Manager, Forward Deployed Engineering

Snorkel AI•Redwood City, CA

3d•$220,000 - $320,000

About The Position

Snorkel AI is hiring a Manager, Forward Deployed Engineering to build and lead our Forward Deployed Engineering (FDE) function within the Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) organization. This team is responsible for the technical execution layer of DaaS delivery — owning the systems, workflows, and quality frameworks that power high-quality dataset production at scale. You will lead a team of engineers who operate across the full AI data lifecycle: designing evaluation systems, building ML-assisted workflows, and developing the technical foundations that make human-in-the-loop (HITL) data generation faster, more reliable, and scalable. This is a where you’ll both help define the strategy and architecture of our data pipelines while staying close to implementation. As a founding leader, you will establish how FDE partners with Delivery, Engineering, and Research to ensure consistent, high-quality execution across all DaaS projects. You’ll operate at the intersection of data engineering, ML engineering, and production operations, driving the evolution of our technical delivery capabilities and enabling Snorkel to scale its impact across increasingly complex AI workloads.

Requirements

~7+ years of experience in data engineering, SWE, ML engineering, or applied AI roles, with strong hands-on technical depth
2+ years of experience leading or managing engineers in a hands-on, player-coach capacity
Strong experience building and operating data pipelines and ML/LLM-based workflows in production environments
Proficiency in Python, SQL, and modern data tooling; experience integrating systems via APIs
Experience designing evaluation frameworks, quality measurement systems, or benchmarking approaches for ML systems
Proven ability to operate in ambiguous, fast-paced environments and drive execution across cross-functional teams
Strong systems thinking — ability to design scalable, reusable solutions rather than one-off implementations

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with synthetic data generation or model-assisted labeling techniques
Experience building internal platforms or tooling for delivery or operations teams

Responsibilities

Build and lead the Forward Deployed Engineering function, defining the team’s operating model, technical roadmap, and standards for execution
Hire, mentor, and develop a high-performing team, fostering strong ownership, velocity, and engineering excellence
Own the design and evolution of end-to-end AI data pipelines, including dataset generation, evaluation systems, and quality frameworks
Establish and standardize measurement, benchmarking, and validation systems to ensure consistent, high-quality dataset delivery
Develop scalable internal tooling and workflows for orchestration, monitoring, and delivery, reducing bottlenecks and improving throughput
Partner cross-functionally with Delivery, Engineering, and Research to productionize new approaches and continuously improve DaaS capabilities

Benefits

At Snorkel AI, we're building the future of data-centric AI.
Our Expert Data-as-a-Service organization partners with world-class customers to solve some of the hardest data challenges — creating training and evaluation data that power the next generation of LLMs and AI systems.
You'll work directly on projects that impact real production systems, while shaping how internal teams deliver faster, better, and more intelligently.
This is a rare opportunity to found a function and have a broad, lasting impact across the company.
Joining Snorkel AI means becoming part of a company that has market proven solutions, robust funding, and is scaling rapidly—offering a unique combination of stability and the excitement of high growth.
As a member of our team, you’ll have meaningful opportunities to shape priorities and initiatives, influence key strategic decisions, and directly impact our ongoing success.
Whether you’re looking to deepen your technical expertise, explore leadership opportunities, or learn new skills across multiple functions, you’re fully supported in building your career in an environment designed for growth, learning, and shared success.

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