Engineering Manager, Desktop

Cursor3 weeks ago

Location

San Francisco

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 200,000 – 350,000

Level

Manager

Role

Engineering Manager

Posted

May 4, 2026

Full TimeManager

The role

Summary

Cursor is seeking an experienced Engineering Manager to lead their Desktop team, responsible for developing a cutting-edge AI-powered developer tool. The ideal candidate will drive technical excellence, shape product strategy, and lead a high-performing team in creating an innovative desktop application used by millions of developers.

What you'll do

Desktop Client Leadership: Own the execution and quality of the Cursor desktop client across UI, features, and architecture

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with product, design, and platform teams to deliver integrated user experiences spanning agents and core app workflows

Engineering Excellence: Set and maintain high standards for engineering performance, reliability, and maintainability

Team Development: Hire and grow the team by sourcing, interviewing, and closing top full-stack engineering talent

Product Innovation: Support and drive feature development including async subagents, agent multitasking, and enhanced local/cloud integration

What we look for

Technical

Software ArchitectureProven experience in designing and maintaining high-performance web or desktop application architectures

Development ExpertiseStrong software engineering fundamentals with ability to review code, debug complex issues, and evaluate architectural proposals

Performance OptimizationDeep understanding of performance tuning, reliability engineering, and developer experience optimization

Education

Advanced DegreeBachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field preferred

Experience

Team LeadershipDemonstrated experience leading engineering teams in high-performance software development environments

Product ManagementTrack record of balancing technical execution speed with long-term system quality and user experience

Skills

Required skills

Team LeadershipAbility to lead and motivate high-performing engineering teams

Cross-Functional CommunicationStrong partnership skills across engineering, product, design, and infrastructure teams

Nice to have

AI Developer ToolsExperience with AI-driven developer productivity tools and platforms

Desktop Application DevelopmentExpertise in building complex desktop applications with high performance and user experience

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 200,000 – 350,000 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Innovative Work Environment

Opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI developer tools with a talented, collaborative team

Professional Growth

Chance to shape the future of developer productivity and AI-enhanced coding

Interview process

1
Initial Screening — Initial review of application and background
2
Interview Rounds — 2-3 interviews to assess technical and leadership capabilities
3
Onsite Assessment — In-office project work, idea discussions, and team meetings