Sr. Manager, AI & Machine Learning

Sr. Manager, AI & Machine Learning at Zapier

At Zapier, we build and use automation every day to make work more efficient, creative, and human. We encourage the responsible and transparent use of AI tools in the application process. Refer to Zapier’s guidance on "How to Collaborate with AI During Zapier’s Hiring Process" for more details.

This is a remote opportunity, open to candidates in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, with a preference for EST, PST, CST, MST time zones.

About the Role

Are you ready to lead a dynamic and innovative team at the forefront of AI and Machine Learning? Join the Data team at Zapier as a Sr. Manager, AI & Machine Learning. You will play a critical role in shaping Zapier’s AI & ML strategy, guiding the development and deployment of cutting-edge models, platforms, and tools. This position empowers teams across Zapier to leverage AI & ML effectively, scaling our capabilities and outcomes by balancing platform enablement work with applied delivery work that ships high-impact solutions directly and through reusable data products. You’ll partner closely with senior leaders across Product and Engineering to ensure AI/ML investments deliver tangible business value aligned with company goals.

About You

• You bring 8+ years of experience in Machine Learning and AI, with a proven track record of leading teams and projects to deliver high-impact solutions.
• You have experience leading the end-to-end lifecycle of ML projects, from ideation to deployment and monitoring, understanding the challenges and opportunities in scaling ML/AI systems.
• You possess strong leadership and strategic planning skills, having successfully guided technical teams (engineers and managers) through ambiguity, setting clear goals, and achieving them.
• You excel at aligning AI/ML strategies with business objectives and effectively communicate the value of these technologies to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• You have deep technical expertise in ML/AI, including model development, evaluation, data pipeline optimization, and deployment strategies. You are proficient in AI/ML frameworks and tools, guiding teams in technology selection while balancing speed, safety, reliability, and cost.
• You have a solid foundation in data and software engineering, understanding the importance of clean, reproducible code and best practices in data engineering, MLOps/LLMOps, and CI/CD pipelines.
• You operate at a portfolio level with strong product and business thinking, proactively identifying high-leverage opportunities for AI/ML and translating them into clear roadmaps with measurable outcomes.
• You understand that "perfect is the enemy of good" and will default to action by shipping simple, working solutions and iterating as needed.
• You are a coach at heart, mentoring team members on stakeholder management, communication, and other soft skills, and guiding their career development.

Things You’ll Do

As a Sr. Manager, AI & Machine Learning at Zapier, a fast-growing, remote-first company, you will contribute to various projects supporting our stakeholders, including:

• Lead and manage teams of AI & Machine Learning Engineers to deliver high-impact AI/ML initiatives that drive business value and align with company goals.
• Own, execute, and iteratively evolve Zapier’s AI/ML strategy, ensuring models, platforms, and tooling are scalable, reliable, and aligned with business needs, continuously refining direction based on learnings and outcomes.
• Coach and guide your teams in the development and deployment of machine learning models and AI-enabled systems, providing technical expertise and strategic direction with a high bar for safety, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify AI/ML opportunities to enhance products and services, driving integration across the organization through direct engagements or shared platforms and tools.
• Foster a culture of innovation within the AI/ML organization, encouraging experimentation and adoption of new technologies and methodologies while maintaining a pragmatic, value-focused delivery.
• Communicate AI/ML strategy, tradeoffs, and results with clarity, aligning stakeholders, accelerating decisions, and making measurable progress visible company-wide.
• Design and continuously run operating rhythms that ensure predictable AI/ML execution, including regular prioritization, roadmap alignment, clear quality and launch bars, and tight cross-team coordination for consistent near-term wins and long-term leverage.

Our Stack

Our technology stack primarily includes: Databricks, AWS (S3), Python/Typescript, and Kafka.

Key Skills/Competency

• AI/ML Strategy
• Machine Learning Engineering
• Team Leadership
• MLOps/LLMops
• Data Engineering
• AWS
• Python
• Databricks
• Cross-functional Collaboration
• Strategic Planning