Associate Director, AI & Engineering Ops

Vista Equity Partners is a global technology investor that specializes in enterprise software. They are looking for an Associate Director to join their Value Creation Team, focusing on AI & Engineering Operations to drive transformation and adoption across their portfolio companies.

Responsibilities:

• Partner with portfolio company executives to develop AI & Engineering Operations strategies that accelerate development velocity and improve code quality through AI adoption
• Assess and implement AI-powered development tools across portfolio companies, including code generation platforms, establishing metrics for adoption rates, productivity gains, and ROI
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with leading AI tool vendors (GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Cursor, Cognition, etc.) and model providers (Anthropic, OpenAI) to secure favorable terms and early access to new capabilities
• Develop deep expertise in AI code generation tools, including configuration best practices, rollout strategies, and methods for tracking effectiveness and developer satisfaction
• Design and implement engineering metrics programs using platforms like Jellyfish, LinearB and DX, establishing KPIs that matter, creating action plans when metrics indicate issues and creating mechanisms to measure AI engineering impact at scale
• Create scalable AI & Engineering Operations playbooks tailored to different organization sizes and maturity levels
• Identify and pilot emerging AI technologies across the SDLC including AI-assisted testing, documentation generation, code review automation, bug backlog remediation and predictive analytics for development
• Lead the portfolio's thought leadership in AI & Engineering Operations, staying ahead of trends and establishing Vista companies as early adopters of proven technologies
• Collaborate with portfolio company executives, investment teams and operating partners to develop and shape the value creation strategy to achieve the Investment Thesis

Requirements:

• Passion and curiosity for technology, software and data, as well as what makes successful technology companies and investors
• 7+ years of experience in engineering leadership, DevOps, or engineering operations roles, with at least 2 years focused on AI tool usage, adoption and implementation
• Hands-on experience implementing and measuring success of AI code generation tools at scale
• Deep understanding of engineering metrics platforms and ability to translate data into actionable insights
• Proven track record of successfully rolling out new engineering tools and processes across multiple teams or organizations
• Experience managing vendor relationships and evaluating emerging technology solutions
• Strong technical background with ability to understand and discuss architectural implications of AI tool adoption including usage of rules and instructions files
• Experience with change management and driving adoption of new technologies in engineering organizations
• Knowledge of compliance and security considerations for AI tool usage in enterprise environments
• Willingness to travel up to 25% of time
• Strong communication and project management skills
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, both in individual and collaborative environments
• Ability to drive cross-functional analysis, integrating perspectives on technology, business and finance
• Ability to bring structure to large, complex questions with limited guidance
• Ability to multi-task, operate independently, and deliver on tight deadlines
• Preferred Computer Science or technology-related degree from a top undergraduate institution