Director, AI Enablement & Ecosystem

About this role BlackRock is one of the world’s leading asset managers. Aladdin® is the firm’s end-to-end operating system for investment, risk, and operations, used by BlackRock and many of the world’s largest financial institutions. Aladdin is a $1bn+ technology business with ambitious growth plans and sits at the center of how we deliver technology at scale. The Aladdin Platform organization builds and operates the foundational services powering Aladdin. We enable thousands of engineers and technologists to deliver products at speed, with predictability, quality, and security. As AI rapidly reshapes how software is built, the Platform organization has a critical role in defining how AI is enabled responsibly, securely, and at scale across the firm. Role Overview The Director of AI Enablement and Ecosystem is a senior product and technology leader responsible for defining BlackRock’s strategy for AI in the software development lifecycle and owning the firm’s internal AI developer ecosystem. This role goes well beyond tool delivery. You will set enterprise direction for how AI is evaluated, adopted, governed, and embedded into engineering workflows across Aladdin and BlackRock. You will own the AI developer experience end to end, from ecosystem strategy and vendor partnerships to internal capabilities, operating models, and measurable productivity outcomes. You will operate at the intersection of Product Engineering, Platform, Security, Infrastructure, and Leadership, ensuring AI enables teams rather than slows them down. Success in this role requires strong technical credibility, executive-level communication, and the ability to lead through influence across a highly federated engineering organization. Key Responsibilities Enterprise AI Enablement Strategy Define and own the enterprise vision and strategy for AI enablement across the developer platform and SDLC. Establish a multi-year roadmap spanning coding assistants, agentic workflows, test automation, release intelligence, and operational tooling. Ensure AI enablement aligns with BlackRock’s risk, control, and regulatory posture while maintaining developer velocity. AI Ecosystem Ownership Own the internal AI developer ecosystem, including build vs buy decisions, vendor evaluation, commercial strategy, and lifecycle management. Lead strategic partnerships with external AI providers and platform vendors. Define clear principles for when capabilities are standardized centrally versus embedded within product engineering teams. Operating Model and Governance Design and evolve the operating model for responsible AI enablement across thousands of engineers. Partner closely with Security, Risk, Legal, and Infrastructure to define guardrails that are embedded into platforms rather than enforced through gates. Ensure scalability, reliability, cost control, and auditability of AI capabilities. Product Leadership and Delivery Oversee the product portfolio for AI enablement within the Developer Platform. Set outcome-oriented roadmaps with clear success metrics tied to developer productivity, quality, and time to market. Ensure strong execution through alignment with engineering leads and platform delivery teams. Adoption, Measurement, and Impact Drive enterprise-wide adoption of AI capabilities through clear value articulation, enablement, and internal evangelism. Define and track meaningful productivity and quality metrics, acknowledging the complexity and nuance of measuring developer impact. Regularly report progress, trade-offs, and outcomes to senior technology and business leadership. Industry Insight and Thought Leadership Stay ahead of industry trends in AI developer tooling, agentic systems, and AI-native software delivery. Bring an external perspective into BlackRock, translating emerging capabilities into pragmatic, enterprise-ready solutions. Serve as a visible thought leader internally on the future of AI-enabled engineering. You Are A senior product leader with strong technical depth and enterprise perspective. Credible with senior engineers and architects, and equally effective with executive stakeholders. Comfortable operating in ambiguity and shaping strategy where there is no established playbook. Outcome-driven, with a bias toward pragmatic enablement over theoretical perfection. A connector who can align Platform, Product Engineering, Security, and Leadership around shared goals. Required Skills and Experience 10+ years of experience in product management, engineering leadership, or platform leadership in a large-scale technology environment. Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-organizational initiatives with executive visibility. Strong understanding of modern software development, DevSecOps , and developer platforms. Deep familiarity with AI and emerging AI developer tooling, including strengths, limitations, and risks. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with experience influencing at senior levels. Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, or a related technical field. Preferred Qualifications Direct experience building or scaling AI-powered platforms or developer tools. Experience with cloud-native and scalable AI systems. Background in highly regulated environments such as financial services is a strong plus. Advanced degree in a technical or quantitative field. Why This Role Matters This role is central to how BlackRock engineers will work over the next decade. You will define how AI is safely and effectively integrated into the daily work of thousands of developers, shaping not just tools, but culture, operating models, and productivity at enterprise scale. If you are excited about setting direction, building ecosystems, and leading the next evolution of software delivery with AI, this role offers both scope and impact. For New York, NY Only the salary range for this position is USD$215,000.00 - USD$275,000.00 . Additionally, employees are eligible for an annual discretionary bonus, and benefits including healthcare, leave benefits, and retirement benefits. BlackRock operates a pay-for-performance compensation philosophy and your total compensation may vary based on role, location, and firm, department and individual performance. Our benefits To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of benefits including a strong retirement plan, tuition reimbursement, comprehensive healthcare, support for working parents and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about. Our hybrid work model BlackRock’s hybrid work model is designed to enable a culture of collaboration and apprenticeship that enriches the experience of our employees, while supporting flexibility for all. Employees are currently required to work at least 4 days in the office per week, with the flexibility to work from home 1 day a week. Some business groups may require more time in the office due to their roles and responsibilities. We remain focused on increasing the impactful moments that arise when we work together in person – aligned with our commitment to performance and innovation. As a new joiner, you can count on this hybrid model to accelerate your learning and onboarding experience here at BlackRock. Guidance on AI use for candidates At BlackRock, AI has long been part of how we work – enhancing decision-making, improving operations, and helping us deliver better outcomes for clients. We encourage candidates to use AI thoughtfully to learn, prepare, and work more effectively; but during our interview process, we want to focus on getting to know you through your own experiences, thinking, and judgment. To support you, we’ve provided guidance on when and how to use AI during our hiring process so you can approach each step with confidence and showcase your best self. About BlackRock At BlackRock, we are all connected by one mission: to help more and more people experience financial well-being. Our clients, and the people they serve, are saving for retirement, paying for their children’s educations, buying homes and starting businesses. Their investments also help to strengthen the global economy: support businesses small and large; finance infrastructure projects that connect and power cities; and facilitate innovations that drive progress. This mission would not be possible without our smartest investment – the one we make in our employees. It’s why we’re dedicated to creating an environment where our colleagues feel welcomed, valued and supported with networks, benefits and development opportunities to help them thrive. To learn more about BlackRock, please visit Careers.BlackRock.com . We also encourage you to get to know us on LinkedIn , Instagram , YouTube , X , and TikTok . BlackRock is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity to all applicants and existing employees, and we evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity/expression), sexual orientation, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability, marital status, political affiliation, religion, citizenship status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. View the EEOC’s Know Your Rights poster and its supplement and the pay transparency statement . BlackRock is committed to full inclusion of all qualified individuals and to providing reasonable accommodations or job modifications for individuals with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation/adjustments are needed throughout the employment process, please email [email protected] . All requests are treated in line with our privacy policy . BlackRock will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in a manner consistent with the requirements of the law, including any applicable fair chance law.