experience . From professional empowerment to continual learning opportunities. From ongoing investment in new and emerging technologies to a career of self-determination. At Ulta Beauty, our tech team is critical to our scalability—and is recognized that way. We’ve been defined as a “mature start-up.” A place where interdepartmental exposure, open doors, and genuine collaboration is ubiquitous. Where challenges come fast and furious, requiring agility, mental dexterity, and creativity. Where
our passion for better solutions
drives us and is core to who we are.
We’re engineering for the future of retail, and it’s no-holds-barred. But for those motivated by continual change and ambiguity, by superior leadership, by whip smart colleagues who will press you daily for your very best, you’ll find that virtually nothing’s impossible at Ulta Beauty.
THE IMPACT YOU CAN HAVE:
The Senior Manager, AI Product Development leads the artificial intelligence and machine learning initiatives at Ulta Beauty, directing multiple Agile PODs focused on developing AI-powered solutions. This role serves as the technical bridge between data science, engineering, and business stakeholders to deliver transformative AI products. The Senior Manager guides cross-functional teams through the complete AI product development lifecycle—from conception to deployment and continuous improvement. They will drive innovation in personalization technologies, operational efficiency, and customer experience enhancements while establishing best practices for AI development, implementation and operation.
You'll accomplish these goals by:
Technical Leadership:
Lead the strategic direction for AI product development, including solution architecture, roadmaps, and implementation standards across multiple AI initiatives and platforms.
Team Management:
Direct and mentor multiple Agile teams of data scientists, AI engineers, and ML specialists, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence in AI development.
Strategy:
Translate business requirements into technical AI roadmaps, align AI initiatives with organizational goals, and establish measurement frameworks to track impact.
Cultural Champion:
Promote AI-focused agile practices and work with Responsible AI Governance to ensure transparency, explainability, and ethical use of AI at Ulta.
Business & Stakeholder Relationships:
Partner with cross-functional leaders to identify opportunities for AI, build consensus on priorities, and communicate complex concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
Additional responsibilities
Exercise independent judgment in developing AI solution approaches, model selection, and deployment strategies.
Lead the design and implementation of AI-powered solutions for enhancing the customer shopping experience and improving operational efficiency across the enterprise (inventory, pricing, supply chain, and other operations).
Oversee the development of data pipelines, feature engineering, and model training workflows.
Guide teams in implementing MLOps practices for deployment, monitoring, and maintenance.
Ensure AI solutions adhere to privacy, security, and ethical standards.
Develop reusable AI components and frameworks to accelerate future initiatives.
Collaborate with enterprise architecture to establish AI platform standards and integration patterns.
Lead technical reviews and provide guidance on AI model performance, scalability, and business impact.
Establish metrics and KPIs to measure effectiveness of AI initiatives.
Develop PoCs to validate AI applications before full-scale implementation.
Partner with Product Owners to translate business requirements into AI-specific technical requirements.
Stay current with emerging AI technologies and methodologies and evaluate their applicability.
Provide technical thought leadership on AI capabilities across the organization.
The essentials for success
Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, AI/ML, or equivalent experience
10+ years of experience in AI/ML product development or related technical fields
4+ years of experience managing teams of data scientists and AI engineers
Proven success leading AI initiatives in personalization, recommendations, computer vision, or operational efficiency
Strong knowledge of ML algorithms, frameworks, and best practices
Hands-on experience with modern ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) and cloud-based AI services
Experience with agile methodologies in AI/ML contexts
Experience managing full AI product lifecycle
Track record of delivering measurable value with AI solutions
Experience with MLOps for deployment and monitoring
Ability to translate complex business problems into AI solutions
Excellent communication skills to explain AI concepts to technical and non-technical audiences
Retail or e-commerce experience preferred
Familiarity with AI governance, ethics, and responsible AI practices
Ability to work in an onshore/offshore development model
Travel required per company policy
Compensation : The pay range for this position is $119,300.00 – $185,000.00 per year, with eligibility for additional incentive compensation per the company bonus plan. Final offer based on factors including education, qualifications, experience, location, and business needs. Full-time positions include benefits; see our Benefits and Career Development page for details.
About Ulta Beauty
Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA) is the largest North American beauty retailer and the premier beauty destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care, hair care, and salon services. We offer a broad assortment of products and services in stores and online.
We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest records or other criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable laws and ordinances, including fair chance laws.
Seniority level
Mid-Senior level
Employment type
Full-time
Job function
Engineering and Information Technology
Industries
Retail
Location: Bolingbrook, IL
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