Engineering Manager, AI

We're looking for an Engineering Manager, AI who will build and lead the technical team creating our new suite of AI-powered products for mission-driven organizations around the world.

You'll build and lead the cross-functional, technical team creating these products - managing engineers, data scientists, and designers working together to build Civis' next software solution. This is a high-impact, high-visibility role where you'll be building a team and products from scratch, working at the cutting edge of AI application development, and directly shaping how we bring AI capabilities to the nonprofit sector.

Salary: $140,000

What You'll Do

• Build and manage a cross-functional technical team (engineers, data scientists, design) through rapid hiring, contracting and onboarding
• Create clarity and alignment across fast-moving, interdependent projects where architectural decisions in one product impact the others
• Build team culture and processes from the ground up—you'll define how this team works, ships, and grows
• Create, maintain, and meet an engineering roadmap built in partnership with product and leadership
• Ensure that software meets high standards for quality while facing speed-to-market pressure. Execute sprint planning
• Communicate goals, risks, and progress to executive leadership with clarity and confidence
• Make hard decisions about hiring, prioritization, and technical approach with incomplete information

Required Qualifications

• 3-5 years managing engineering teams, including hiring, performance management, and career development
• Track record of building or scaling teams in high-growth environments (startups, new product lines, or rapid expansion phases)
• Experience managing cross-functional teams (engineering + data science/ML, or engineering + product + design)
• Technical credibility to discuss architecture, technical trade-offs, and feasibility with engineers working in Python, React, and AI frameworks
• Proven ability to deliver complex software projects with aggressive timelines and evolving requirements
• Experience navigating ambiguity—you've built products where the path wasn't clear from day one
• Strong judgment about when to move fast vs. when to slow down and build it right
• Excellent communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences
• Work authorization in the US

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing teams working with AI/ML technologies (LLMs, agent frameworks, ML engineering)
• Previous experience in a startup or "startup within a larger company" environment
• Experience building products for non-technical end users in technical domains
• Background managing teams working on data platforms, analytics tools, or SaaS products
• Technical background in Python, modern web frameworks, and/or cloud infrastructure (e.g., AWS)
• Experience with hiring across multiple disciplines (engineering, data science, design)

You Should Apply If:

• You thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments where you're building the plane while flying it
• You're energized by building teams and culture from scratch rather than inheriting established processes
• You're excited about AI's potential to make sophisticated technical capabilities accessible to non-experts
• You care deeply about both shipping great products AND growing great people
• You're comfortable making decisions with incomplete information and adjusting as you learn

You Should Not Apply If:

• You prefer managing established teams with well-defined processes and roadmaps
• You're uncomfortable with AI/ML technologies or leading teams working in unfamiliar technical domains
• You need extensive planning and certainty before making decisions
• You want to focus primarily on technical architecture rather than people management
• You're looking for a role with predictable, steady-state execution rather than rapid team building and product development