AAA Auto Club Enterprises · 11 hours ago
Sr Engineering Lead - Tech R&D
Costa Mesa, CA
Full-time
Hybrid
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$160K/yr - $214K/yrAAA Auto Club Enterprises is the largest federation of AAA clubs in the nation, providing services to 17 million members. The Sr Engineering Lead - Tech R&D role involves leading a team focused on exploring and piloting emerging technologies while guiding engineering teams to develop scalable solutions.
Insurance
Responsibilities
Stay actively engaged in architecture, design reviews, prototyping, and experimentation
Write code for high impact prototypes, technical spikes, or complex system components when needed
Break down ambiguous, exploratory concepts into testable experiments and incremental technical paths
Ensure solutions are cloud native, secure, observable, and aligned to long-term ClubLabs engineering standards
Lead the applied R&D function, overseeing discovery, technology scouting, prototyping, piloting, and structured experimentation
Establish a repeatable R&D methodology: hypothesis driven research, rapid iteration cycles, and clear criteria for progression or sunset
Explore emerging technologies (AI/ML, IoT, autonomous systems, data science, mobility, fintech/insurtech advancements) and assess strategic relevance
Build strong transition frameworks ensuring successful handoff of prototypes and pilots to production engineering teams
Lead, mentor, and grow engineering leaders—developing both technical and people leadership capabilities
Partner with Product, Design, QA, and operational teams to align priorities and sequence R&D pipelines
Identify systemic risks, dependencies, bottlenecks and drive resolutions
Champion an engineering culture rooted in context sharing, iteration, continuous improvement, and shared ownership
Foster a psychologically safe environment with direct, constructive feedback and a growth mindset
Strengthen cross team alignment and elevate the overall engineering craft
Qualification
Required
Proven experience leading software engineering teams and developing other engineering leaders
Demonstrated ability to build prototypes, write code, and engage deeply in technical problem-solving
Strong product instincts with a history of running experiments and driving concepts from idea → pilot → measurable impact
Experience owning or contributing to applied R&D, innovation labs, or advanced technology exploration
Comfort operating in fast paced, iterative environments with evolving priorities
Exceptional communication, influencing, and cross functional partnership skills
High integrity, strong decision-making skills, and the ability to operate both strategically and tactically
Preferred
Experience in AI/ML, IoT, autonomous systems, data platforms, mobility, fintech, or insurtech is a plus
Benefits
Health coverage for medical, dental, vision
401(K) saving plans with company match AND Pension
Tuition assistance
Floating holidays and PTO for community volunteer programs
Paid parental leave
Wellness programs
Employee discounts (membership, insurance, travel, entertainment, services and more!)
Company
AAA Auto Club Enterprises
AAA is a federation of fully taxpaying, not-for-profit motor clubs in the U.S.
10001+ employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Chris Simpson
Senior Vice President and Chief Information & Technology Officer
Suzanne Wisdom
Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer
Company data provided by crunchbase