A Moment for Technologists Who Want Impact
For technologists seeking meaningful challenges and long-term impact, New York Life is entering an exciting phase. Chief Information Officer Deepa Soni describes today’s technology environment as “a once-in-500-years shift,” and she believes the company has both the stability and the momentum to lead through it.
New York Life is strengthening the foundations of its technology and data environment while building capabilities that support faster delivery, greater modernization and new ways of serving agents, advisors and clients. Under Soni’s leadership, the Technology, Data, AI, Ventures (TDAV) organization brings together enterprise engineering, advanced data and AI capabilities, cybersecurity and a strategic corporate venture capital arm — creating a tightly integrated engine for innovation and business impact.
For engineers, data professionals and AI practitioners, this translates to opportunities to build at scale within an organization that combines mission-driven purpose with a modern technology agenda. And for business teams across New York Life, this means working side by side with TDAV as true thought partners — co-creating solutions, moving faster through shared accountability and investing in upskilling so employees at every level are equipped to confidently use data, AI and modern tools in their day-to-day work.
Engineering at the Center of Transformation
Soni is reshaping her organization to be more engineering-centric, with a strong focus on hands-on technical expertise, modern architectural practices and improving the developer experience through automation, reusable platforms and modern tools. This work is supported by targeted hiring and ongoing investment in developing the current team.
Teams are adopting a product-led model, shifting toward agile ways of working and multiyear roadmaps that allow technologists to own solutions more deeply and iterate with purpose.
Soni is also leading the modernization of the company’s data ecosystem — making data more accessible, with enhanced governance and AI-ready capabilities — which expands opportunities for data engineers, data scientists and analytics professionals to influence how the company operates.
Advancing Into the Next Era of AI
New York Life is already using AI in many ways, but Soni’s ambitions extend further. She is championing the development and use of agentic AI, enabling systems that can reason, adapt and coordinate actions across workflows.
According to Soni, “This requires closer collaboration between data science and engineering, and dedicated capabilities focused specifically on industrializing AI efforts across the enterprise. For technologists interested in building next-generation AI capabilities, this is a defining opportunity.”
Extending Innovation Through NYL Ventures
New York Life’s commitment to innovation extends beyond its walls through New York Life Ventures, the company’s strategic corporate venture capital arm. NYL Ventures connects the enterprise to emerging technologies and startups shaping the future of financial services, creating a unique bridge between cutting-edge innovation and real-world enterprise scale.
This fosters exposure to new ideas, tools and ways of working — reinforcing a culture where experimentation and enterprise impact go hand in hand.
A Culture Designed for Builders
Soni is equally focused on shaping the culture that bolsters the organization. She emphasizes practitioner-led leadership, continuous learning and collaboration that strengthens trust and accelerates decision-making.
Technologists at New York Life experience:
- Meaningful, mission-driven company
- Engineering challenges at enterprise scale
- Opportunities to contribute to AI, cloud, data, platforms and cybersecurity
- A culture grounded in trust, purpose and long-term thinking
- Direct partnership with the business to reimagine solutions that drive real outcomes
Together, these elements create a compelling environment for technologists who want to build — and build with impact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do technologists work on at New York Life?
Technologists at New York Life work on enterprise engineering, data, AI, cybersecurity and platform modernization. Opportunities include building reusable platforms, improving developer experience through automation and modern tools, modernizing the data ecosystem, and developing next-generation AI capabilities such as agentic AI.
Is New York Life hiring engineers and AI professionals?
Yes. New York Life is supporting its transformation with targeted hiring and is creating opportunities for engineers, data professionals and AI practitioners to build at scale.
Does New York Life support career growth for technologists?
Yes. New York Life invests in developing its current team through continuous learning, upskilling and practitioner-led leadership. Technologists also have opportunities to take deeper ownership through product-led, agile ways of working and direct partnership with the business.
