Senior Engineering Manager - Cortex AI Functions at Snowflake (Warsaw, Poland)

Snowflake is revolutionizing the enterprise AI landscape by converging cutting-edge research with large-scale engineering capabilities into a unified platform. The Cortex AI Functions team is at the heart of this initiative, responsible for pioneering, launching, and scaling Snowflake’s most advanced AI technologies.

Our team has developed innovations such as Arctic-TILT and Arctic-Extract, as well as the broader Cortex AI Functions suite. We are making significant strides in text understanding, extraction architectures, retrieval augmentation, and domain-adaptive fine-tuning. We specialize in creating new model architectures, training methodologies, evaluation strategies, and scaling techniques, which are seamlessly integrated into Cortex, enabling customers to leverage state-of-the-art AI through a single SQL function.

Beyond research, the Cortex AI Functions team is also responsible for the engineering aspects that bring these innovations to life across the Snowflake platform. We develop high-performance serving layers, microservice architectures, data pipelines, and reliability frameworks that ensure our models operate at enterprise scale with consistent latency, robust governance, and optimized cost.

This role is perfect for individuals who thrive at the intersection of research and engineering. As a Senior Engineering Manager, you will guide foundational research, influence model architecture direction, and lead engineering teams to deliver production-ready AI systems that impact thousands of customers. If you are passionate about setting scientific vision and shipping robust systems at scale, Cortex AI Functions offers a uniquely rewarding environment to do both.

Role Overview

As the Senior Engineering Manager for Cortex AI Functions, you will be responsible for leading a team of talented engineers, researchers, and managers in developing and deploying cutting-edge AI technologies at scale. You will play a critical role in shaping the technical vision, driving execution, and ensuring the delivery of high-impact AI capabilities that empower Snowflake customers.

A Day in the Life

Your day might include:

• Meeting with your team to discuss project progress, address challenges, and provide guidance.
• Collaborating with researchers and product managers to define execution plans and align on milestones.
• Participating in technical design reviews and providing feedback on architectural decisions.
• Interviewing and hiring exceptional talent to grow the AI Functions team.
• Working with cross-functional teams to ensure the seamless integration of AI features into the Snowflake platform.
• Analyzing production issues and developing solutions to prevent future occurrences.
• Presenting updates on team progress and accomplishments to senior leadership.
• Exploring new AI technologies and identifying opportunities for innovation.

Why Warsaw, Poland?

Warsaw is a vibrant and growing tech hub in Central Europe, offering a high quality of life, a talented workforce, and a supportive ecosystem for innovation. Snowflake's presence in Warsaw provides access to a diverse talent pool and allows us to tap into the region's growing expertise in AI and machine learning. Poland's membership in the European Union also facilitates collaboration and access to markets across Europe.

Career Path

This role offers a clear path for career advancement within Snowflake. You can grow into a Director of Engineering, leading larger and more complex organizations. There are also opportunities to specialize in specific areas of AI, such as natural language processing or computer vision, or to move into a more strategic role, such as a VP of Engineering. Snowflake is committed to providing its employees with the resources and support they need to reach their full potential.

Salary & Benefits

Snowflake offers a competitive salary and benefits package, including:

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
• Generous paid time off and holidays
• Employee stock purchase plan
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Paid parental leave
• Professional development budget
• Wellness programs
• Company-sponsored events and activities

Innovation Culture

Snowflake fosters a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning. We encourage our employees to experiment with new technologies, challenge the status quo, and push the boundaries of what's possible. We provide a supportive environment where employees can take risks, learn from their mistakes, and grow both personally and professionally.

How to Apply

If you are a passionate and experienced engineering leader with a strong background in AI and a desire to make a significant impact, we encourage you to apply for the Senior Engineering Manager - Cortex AI Functions position in Warsaw, Poland. Please submit your resume and cover letter through the Snowflake careers website.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is Snowflake's approach to AI?

   Snowflake is unifying frontier research and large-scale engineering into a single platform to redefine enterprise AI.

2. What are Cortex AI Functions?

   Cortex AI Functions are Snowflake’s most advanced AI technologies, enabling customers to leverage state-of-the-art AI with a single SQL function.

3. What kind of impact can I have in this role?

   You will be directly impacting thousands of customers by helping to deliver production-ready AI systems at scale.

4. What is the team's focus?

   The team focuses on innovating and deploying AI technologies in text understanding, extraction architectures, retrieval augmentation, and domain-adaptive fine-tuning.

5. What kind of engineering challenges does the team tackle?

   The team builds high-performance serving layers, microservice architectures, data pipelines, and reliability frameworks for AI models.

6. What is the work environment like at Snowflake?

   Snowflake has a culture that’s all in on impact, innovation, and collaboration.

7. What are the key responsibilities of this role?

   Championing developer productivity, managing a team of engineers and researchers, recruiting talent, and partnering with other teams to deliver AI features.

8. What skills are important for this role?

   Software engineering management, AI/ML model deployment, microservice architecture, data pipelines, team leadership, recruiting, and communication.

9. What are the career growth opportunities?

   Opportunities to grow into a Director of Engineering, specialize in specific AI areas, or move into a more strategic leadership role.

10. Why is Warsaw a good location for this role?

    Warsaw is a growing tech hub with a talented workforce, a supportive ecosystem for innovation, and access to markets across Europe.