Datadog's Applied AI group is building the AI capabilities that transform how users interact with our platform. Our Natural Language Query (NLQ) and Command-I (Cmd-I) teams are at the forefront of this transformation, enabling users to query telemetry data, investigate production issues, and configure Datadog through natural language and intelligent conversational agents.
As an Engineering Manager I in Applied AI, you will lead a team of engineers and applied scientists building natural language interfaces and conversational AI systems. Your teams will work on challenges spanning LLM-powered query translation, context-aware retrieval systems, agentic architectures, and evaluation frameworks. You will guide technical execution, support team growth, and collaborate across engineering, product, and research to deliver AI experiences that fundamentally change how customers use Datadog.
At Datadog, we place value in our office culture, the relationships and collaboration it builds and the creativity it brings. We operate as a hybrid workplace to ensure our Datadogs can create a work-life harmony that best fits them.
What You'll Do
- Lead and develop a team of engineers and applied scientists building NLQ translation systems, conversational agents, or AI-powered interfaces
- Own the delivery of high-quality natural language capabilities, from semantic understanding and contextual retrieval to query generation and agentic reasoning
- Build products that create data flywheels: design systems that capture user intent and feedback to continuously improve model quality and train differentiating capabilities
- Drive evaluation and iteration practices for AI systems, including building offline and online evaluation pipelines to measure quality and detect drift
- Partner with product managers and cross-functional teams to expand AI capabilities across the Datadog platform
- Navigate the unique challenges of shipping LLM-powered products: balancing accuracy, latency, cost, and safety considerations
- Support career growth for engineers through coaching, feedback, and fostering a culture of experimentation, innovation, and learning
- Drive day-to-day execution and promote high standards for operational excellence, system reliability, and technical quality
- Participate in hiring and help shape the future team as the organization grows
- Contribute to cross-team collaboration and knowledge sharing across the broader AI organization
Who You Are
- A technical leader with experience in AI, machine learning, or NLP systems
- Proven experience building and shipping LLM-powered products, conversational AI, or natural language interfaces
- A product builder who thinks beyond features, designing systems that generate data, learn from usage, and compound in value over time
- Experience leading and mentoring engineers; ready to grow into broader leadership responsibilities
- Strong technical expertise in one or more areas: large language models, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), semantic search, agentic systems, deep learning, or NLP
- Comfortable working with Product to break down ambiguous problems, foster an experimental culture and iterate quickly on AI systems where quality is probabilistic
- Familiarity with evaluation methodologies for AI systems, both offline benchmarks and online metrics
- A people-focused manager able to develop and support strong engineering talent in a fast-moving domain
- BS/MS/PhD in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent professional experience
Datadog values people from all walks of life. We understand not everyone will meet all the above qualifications on day one — that's okay. If you're passionate about technology and want to grow your skills, we encourage you to apply.
Benefits and Growth
- New hire stock equity (RSUs) and employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)
- Continuous professional development, product training, and career pathing
- An inclusive company culture with the ability to join Community Guilds (Datadog employee resource groups)
- Free, global Spring Health benefits for employees and dependents age 6+
- Competitive global benefits
- Giving programs
Benefits and Growth listed above may vary based on the country of your employment and the nature of your employment with Datadog.
#LI-Onsite
Datadog offers a competitive salary and equity package, and may include variable compensation. Actual compensation is based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience. In addition, Datadog offers a wide range of best in class, comprehensive and inclusive employee benefits for this role including healthcare, dental, parental planning, and mental health benefits, a 401(k) plan and match, paid time off, fitness reimbursements, and a discounted employee stock purchase plan.
About Datadog:
Datadog (NASDAQ: DDOG) is a global SaaS business, delivering a rare combination of growth and profitability. We are on a mission to break down silos and solve complexity in the cloud age by enabling digital transformation, cloud migration, and infrastructure monitoring of our customers’ entire technology stacks. Built by engineers, for engineers, Datadog is used by organizations of all sizes across a wide range of industries. Together, we champion professional development, diversity of thought, innovation, and work excellence to empower continuous growth. Join the pack and become part of a collaborative, pragmatic, and thoughtful people-first community where we solve tough problems, take smart risks, and celebrate one another. Learn more about #DatadogLife on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Datadog Learning Center.
Equal Opportunity at Datadog:
Datadog is proud to offer equal employment opportunity to everyone regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, veteran status, and other characteristics protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. Here are our Candidate Legal Notices for your reference.
Datadog endeavors to make our Careers Page accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please complete this form. This form is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.
Privacy and AI Guidelines:
Any information you submit to Datadog as part of your application will be processed in accordance with Datadog’s Applicant and Candidate Privacy Notice. For information on our AI policy, please visit Interviewing at Datadog AI Guidelines.
Top Skills
Datadog San Francisco, California, USA Office
We are located in Downtown San Francisco, right across the street from Salesforce Tower. The Ferry Building and Embarcadero are just a few minutes away by foot.
Similar Jobs at Datadog
What you need to know about the San Francisco Tech Scene
Key Facts About San Francisco Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 365,500; 13.9% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Google, Apple, Salesforce, Meta
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fintech, consumer technology, software
- Funding Landscape: $50.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Greylock Partners, Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins
- Research Centers and Universities: Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; University of San Francisco; Santa Clara University; Ames Research Center; Center for AI Safety; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
