Software Engineering Manager - AI Data Engine

Unknown Company; United States; Hybrid; USD 172,000 - 229,000; Full time

Job summary

Motional AD Inc. is seeking a senior leader to build and guide a data and infrastructure engineering team responsible for the company's data stack and ML data stores. The role emphasizes defining strategy, mentoring engineers, and aligning roadmaps with business objectives.

Ideal candidates have 8+ years in data platforms, strong Python and cloud skills, and experience with large-scale data warehouses and orchestration frameworks.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in Computer Science or related field.
• 8+ years in data platform engineering.
• 3+ years in a technical lead or management role with 3–7 direct reports.
• Experience with petabyte-scale data platforms and ML data stores.
• Experience with dashboards and data ingestion pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Build, lead, and manage a high-performing team of data and infrastructure engineers.
• Define team goals, priorities, and roadmap aligned with company objectives.
• Provide technical guidance, mentorship, and career development opportunities.
• Collaborate with ML research and data teams; communicate with stakeholders.

Skills

Python programming

C++

Data formats (Parquet, Iceberg, Lance)

Cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP)

Data warehouses / lakehouse

Workflow orchestration (Airflow, Step

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Airflow

Step Functions

Bazel

Job description

What You’ll Be Doing

• Build, lead, and manage a high‑performing team of data and infrastructure engineers focused on building out Motional’s Data Stack.
• Define team goals, priorities, and roadmap in alignment with company objectives.
• Provide technical guidance, mentorship, and career development opportunities to team members.

Technical Strategy & Execution

• Define the technical vision and strategy for storing metrics and generating ML datasets for large computer vision and behavioral models.
• Identify and evaluate cutting‑edge technologies and methodologies for speeding up data loaders for training, ingestion of metrics, and querying of large datasets for everything from dashboards to training.

Cross‑functional Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with ML research, ML Training platform, and data engineering teams to understand their needs and integrate solutions seamlessly.
• Communicate complex technical concepts and strategies to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.

We encourage a hybrid schedule with in‑office time at one of our locations in Boston, Pittsburgh, or Las Vegas to support collaboration, or this role can be fully remote.

What We’re Looking For

• Experience BS or MS in Computer Science or related field.
• 8+ years of professional experience in data platform engineering.
• 3+ years of experience in a technical lead or management role with 3‑7 direct reports.
• Extensive experience with managing large (petabyte plus) scale data platforms such as data warehouses, object storage, and ML training data stores.
• Extensive experience with workflow orchestration frameworks such as Airflow or Step Functions.
• Technical Skills Strong programming skills in Python. C++ experience is a plus. Deep knowledge of data storage formats such as Parquet, Iceberg, and Lance and understand their tradeoffs. Strong knowledge of cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP) solutions and their product offerings. Prior experience with building data warehouses or lakehouse architectures at a machine learning or robotics company.
• Bonus Points (not required) Prior experience in autonomous vehicles (AV) is a plus. Prior experience with Bazel based build systems.

Salary Range: $172,000 USD - $229,000 USD

Motional AD Inc. is an EOE. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. To comply with Federal Law, we participate in E‑Verify. All newly‑hired employees are queried through this electronic system established by the DHS and the SSA to verify their identity and employment eligibility.