Role Overview

In this pivotal position reporting to Zapier's CPTO, you'll lead AI engineering execution across our build organization while partnering closely with the Director of Product - AI. Zapier is at the forefront of making automation accessible to everyone, and your leadership will power AI-driven workflows that transform how businesses operate.

Zapier powers over 7,000+ app integrations and serves 3M+ users who automate 1B+ tasks monthly. As Sr. Director of Applied AI Engineering, you'll bridge the gap between bleeding-edge AI research and practical, customer-facing products. Expect to ship LLM-powered features, optimize AI orchestration at scale, and build the engineering culture that keeps Zapier ahead in the AI revolution.

This is a fully remote role for NAMER-based candidates, perfect for senior AI leaders seeking high-impact work with work-life balance. Join a company obsessed with efficiency, creativity, and making work more human.

Key Responsibilities

1. Lead and grow multiple engineering squads focused on AI orchestration and applied ML solutions.
2. Drive end-to-end AI engineering execution from concept to production deployment.
3. Ship user-facing products powered by LLMs, including agentic workflows and intelligent automation.
4. Architect scalable AI systems that integrate seamlessly with Zapier's 7,000+ app ecosystem.
5. Partner with Product leadership to align technical strategy with business objectives.
6. Mentor engineering managers and individual contributors in best practices for applied AI.
7. Make pragmatic architecture decisions balancing innovation speed with production reliability.
8. Implement MLOps pipelines for continuous model training, evaluation, and deployment.
9. Champion responsible AI practices, including bias mitigation and transparent model usage.
10. Collaborate with CPTO to define Zapier's AI technology roadmap and investment priorities.
11. Measure AI feature success through customer adoption, retention, and business metrics.
12. Foster cross-functional relationships across engineering, product, design, and data science teams.
13. Stay at the forefront of AI advancements (LLMs, multimodal models, agentic systems) and apply them strategically.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate combines deep AI expertise with proven engineering leadership. You should demonstrate:

• 10+ years in software engineering, with 5+ years leading AI/ML teams.
• Hands-on experience shipping production LLM features (ChatGPT integrations, RAG systems, etc.).
• Expertise in ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face) and cloud AI services.
• Track record managing 20+ engineers across multiple squads.
• Strong systems design skills for distributed AI workloads.
• Experience navigating AI ambiguity and making high-stakes technical decisions.
• Passion for applied AI that solves real customer problems.
• Excellent communication for executive presentations and team motivation.

Bonus: Experience with workflow automation, no-code platforms, or agentic AI systems.

Salary & Benefits

Salary Range: $280,000 - $380,000 USD base (depending on experience) + equity + comprehensive benefits.

Zapier offers industry-leading compensation including:

• Unlimited PTO with recharge days
• Fully remote work with home office stipend
• Top-tier health insurance (100% premiums covered)
• 401(k) with 4% match
• $2,000+ annual learning budget
• Generous parental leave (16 weeks)
• Wellness stipend and mental health support
• Company retreats and team offsites

Why Join Zapier?

Zapier isn't just another automation company—it's the backbone of modern business workflows. Here's why top AI talent chooses us:

• Massive Scale: 3M+ customers, 1B+ monthly tasks automated.
• AI-First Culture: We're building the future of intelligent automation.
• True Remote Work: Work from anywhere in NAMER with async-first principles.
• Impact Ownership: Lead AI initiatives that reach millions immediately.
• Growth Opportunities: Clear paths to VP/CTO roles for proven leaders.
• Transparent Culture: Check our Culture & Values page.

Recent AI achievements include LLM-powered Zap creation, intelligent app recommendations, and agentic workflow orchestration—your leadership will take us further.

How to Apply

Ready to lead Zapier's AI engineering revolution? Follow these steps:

1. Review our AI Collaboration Guidelines (we love AI tools used transparently!).
2. Submit your resume and a cover letter explaining your applied AI leadership vision.
3. Complete our short application (5 minutes max).
4. Expect 1-2 week response time with transparent hiring process.

Zapier is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity. We encourage applications from underrepresented backgrounds in tech.

Don't miss this chance to shape AI automation at global scale. Apply today!