Director, Software Development Engineering - Experience Management Platform

Expedia Group brands power global travel for everyone, everywhere. We design cutting-edge tech to make travel smoother and more memorable, and we create groundbreaking solutions for our partners. Our diverse, vibrant, and welcoming community is essential in driving our success. Why Join Us? To shape the future of travel, people must come first. Guided by our Values and Leadership Agreements, we foster an open culture where everyone belongs, differences are celebrated and know that when one of us wins, we all win. We provide a full benefits package, including exciting travel perks, generous time-off, parental leave, a flexible work model (with some pretty cool offices), and career development resources, all to fuel our employees' passion for travel and ensure a rewarding career journey. We’re building a more open world. Join us. Introduction to Team Our Technology Team partners with teams across Expedia Group to create innovative products, services, and tools to deliver high-quality experiences for travelers, partners, and our employees. A singular technology platform powered by data and machine learning provides secure, differentiated, and personalized experiences that drive loyalty and traveler satisfaction. The Experience Management Platform team sits within Platform Engineering and is responsible for the systems that power how every traveler experience is assembled, configured, and delivered across Expedia Group's portfolio of brands. Our platform handles billions of requests, serving hundreds of millions of users through tools including Experience Manager (no-code template and content orchestration), URL Platform, Travel Store SDK, Platform Product Catalog, and Platform Configuration. We are the layer that connects design and engineering with business users; enabling scalable, multi-brand experience delivery without code changes. In this role, you will: Define and drive technical strategy for the Experience Management Platform Lead a team of engineers and engineering managers building the next generation of experience orchestration, replacing legacy systems with a modern, agentic, self-serve platform Own the technical architecture, roadmap, and non-functional standards (performance, cost, scale) for experience management tools across all EG brands Drive the transformation from legacy services to a modern, scalable architecture with agentic capabilities built-in; reducing technical footprint while increasing business agility Define domain vision tied to measurable business outcomes and establish mechanisms for operational excellence (goals, scorecards, reviews) Use data to set direction, define domain KPIs, and ensure investments deliver measurable ROI Influence peer Directors and VPs across Product, Design, ML, and Engineering to align roadmaps and resourcing for shared outcomes Develop leaders of leaders — shape roles, set promotion standards, identify future leaders, and build a high-performing organization through a period of change Safely integrate and operate AI/ML-enabled solutions that improve outcomes, including familiarity with AI-driven systems, tools, or workflows and applying AI/ML concepts to real world products. Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related technical field; or equivalent related professional experience 10+ years of software experience and 5+ years of people management experience Prior experience leading technical strategy, architecture, and delivery for domain- or organization-scale platforms. Proven ownership of complex distributed systems spanning multiple services or domains, with strong expertise in software architecture, system design, low-level design, API design, and data modeling. Demonstrated ability to lead through engineering managers and senior engineers, driving technical execution, cross-functional alignment, and operational excellence in large-scale environments. Experience working with AI-driven systems, tools, or workflows and applying AI/ML concepts in production-oriented software or platform contexts. Preferred Qualifications: Experience leading platform engineering organizations across multiple products or capability areas, including managing multiple engineering managers (leader of leaders) and operating effectively in complex, business-critical environments. Background building or evolving configuration-driven platforms such as templating, CMS, experience orchestration, or other systems that assemble and deliver end-user experiences across brands, channels, or partner surfaces. Experience advancing AI-assisted or agentic workflows within internal platforms, including enabling more intuitive, scalable ways for users to configure and manage experiences through low-code, no-code, or conversational interfaces. Track record of successfully retiring legacy systems while maintaining business continuity Familiarity with modern approaches to no-code tooling, server-driven UI, or configuration-driven platforms The total cash range for this position in Chicago is $214,500.00 to $300,000.00. Employees in this role have the potential to increase their pay up to $343,000.00, which is the top of the range, based on ongoing, demonstrated, and sustained performance in the role. Starting pay for this role will vary based on multiple factors, including location, available budget, and an individual’s knowledge, skills, and experience. Pay ranges may be modified in the future. Expedia Group is proud to offer a wide range of benefits to support employees and their families, including medical/dental/vision, paid time off, and an Employee Assistance Program. To fuel each employee’s passion for travel, we offer a wellness & travel reimbursement, travel discounts, and an International Airlines Travel Agent (IATAN) membership. View our full list of benefits. Accommodation requests If you need assistance with any part of the application or recruiting process due to a disability, or other physical or mental health conditions, please reach out to our Recruiting Accommodations Team through the Accommodation Request. We are proud to be named as a Best Place to Work on Glassdoor in 2024 and be recognized for award-winning culture by organizations like Forbes, TIME, Disability:IN, and others. Expedia Group's family of brands includes: Brand Expedia®, Hotels.com®, Expedia® Partner Solutions, Vrbo®, trivago®, Orbitz®, Travelocity®, Hotwire®, Wotif®, ebookers®, CheapTickets®, Expedia Group™ Media Solutions, Expedia Local Expert®, CarRentals.com™, and Expedia Cruises™. © 2024 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners. CST: 2029030-50 Employment opportunities and job offers at Expedia Group will always come from Expedia Group’s Talent Acquisition and hiring teams. Never provide sensitive, personal information to someone unless you’re confident who the recipient is. Expedia Group does not extend job offers via email or any other messaging tools to individuals with whom we have not made prior contact. Our email domain is @expediagroup.com. The official website to find and apply for job openings at Expedia Group is careers.expediagroup.com/jobs. Expedia is committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This employer participates in E-Verify. The employer will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with information from each new employee's I-9 to confirm work authorization. Expedia Group (NASDAQ: EXPE) powers travel for everyone, everywhere through our global platform. Driven by the core belief that travel is a force for good, we help people experience the world in new ways and build lasting connections. We provide industry-leading technology solutions to fuel partner growth and success, while facilitating memorable experiences for travelers. Expedia Group's family of brands includes: Brand Expedia®, Hotels.com®, Expedia® Partner Solutions, Vrbo®, trivago®, Orbitz®, Travelocity®, Hotwire®, Wotif®, ebookers®, CheapTickets®, Expedia Group™ Media Solutions, Expedia Local Expert®, CarRentals.com™, and Expedia Cruises™. For more information, visit Employment opportunities and job offers at Expedia Group will always come from Expedia Group’s Talent Acquisition and hiring teams. Never provide sensitive, personal information to someone unless you’re confident who the recipient is. Expedia Group does not extend job offers via email or any other messaging tools to individuals to whom we have not made prior contact. Our email domain is @expediagroup.com. The official website to find and apply for job openings at Expedia Group is lifeatexpediagroup.com/jobs.