Job Description

About AkzoNobel

Since 1792, we’ve been supplying the innovative paints and coatings that help to color people’s lives and protect what matters most. Our world class portfolio of brands – including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon – is trusted by customers around the globe. We’re active in more than 150 countries and use our expertise to sustain and enhance the fabric of everyday life. Because we believe every surface is an opportunity. It’s what you’d expect from a pioneering and long-established paints company that’s dedicated to providing sustainable solutions and preserving the best of what we have today – while creating an even better tomorrow. Let’s paint the future together.

For more information please visit www.akzonobel.com

© 2024 Akzo Nobel N.V. All rights reserved.

Job Purpose

We are looking for a Senior Chatbot Developer / Technical Engineer who will be a hands-on developer and also act as the primary liaison for all China-market chatbot and automation initiatives.

The role sits within the Conversational AI team and reports directly to the Product Owner. While the Product Owner owns the overall roadmap, intake, and delivery decisions, this role is responsible for technical execution, coordination, and alignment across:

• The internal chatbot development team
• China market business and IT stakeholders
• Central AI & Automation teams (agentic AI, workflows, other automation platforms)

Key Accountabilities

Development & Technical Execution

• Act as a hands-on developer on the chatbot platform, contributing directly to building workflows, integrations, and automations.
• Design and implement platform-based conversational workflows, business rules, and escalation paths.
• Support and guide other developers on China-related chatbot features and integrations.
• Review and improve technical designs and implementation approaches where needed.

China Market Liaison

• Serve as the single technical point of contact for China-market chatbot and automation topics.
• Work closely with China business and IT teams to understand requirements, constraints, and priorities.
• Translate China-market requirements into clear technical inputs and backlog items for the Product Owner and development team.
• Ensure alignment between China needs and global Conversational AI standards and platforms.

Cross-Team Coordination

• Act as a bridge between:
• Product Owner
• Chatbot developers
• Central AI & Automation teams (agentic AI, Azure AI platforms, workflow automations)
• Coordinate dependencies, integrations, and design decisions related to China use cases.
• Ensure conversational AI solutions integrate smoothly with other automation initiatives

Integrations & Automation Enablement

• Lead chatbot integrations with enterprise backend systems and data platforms via APIs and middleware.
• Ensure integrations follow security, access control, and data protection requirements for external users.
• Support integration of conversational AI with agentic AI and other automation solutions to deliver end-to-end automations.

Knowledge & Operations

• Own and maintain knowledge configuration for China chatbot use cases.
• Ensure knowledge accuracy, structure, and ongoing maintenance.
• Support production operations by monitoring issues, analyzing root causes, and driving improvements.
• Use KPIs and analytics to continuously improve chatbot quality and performance.

Experience

Required Skills & Experience

• 5+ years of experience in chatbot development, conversational AI platforms, or enterprise automation solutions.
• Proven experience as a hands-on developer in platform-based chatbot implementations.
• Proficiency in Python or another programming language (Node.js not mandatory).
• Experience delivering customer-facing or public-facing chatbot and automation solutions
• Strong understanding of API-based integrations, middleware concepts, and enterprise system connectivity.
• Ability to translate business requirements into actionable technical tasks
• Experience collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams (developers, platform teams, automation teams).

Language & Communication

• Fluent English communication (mandatory).
• Strong Mandarin / Chinese communication skills (mandatory), to work effectively with China stakeholders.
• Comfortable working across cultures and time zones (China, India, EU).

Preferred Skills

• Exposure to agentic AI solutions, Azure AI platforms, or similar automation frameworks.
• Experience working alongside RPA, workflow automation, or AI orchestration platforms
• Familiarity with cloud environments (Azure preferred).
• Experience acting as a technical liaison or bridge role in global teams.

At AkzoNobel we are highly committed to ensuring an inclusive and respectful workplace where all employees can be their best self. We strive to embrace diversity in a context of tolerance. Our talent acquisition process plays an integral part in this journey, as setting the foundations for a diverse environment. For this reason we train and educate on the implications of our Unconscious Bias in order for our TA and hiring managers to be mindful of them and take corrective actions when applicable. In our organization, all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age or disability.

Requisition ID: 53510