Scale Engineer

Systems Engineering Manager

Engineering Manager · Manager · Full Time

New YorkUSD 250k – 350k6mo ago
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Role

What you'll do.

Modal is seeking an experienced Systems Engineering Manager to lead a high-performance team developing cutting-edge AI infrastructure solutions. The ideal candidate will combine strong technical expertise in distributed systems with exceptional leadership skills, driving innovation in cloud computing and performance optimization.

Responsibilities

  • Team Leadership: Lead a group of highly experienced engineers, setting technical direction and removing organizational blockers
  • Technical Contribution: Spend approximately 50% of time on direct technical work, contributing to complex systems development
  • Engineering Culture: Foster a strong engineering culture that emphasizes technical excellence, rapid iteration, and impactful problem-solving
  • Strategic Planning: Develop and implement strategies for distributed computing, large-scale data handling, and performance optimization

Qualifications

What we look for.

Technical

  • Distributed Systems

    Proven experience building high-performance distributed systems at large scale

  • Cloud Infrastructure

    Strong background in cloud infrastructure and serverless computing technologies

  • Systems Programming

    Proficiency in systems-level languages including Rust, C, C++, or Java

  • Operating Systems

    Deep knowledge of low-level operating system foundations including Linux kernel, file systems, and container technologies

Education

  • Technical Degree

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

Experience

  • Industry Experience

    Minimum of 10 years of industry experience, including 3+ years in a leadership role

  • Leadership Skills

    Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and develop high-performing engineering teams

Skills

Required

  • Distributed Systems

    Expert-level understanding of distributed computing architectures

  • Leadership

    Strong people management and technical leadership capabilities

  • Systems Programming

    Advanced proficiency in low-level systems programming languages

Preferred

  • Open Source Contributions

    Nice to have

    Experience with or contributions to open-source infrastructure projects

  • AI Infrastructure

    Nice to have

    Background in AI and machine learning infrastructure development

Tech stack

Languages

RustCC++Java

Tools

KubernetesDocker

Other

Linux

Compensation

Pay and benefits.

Base·USD 250,000 – 350,000

Equity·Stock options

Benefits

  • Equity

    Stock options in a high-growth AI infrastructure startup valued at $1.1B

  • Professional Growth

    Opportunities to work with creators of popular open-source projects and experienced engineering leaders

  • Innovative Environment

    Join a fast-growing AI infrastructure organization at an early stage with significant growth potential

Process

Interview steps.

  1. 01

    Initial Screening

    Phone or video call with recruiting team to assess initial fit

  2. 02

    Technical Leadership Interview

    In-depth discussion of technical leadership experience and management approach

  3. 03

    Systems Design Interview

    Technical interview focusing on distributed systems design and problem-solving

  4. 04

    Team Fit Interview

    Meeting with potential team members to assess cultural and collaborative fit

  5. 05

    Final Leadership Discussion

    Conversation with senior leadership to align on role expectations and company vision

Full posting

Original listing.

About Us:

Modal provides the infrastructure foundation for AI teams. With instant GPU access, sub-second container startups, and native storage, Modal makes it simple to train models, run batch jobs, and serve low-latency inference. We have thousands of customers who rely on us for production AI workloads, including Lovable, Scale AI, Substack, and Suno.

We're a fast-growing team based out of NYC, SF, and Stockholm. We've hit 9-figure ARR and recently raised a Series B at a $1.1B valuation. Our investors include Lux Capital, Redpoint Ventures, Amplify Partners, and Elad Gil.

Working at Modal means joining one of the fastest-growing AI infrastructure organizations at an early stage, with many opportunities to grow within the company. Our team includes creators of popular open-source projects (e.g. Seaborn, Luigi), academic researchers, international olympiad medalists, and experienced engineering and product leaders with decades of experience.

The Role:

We’re looking for an Engineering Manager to lead a group of highly experienced engineers. This is a hands-on leadership role where you’ll spend roughly half your time on technical contribution and half on people management, depending on the need. You’ll work closely with the team to set direction, remove blockers, and foster a strong engineering culture as they tackle complex systems challenges in distributed computing, large-scale data handling, and performance optimization.

Who You Are
We think you are an experienced engineering leader who thrives close to the work and enjoys building alongside their team when needed. You earn trust through technical depth, communicate with clarity, and help great engineers move fast and make sound decisions. You thrive in a fast paced environment, you are pragmatic, calm under pressure, and focused on impact.

Requirements:

  • At least 10 years of industry experience, including 3 years experience in a leadership role

  • Experience building high-performance distributed systems at a large scale

  • Strong background in cloud infrastructure

  • Strong knowledge of low-level operating system foundations (Linux kernel, file systems, containers, etc.)

  • Proficient in systems-level languages such as Rust, C, C++, or Java

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