
Familiarity with observability and APM tools (Datadog, Grafana, Dynatrace, New Relic)
Leadership
Exceptional communicator — able to translate deep technical concepts into executive-level strategy and roadmaps
Strong organizational influencer who shapes culture and engineering standards beyond your direct org
Data-driven decision maker: you measure quality outcomes, not just activity
Bias for hiring and developing senior talent; you build teams that outlast you
Comfortable operating in ambiguity and driving clarity in fast-moving environments
About NiCE
NICE Ltd. (NASDAQ: NICE) software products are used by 25,000+ global businesses, including 85 of the Fortune 100 corporations, to deliver extraordinary customer experiences, fight financial crime and ensure public safety. Every day, NiCE software manages more than 120 million customer interactions and monitors 3+ billion financial transactions.
Known as an innovation powerhouse that excels in AI, cloud and digital, NiCE is consistently recognized as the market leader in its domains, with over 8,500 employees across 30+ countries.
NiCE is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, neurotype, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other category protected by law.