Staff Engineer Tech Lead Manager, ML Acceleration

We are seeking an experienced and visionary Principle Level Tech Lead Manager to build and lead our new Machine Learning (ML) Acceleration team. This pivotal role will drive the strategy, development, and execution of initiatives aimed at significantly accelerating ML model training, reducing the development cycle for new models, and enabling rapid hot-patching for deployed autonomous vehicle services.

About the role

You will be a hands-on leader, blending deep technical expertise in ML systems and performance optimization with strong leadership and people management skills. You will recruit, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Management:
  • Build, lead, and manage a high-performing team of ML and infrastructure engineers focused on acceleration.
  • Provide technical guidance, mentorship, and career development opportunities to team members.
  • Foster a collaborative and inclusive team environment.
  • Define team goals, priorities, and roadmap in alignment with company objectives.
• Technical Strategy & Execution:
  • Define the technical vision and strategy for ML acceleration across the organization.
  • Identify and evaluate cutting-edge technologies and methodologies for speeding up ML training, including data pipeline optimization, large-scale distributed training, data loader optimization, hardware acceleration, and model optimization techniques.
  • Design, develop, and implement scalable and efficient ML acceleration solutions.
• Cross-functional Collaboration:
  • Collaborate closely with ML research, ML Training platform, and product teams to understand their needs and integrate acceleration solutions seamlessly.
  • Communicate complex technical concepts and strategies to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Act as a technical expert and advocate for ML acceleration initiatives across the company.
• Impact & Measurement:
  • Regularly measure and report on the impact of acceleration efforts.
  • Continuously seek opportunities for further optimization and innovation.

Requirements

• Experience:
  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
  • 8+ years of experience in software engineering, with at least 5+ years focused on Machine Learning systems and model performance optimization.
  • 3+ years of experience in a technical lead or management role, with a proven track record of building and leading high-performing teams.
  • Extensive experience with large-scale ML model training and deployment, ideally in a production environment.
  • Strong understanding of distributed systems and cloud computing platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure).
• Technical Skills:
  • Deep expertise in ML frameworks such as PyTorch or JAX.
  • Proficiency in performance profiling and optimization techniques for Deep Neural Networks.
  • Strong programming skills in Python; C++ experience is a plus.
  • Knowledge of MLOps principles and practices.
• Leadership Skills:
  • Exceptional leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
  • Ability to attract, hire, and retain top engineering talent.
  • Proven ability to drive complex technical projects from conception to completion.
  • Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive, results-oriented mindset.
  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Pay

The salary range for this role is $172,000 USD - $229,000 USD. This range is based on a wide range of compensation factors including specific skills, experience, expertise, role location, certifications, licenses, and business needs. The estimated range reflects base salary only. This role may include additional forms of compensation such as a bonus or company equity. The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about specific compensation and benefit details during the hiring process.

Benefits

Candidates for this position are eligible to participate in Motional’s benefits program, which includes:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• 401k with a company match.
• Health savings accounts.
• Life insurance.
• Pet insurance.
• And more.