Senior Software Engineering Manager, AI & Developer Productivity

Overview

We’re looking for a Senior Engineering Manager to lead our AI Productivity and Developer Experience teams—two core teams responsible for transforming how engineers build software at Instacart.

You’ll oversee high-impact projects like AI-powered code review, LLM tooling, local development platforms, and CI/test automation. Your work will directly improve engineering velocity, reduce friction, and embed AI into daily developer workflows. This role is ideal for someone who thrives at the intersection of infrastructure, product, and AI—and is excited to lead talented teams shaping the future of internal tools at scale.

The Developer Productivity & Platform organization at Instacart builds the tools, systems, and infrastructure that enable engineers to move fast and build with confidence. Within this org, the AI Productivity and Developer Experience teams focus on reshaping how engineers write, review, test, and ship code through world-class internal platforms and cutting-edge AI workflows.

Together, these teams are leading a major shift in how software is built. From AI-powered code review to faster builds and smarter dev environments, they’re responsible for delivering some of the most impactful tools used across all of engineering at Instacart.

About the Job

• Own and drive the roadmap for Instacart’s internal AI tooling and developer platforms, shaping how hundreds of engineers write, test, and ship code every day.
• Lead two high-impact teams (AI Productivity & Developer Experience) focused on systems like AI-powered PR review agents, LLM gateways, CI/test performance, and local development environments.
• Partner with senior engineers, TPMs, and leaders across Infrastructure, Machine Learning, and Product to drive alignment and adoption across engineering teams.
• Navigate ambiguity, shifting priorities, and high expectations—this role requires clear prioritization and robust execution under pressure in a fast-paced, complex environment.
• Build and grow a high-performing, mission-driven team that thrives on impact, iteration, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with AI in software development.

About You
Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years of engineering management experience, with at least 2+ years leading teams in infrastructure, AI/ML, or developer tooling.
• Strong product instincts—capable of balancing technical depth with usability and organizational adoption.
• Strong technical background, with experience engaging in architectural reviews, driving technical direction, and making informed tradeoffs.
• Hands-on experience building or integrating AI/LLM-based tools into production systems or internal developer platforms.
• Proven ability to lead high-impact teams, deliver complex engineering projects, and drive the adoption of internal platforms at scale.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-moving environment with evolving priorities and high expectations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience leading both Developer Experience and AI-focused teams.
• Familiarity with tools like Copilot, Cursor, OpenAI APIs, Glean, or similar platforms.
• Experience managing relationships with AI or infrastructure vendors and evaluating platform partnerships.
• Experience scaling developer productivity across 100+ engineers in a high-growth environment.

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