Manager, AI Engineering (Remote)

We are seeking an experienced Engineering Manager to lead our growing AI/ML engineering team and drive the strategic implementation of artificial intelligence across our platform. In this role, you will be responsible for managing a team of engineers, machine learning specialists, and data scientists while setting the technical vision for AI-driven compliance automation solutions.

As an Engineering Manager for AI/ML, you will bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI research and practical product applications, ensuring our team delivers scalable, ethical, and impactful AI solutions. You will be instrumental in building and scaling our AI capabilities while fostering a culture of innovation, technical excellence, and responsible AI development.

This position requires a unique combination of deep technical expertise in AI/ML, proven leadership experience, and the ability to translate complex AI concepts into business value. You will work closely with cross-functional stakeholders to define AI strategy, prioritize initiatives, and ensure successful delivery of AI-powered features that enhance our compliance automation platform.

What you'll do:

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor, and grow a team (~7 people) of engineers, ML specialists, and data scientists
• Recruit and hire top-tier AI/ML talent, building a world-class engineering team
• Establish career development paths and growth opportunities for team members
• Foster a culture of continuous learning, experimentation, and technical excellence
• Conduct performance reviews, provide feedback, and support professional development

Technical Strategy & Vision

• Define and execute the technical roadmap for AI/ML initiatives across the platform
• Collaborate with product leadership to translate business requirements into technical AI solutions
• Stay current with AI/ML research and industry trends, evaluating new technologies for adoption
• Establish technical standards, best practices, and guidelines for AI/ML development
• Drive architectural decisions for scalable AI systems and infrastructure

Project & Program Management

• Oversee end-to-end delivery of complex AI/ML projects from concept to production
• Manage project timelines, resource allocation, and risk mitigation strategies
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams including Product, Engineering, Security, and Compliance
• Establish metrics and KPIs to measure AI/ML project success and business impact
• Ensure projects align with company objectives and compliance requirements

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with product managers to define AI-driven features and capabilities
• Work with compliance teams to ensure AI solutions meet regulatory and ethical standards
• Collaborate with infrastructure teams to build scalable ML platforms and deployment pipelines
• Engage with business stakeholders to communicate AI capabilities and limitations
• Support sales and marketing teams with technical expertise for AI-related initiatives

Innovation & Research

• Drive innovation in AI applications for compliance automation and security
• Encourage experimentation with emerging AI technologies and methodologies
• Promote knowledge sharing through tech talks, publications, and conference participation
• Balance innovation with practical delivery of business value

What you'll bring:

Technical Expertise

• Deep understanding of machine learning, deep learning, and AI technologies
• Hands-on experience with ML frameworks (ex: TensorFlow, PyTorch) and deployment at scale
• Knowledge of LLM technologies, including fine-tuning, prompt engineering, and RAG systems
• Understanding of ML infrastructure, including cloud platforms, containerization, and CI/CD
• Experience with data engineering, feature stores, and ML operations (MLOps)

Strategic & Business Acumen

• Ability to translate business requirements into technical AI solutions
• Experience working with product management and business stakeholders
• Understanding of compliance, security, and regulatory requirements in AI development
• Track record of building AI products that deliver measurable business value
• Experience with budget management and resource planning for technical teams

Communication & Collaboration

• Excellent communication skills with ability to explain complex AI concepts to diverse audiences
• Experience presenting to executive leadership and board-level stakeholders
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills across engineering, product, and business teams
• Ability to influence without authority and build consensus across organizations
• Experience working in remote or distributed team environments

Requirements:

• 8+ years of software engineering experience with 2+ years in engineering management roles
• Proven experience managing AI/ML teams of 5+ engineers
• Strong technical background in machine learning and AI technologies
• Experience with production ML systems and deployment at scale
• Track record of delivering complex AI/ML projects from concept to production
• Excellent leadership, communication, and project management skills
• Experience working with cross-functional teams and business stakeholders
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (Master's preferred)

Bonus Qualifications

• Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in Computer Science, AI/ML, or related field or equivalent experience
• Experience in compliance, security, or regulatory technology sectors
• Background in building AI platforms or developer tools
• Previous experience at high-growth SaaS companies
• Publications or contributions to AI/ML research community

Benefits:

• Healthcare: 90-100% paid premiums for medical, dental, and vision plans for employee and dependents + on demand health care concierge
• HSA, FSA, & DCFSA: Pre-tax savings plans for healthcare and dependent care, with up to a $600 annual employer contribution to the HSA plan (if enrolled in HSA medical plan)
• 100% paid short and long term disability plus life + AD&D benefits
• Learning & Development: $500 annually towards professional development opportunities + $250 annually towards personal development opportunities
• Flexible Time Off: Flexible vacation policy for strong, fully charged batteries
• 16 Weeks Paid Parental Leave: An inclusive policy to ensure you have time with your newborn, newly adopted, or foster child
• Work Remotely: Flexible hours and work from home + $1,000 annually to cover necessary business related items for your home office
• 401K: Reach your financial goals while reducing your taxes

This role will receive a competitive base salary, benefits, and stock, typically in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The applicable salary range for each US-based role is based on where the employee works and is aligned to one of 3 tiers based on the cost of labor for that geographic area. The expected salary ranges for this role are below, subject to change. 

Tier 1: $172,000 - $212,400

Tier 2: $154,800 - $191,200

Tier 3: $137,600 - $169,900

You can view which tier applies to where you plan to work here. A variety of factors are considered when determining someone’s leveling and compensation–including a candidate’s professional background and experience. These ranges may be modified in the future and final offer amounts may vary from the amounts listed above.

Drata is on a mission to serve as the trust layer between great companies.

Drata is a trust management platform that uses AI-driven automation to modernize governance, risk, and compliance, helping thousands of businesses develop a more secure, proactive, and risk-aware organization to continuously maintain trust with customers.

We all recognize the importance of earning and keeping the trust of our customers when it comes to protecting their data. We know how burdensome achieving and maintaining a strong GRC posture can be with the rise in compliance regulations. It’s a manual, redundant, error-prone, and unscalable process - and it only grows more complex and expensive over time.

Our team of SaaS, security, compliance, and audit experts have built a better way - with automation

Employment at Drata is based solely upon individual merit and qualifications directly related to professional competence. We strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, veteran status, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy status, sex, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, mental or physical disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics protected by law. We also make reasonable accommodations to meet our obligations under laws protecting the rights of the disabled.