Software Engineer III

Ahold Delhaize USA, a division of global food retailer Ahold Delhaize, is part of the U.S. family of brands, which includes five leading omnichannel grocery brands – Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford and Stop & Shop. Our associates support the brands with a wide range of services, including Finance, Legal, Sustainability, Commercial, Digital and E-commerce, Technology and more.

Primary Purpose

The Senior Software Engineer, AI Enablement will design, build, and optimize resilient, scalable systems in a hybrid-cloud environment with a clear focus on AI-driven software development. This role is central to embedding AI-first principles across the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), driving measurable improvements in speed, quality, and developer productivity.

You will lead efforts to integrate augmented, automated, and agentic AI models into engineering workflows—enabling teams to code, test, deploy, and document faster than ever before. As a horizontal enabler, this position works across product, DevOps, and QA teams to build foundational tools, frameworks, and best practices that unlock AI's full potential in development.

This is a hands-on role for a Full-Stack Engineer who thrives in both front-end and back-end development, is passionate about emerging AI technologies, and is eager to redefine how software engineering is done.

Our flexible/ hybrid work schedule includes 3 in-person days at one of our core locations and 2 remote days.  Our core office locations include Chicago, IL.
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Duties and Responsibilities 

• AI-First Development Leadership
  Champion the adoption of AI technologies across the SDLC, leveraging tools for intelligent code generation, static analysis, test automation, documentation, and workflow optimization.
• Technical Foundation Building
  Architect and maintain internal APIs, frameworks, and developer tools that enable seamless AI model interactions and support scalable, automated development.
• Cross-Functional Integration
  Collaborate closely with product, DevOps, and QA teams to embed AI capabilities into CI/CD pipelines and development workflows. Mentor teams to ensure consistent, effective use of AI tools.
• Agentic AI Exploration
  Lead the research and implementation of autonomous multi-step AI agents capable of handling complex engineering tasks from inception to completion—moving beyond simple suggestion models.
• Applied AI Solutions ("Last-Mile" Impact)
  Partner with product teams to tailor and implement AI solutions for specific business or technical challenges, ensuring measurable value delivery and practical success.

Qualifications 

•   Bachelor's Degree or equivalent professional experience
• 5+ years of experience developing code
• Strong expertise in Java 17+, Spring Boot, Kafka, Shell scripting, distributed architecture, and modern JavaScript frameworks (React,Angular, , ).
• Experience with AI-assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT).
• Experience with Agentic Frameworks and AI Could Foundry (Microsoft/ Anthropic).
• Familiarity with databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Cosmos DB), static web asset delivery, and UI/UX design principles.

Preferred Qualifications 

• AI-First Mindset: Proactively use AI tools to accelerate all phases of the SDLC—from ideation and coding to testing and deployment.
• Continuous Learner: Quickly grasps emerging concepts and applies them to real-world engineering challenges.
• Builder Mentality: Passionate about coding and innovation—you build because you love to create.
• Collaborative Communicator: Clearly articulates technical ideas, listens actively, and aligns cross-functional teams.
• Creative Problem Solver: Navigates both technical and interpersonal challenges with agility and empathy.

Salary Range:  $125,040 - $187,560 
Actual compensation offered to a candidate may vary based on their unique qualifications and experience, internal equity, and market conditions. Final compensation decisions will be made in accordance with company policies and applicable laws. 

#LI-KK1 #LI-Hybrid

At Ahold Delhaize USA, we provide services to one of the largest portfolios of grocery companies in the nation, and we're actively seeking top talent.

Our team shares a common motivation to drive change, take ownership and enable our brands to better care for their customers. We thrive on supporting great local grocery brands and their strategies.

Our associates are the heartbeat of our organization. We are committed to offering a welcoming work environment where all associates can succeed and thrive. Guided by our values of courage, care, teamwork, integrity (and even a little humor), we are dedicated to being a great place to work.

We believe in collaboration, curiosity, and continuous learning in all that we think, create and do. While building a culture where personal and professional growth are just as important as business growth, we invest in our people, empowering them to learn, grow and deliver at all levels of the business.