Engineering Manager — Mission-Driven AI Startup (New York City)

Ready to help build something that actually matters? A fast-growing AI language learning startup (name kept quiet for now 🤫) is entering a key period of growth - and they’re looking for a hands-on Engineering Manager to shape the product, the engineering org, and the future of a company with real social impact.
If you thrive in high-intensity environments, love ownership, and want your work to genuinely change people’s lives, this is the one.

What You’ll Do
  • Lead architecture, engineering execution, and delivery across multiple teams as the organisation scales
  • Stay hands-on: design systems, review code, build key components, and guide technical decisions
  • Own cloud infrastructure and platform strategy—AWS, Kubernetes, cost optimisation, scalability
  • Recruit, mentor, and develop high-performing engineers; build a culture of output and accountability
  • Partner directly with founders on product vision and long-term strategy
  • Be a core driver of the engineering organisation during its most pivotal year
Why This Role Is Unique
  • Mission with real impact: building AI-powered language tools for kids worldwide
  • Leadership at a defining moment - your decisions directly influence the company’s 2025 success
  • Huge scope: architecture, hiring, people management, technical strategy, hands-on coding
  • A chance to design and lead multiple engineering teams from the ground up
  • A high-agency environment where great engineering leadership moves the company
What You Bring
  • 7–10 years of engineering experience, including leadership of multiple teams or teams-of-teams
  • Strong technical foundations in backend and distributed systems - specifically with Python.
  • Deep experience with AWS, Kubernetes, containers, scaling, and platform reliability
  • Proven ability to balance IC-level technical work with people leadership
  • Startup-ready mindset: high output, proactive ownership, bias toward action
  • Bonus: Experience or interest in Rust
Who You Are
  • You’ve led engineers and shipped large-scale systems
  • You can zoom out to strategy and zoom in to code
  • You build high-performing teams and a strong engineering culture
  • You love fast-paced, high-impact work
  • You want your leadership to matter
Location & Eligibility
  • Must be based in New York City or able to work on-site there
  • Full US work authorization required (no sponsorship)
If you're a builder, a leader, and someone who wants to leave a mark on a company with real purpose—this is a rare moment to step in and shape everything that comes next.