Senior Manager, Technical Program Management (Search & AI Foundations)

About the Role

Airbnb's mission is to create a world where people can Belong Anywhere. We're looking to add a technical, hands-on, and mission-driven Senior Manager of Technical Program Management (TPM) for the Infrastructure team to lead AI Platforms initiatives spanning Search Relevance, Machine Learning Infrastructure (MLI), and Search Knowledge Infrastructure (SKI). This role partners with engineering and product teams to build and enhance data-driven decision-making across multiple areas at Airbnb.

The Search Relevance, Machine Learning Infrastructure (MLI), and Search Knowledge Infrastructure (SKI) teams power the ranking, recommendations, model infrastructure, and search intelligence capabilities that make up a core part of Airbnb's AI Platforms. This includes Search Ranking for Stays, Experiences, and Services, Home Page Recommendations, Search Bar AutoSuggest and Autocomplete, Marketing Technology, and the ML infrastructure and platform capabilities that support them. The team also creates the fabric for personalization and the underlying model infrastructure used both on and off platform for Airbnb.

You will collaborate with Machine Learning engineers, infrastructure engineers, and product managers to develop holistic solutions ensuring a vibrant and equitable marketplace. This role involves partnering closely with senior ICs and engineering directors on processes, strategy, and execution.

Responsibilities

• Shape and influence the technical direction of projects, ensuring stakeholder needs are met while maintaining high-quality standards.
• Rapidly prototype and validate project ideas through iterative development cycles, adapting based on insights and data.
• Balance broad, outcome-driven thinking with attention to critical details, exercising sound judgment to prioritize deep focus for successful execution.
• Define and secure stakeholder alignment on clear, measurable success criteria to accelerate AI initiatives.
• Regularly assess risks and opportunities, devising proactive mitigation strategies to maintain momentum and project success.
• Maintain transparent and effective communication channels to keep stakeholders informed of progress, developments, and challenges.
• Expertly present outcomes and updates to senior leadership, articulating trade-offs, risks, and emerging opportunities.

Requirements

• 13+ years in a technical program management function, with at least 8 years of experience managing a team of TPMs, fostering a culture of inclusiveness and sustainability.
• Demonstrated experience in search relevance, natural language search, and recommendation systems. Experience with applying GenAI/LLM technologies on search is a plus.
• Ability to work through ambiguity to develop detailed solutions, framing challenges and driving initiatives to completion.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and adaptable to working with teams having different operating cadences.
• Sound business judgment, strong analytical skills, and a track record of taking ownership, leading data-driven analyses, and influencing results.
• Experience with ML models, LLMs, LRMs, feature development, model testing, and resource management to support AI-powered product experiences.
• Familiarity with A/B testing, incremental delivery, and deployment.
• Ability to ramp up quickly and learn new technologies with minimal lag time.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders.

Location

This position is US-Remote Eligible. You must live in a state where Airbnb, Inc. has a registered entity. The role may include occasional work at an Airbnb office or attendance at offsites, as agreed with your manager.

Pay

Pay Range: $232,000—$282,000 USD. The actual base pay is dependent on factors such as training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs, and market demands. This role may also be eligible for bonus, equity, benefits, and Employee Travel Credits.