ESM Platforms Engineering Manager - Chicago, IL | JLL Job

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ESM Platforms Engineering Manager

Purpose of the Role

JLL's Enterprise Service Management (ESM) team is hiring an ITSM Engineering Manager to lead the engineering teams responsible for the three platforms that power JLL's intelligent automation and virtual-agent capability: Moveworks (JLL's enterprise virtual agent / reasoning-engine platform), ServiceNow (JLL's ITSM system of record, including its native AI Agent Studio, AI Agent Orchestrator, and Now Assist capabilities), and general agentic AI development on JLL's other internal platforms. This role sits within the ITSM Platform & Automation function and is accountable for both hands-on engineering delivery and the people leadership of a blended team of JLL direct employees and managed-service / staff-augmentation contractors.

The mandate goes beyond keeping the lights on. This manager is expected to help transform ESM from a traditional IT support function into a value-providing capability for JLL — one that supports modern application development teams, not only IT operations, and that uses AI and agentic AI to widen who can participate in, and benefit from, enterprise service management. That means designing and shipping agents, integrations, and self-service capability that make ESM's data, workflows, and services consumable by other engineering and business teams, not just the service desk.

Three qualification pillars were requested for this hire and are reflected in every section below: (1) strong, hands-on automation and software-engineering skill — including coding ability for web applications and AI agent development; (2) deep ITSM/ITIL expertise at large-enterprise scale, paired with a proven, demonstrable record of using AI and agentic AI to modernize IT Service Management; and (3) critical thinking — the judgment to apply industry frameworks, standards, and vendor claims appropriately to JLL's business rather than adopting them by rote.

Key Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end engineering delivery across three platforms: Moveworks (virtual-agent / reasoning-engine configuration, skill and workflow development, and enterprise search integration), ServiceNow (platform engineering, Flow Designer / Integration Hub development, and native AI Agent Studio, AI Agent Orchestrator, and Now Assist capability), and general agentic AI development on other internal JLL platforms.

• Design, build, and ship custom AI agents and multi-agent orchestration that automate ITSM and adjacent enterprise workflows, applying guardrails, human-in-the-loop controls, and audit logging appropriate to each use case's risk.

• Lead and develop a blended engineering team of JLL direct employees and staff-augmentation contractors, holding both groups to one engineering standard for code quality, testing, documentation, and delivery practice regardless of employment type.

• Manage day-to-day team operations — sprint/iteration planning, code review, technical mentorship, hiring, and performance management for direct reports — while partnering with Vendor & Service Excellence governance on contractor performance, staffing changes, and statement-of-work scope.

• Identify and build the automation and AI capabilities that let modern application development teams — not only traditional IT operations — consume ESM services (self-service provisioning, developer-facing agents, API-first integrations), advancing ESM's shift from a support function toward a value-providing platform for the business.

• Evaluate vendor and platform capability claims with a critical eye — distinguishing genuine agentic reasoning from rules-based automation marketed as “agentic” — to guide build-vs-buy and platform-investment decisions.

• Partner with the ServiceNow Platform Lead, Intelligent Automation Lead, Change Enablement Process Owner, and other ESM process owners to ensure automation and AI development stays aligned with change, release, and configuration-management governance.

• Establish and maintain engineering practices — SDLC, CI/CD, source control, automated testing, and technical documentation — appropriate for ITSM and agentic AI development, and apply them consistently across the in-house and contractor workforce.

• Report engineering roadmap progress, automation coverage, deflection / self-service metrics, and platform health to ESM leadership, and represent engineering considerations in ESM governance forums (e.g., the Platform Release Board).

Required Experience & Certifications

Professional Experience & Skills

• 8+ years of progressive software / platform engineering experience, including full-stack or backend web application development (e.g., JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, or equivalent), API design, and integration engineering, with 3+ years in a technical leadership or engineering management role overseeing other engineers.

• Hands-on experience building and extending AI agents and multi-agent orchestration — using frameworks such as LangChain, LangGraph, CrewAI, AutoGen, or platform-native equivalents (e.g., ServiceNow AI Agent Studio, Moveworks Agent Studio / Developer Hub) — including LLM integration, prompt engineering, and retrieval-augmented generation.

• Direct, hands-on ServiceNow development experience (Flow Designer, Integration Hub, scripting, and ideally AI Agent Studio / Now Assist configuration) and direct experience configuring or extending a virtual-agent / conversational-AI platform such as Moveworks.

• 6+ years of ITSM experience in a large, matrixed enterprise, with working fluency in ITIL 4 practices (Incident, Problem, Change Enablement, Request Fulfillment) and a demonstrable, hands-on track record of using AI or agentic AI to modernize an ITSM function — not just piloting a proof of concept.

• Demonstrated critical thinking and judgment applying ITSM, software-engineering, and AI-governance frameworks and standards pragmatically to real business constraints, rather than applying vendor or framework guidance by rote.

• Experience managing a blended team that includes both direct employees and staff-augmentation / managed-service contractors, with the ability to set one engineering bar for both and to partner with vendor governance on contractor performance.

• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, comfortable operating across ESM process owners, application development teams, and business stakeholders.

Certifications

• ITIL 4 Foundation — required

• ITIL 4 Specialist or Managing Professional — preferred

• ServiceNow Certified System Administrator (CSA), Certified Application Developer (CAD), or Certified Implementation Specialist – ITSM — preferred

• Moveworks platform certification (where available) or equivalent vendor-issued credential — preferred

• Cloud platform certification (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud) — preferred

• Relevant AI/ML or generative-AI engineering credential — preferred

• Familiarity with AI governance frameworks (e.g., NIST AI Risk Management Framework, ISO/IEC 42001) — preferred

This position does not provide visa sponsorship. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Expected compensation for this position:

Final compensation packages are determined by various considerations including but not limited to candidate qualifications, location, market conditions, and internal considerations.

Location:

On-site –Chicago, IL, San Francisco, CA

If this job description resonates with you, we encourage you to apply, even if you don’t meet all the requirements.  We’re interested in getting to know you and what you bring to the table!

Personalized benefits that support personal well-being and growth:

JLL recognizes the impact that the workplace can have on your wellness, so we offer a supportive culture and comprehensive benefits package that prioritizes mental, physical and emotional health. Some of these benefits include:

• 401(k) plan with matching company contributions
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental & Vision Care
• Paid parental leave at 100% of salary 
• Paid Time Off and Company Holidays
• Early access to earned wages through Daily Pay

At JLL, we harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to efficiently accelerate meaningful connections between candidates and opportunities. Using AI capabilities, we analyze your application for relevant skills, experiences, and qualifications to generate valuable insights about how your unique profile aligns with the specific requirements of the role you're pursuing.

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