Engineering Manager, AI Tasks

AI at Zapier

At Zapier, we build and use automation every day to make work more efficient, creative, and human. Using AI tools responsibly and transparently during the application process is encouraged. Check out Zapier's guidance on How to Collaborate with AI During Zapier’s Hiring Process for details on using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or others.

About the Role: Engineering Manager, AI Tasks

Zapier is seeking an Engineering Manager to lead the AI Tasks team, a crucial group focused on making AI accessible, trustworthy, and productive for every Zapier user. This team crafts experiences that merge AI automation with human oversight, enabling sophisticated workflows previously unattainable. From guided prompting and AI-powered task execution to human-in-the-loop controls, the AI Tasks team ensures AI meets real user needs safely, intuitively, and at scale.

The team's mission is to unlock new automation possibilities by combining AI with human control. You will help users progress from initial AI experiments to confidently managing advanced workflows, designing experiences that cater to both novices and power builders scaling AI across their organizations.

As the Engineering Manager for AI Tasks, you will guide your team in overcoming major barriers to AI adoption: discovery, blank-canvas prompting, trust, and complexity. This presents a unique opportunity to shape how AI integrates into everyday automation for millions worldwide.

If you are passionate about making AI work for everyone, not just experts, this Engineering Manager, AI Tasks role is for you.

About You

• You've shipped LLM-powered products, with hands-on experience building features that help non-experts succeed with AI, such as human-in-the-loop or guided prompting.
• You are willing to get your hands dirty, thriving in ambiguous, fast-moving environments focused on rapid iteration. You're comfortable prototyping user-facing AI flows, running experiments, and learning from real user behavior, turning vision into reality.
• You are a skilled engineering leader with a proven track record of building high-quality, production-level code. You are fluent in our tech stack (Typescript, React, Node.js, Python, Django) and adaptable to new technologies.
• You have excellent communication skills, regularly collaborating with engineers and diverse stakeholders. You balance engineering concerns with product needs, finding solutions or building understanding around difficult decisions.
• You stay technically engaged, often pairing with engineers to support technical decision-making despite not being an Individual Contributor.
• You balance architecture with pragmatism, making informed technical decisions and knowing when to plan meticulously versus moving quickly.
• You prioritize outcomes over process, implementing lightweight processes that drive results without unnecessary red tape.
• You champion frequent deployments, believing in regular code shipments and iterative improvement based on real-world feedback.
• You solve problems creatively, tackling challenges with a can-do attitude and discerning when to build new features versus strengthening foundations.
• You put users first, guiding your decisions and leadership by user needs and experience improvement.
• You build relationships across teams, collaborating effectively and influencing technical decisions company-wide.

Things You'll Do

• Lead and develop a team of 4-6 engineers, offering technical direction, mentorship, and career growth opportunities.
• Collaborate with the engineering team to make, evaluate, and advocate for architectural decisions aligned with Zapier's vision and technical standards.
• Work across engineering teams to evaluate and inform technical decisions, ensuring alignment and removing blockers for the Agents roadmap execution.
• Partner closely with Product and Design to understand user needs—especially regarding discovery, trust, and complexity—and translate these insights into intuitive, effective AI features.
• Champion problem-solving by identifying technical challenges and enhancing engineering processes.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to address user problems effectively.
• Communicate effectively to lead your team and keep leadership informed on progress through one-on-ones, team meetings, and leadership updates.
• Foster a culture of experimentation, rapid learning, and continuous improvement.

Key skills/competency

• LLM-powered Products
• AI Automation
• Human-in-the-loop
• Guided Prompting
• Engineering Leadership
• Typescript & React
• Python & Django
• Technical Mentorship
• Architectural Decision-Making
• User-Centric Design