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Engineering Manager, Data

cartesia

OnSite *HQ - San Francisco, CA
Engineering Data

Job Score

90 pts
On-site model (+70) Engineering (+10) Data (+10)

About Cartesia

Our mission is to architect AI that learns from and interacts with the world like humans do.

We're pioneering the model architectures that will make this possible. Our founding team met as PhDs at the Stanford AI Lab, where we invented State Space Models or SSMs, a new primitive for training efficient, large-scale foundation models. Our team combines deep expertise in model innovation and systems engineering paired with a design-minded product engineering team to build and ship cutting edge models and experiences.

We're funded by leading investors at Index Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners, along with Factory, Conviction, A Star, General Catalyst, SV Angel, Databricks and others. We're fortunate to have the support of many amazing advisors, and 90+ angels across many industries, including the world's foremost experts in AI.

About the Role

At Cartesia, the quality of our models is inseparable from the quality of our data. As we push the frontier of real-time multimodal AI, we're looking for a leader to own the systems, datasets, and research that make our training data exceptional.

You'll lead our Data team, responsible for three tightly connected areas:

  • Data infrastructure — web-scale processing and storage that keeps petabytes of multimodal data flowing reliably to the teams that depend on it.

  • State-of-the-art pre-training datasets — building the multimodal annotation models that understand who said what, when, and how, and curating the data mixes that shape model behavior.

  • Data-centric modeling — training and evaluating models to understand what actually makes data good, and turning those insights into better datasets.

You'll start by managing a team of 6–8 spanning core data infrastructure and individual modeling efforts, and grow it toward ~12 as our ambitions scale. This is a role for someone who has done this before: built and led a data team, shipped data at the scale modern models demand, and knows the difference between infrastructure that works in a demo and infrastructure that works at web scale.

Your Impact

  • Lead and grow a high-caliber team of data infrastructure engineers and data-focused researchers, splitting focus between shared infra and dedicated modeling teams.

  • Set the technical direction for how Cartesia processes, stores, and serves multimodal data at web scale.

  • Drive the creation of SOTA multimodal pre-training datasets — including the annotation models and curation strategies that determine what our models learn.

  • Establish a rigorous, empirical approach to data quality: training and evaluating models specifically to understand what makes data valuable, and feeding that back into dataset decisions.

  • Partner closely with our modeling and research teams to make sure data work translates directly into better models.

  • Hire, mentor, and develop engineers and researchers as the team scales from a handful of people to a full organization.

What You Bring

  • Proven management experience, including directly leading a data team of at least 6 people.

  • Hands-on familiarity with data infrastructure at scale — processing, storage, and the systems that make large-scale data usable.

  • A track record of building and leading data efforts, ideally in the context of a modeling project.

Nice-To-Haves

  • Previous modeling experience

  • Experience building data for a generative modeling organization.

  • Familiarity with multimodal data (audio, speech, and beyond).

Note: Cartesia participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with Form I-9 information to confirm employment eligibility after hire.

More Details

🏢 In-office policy: We’re an in-person team based out of offices in 🇺🇸 San Francisco, 🇬🇧 London and 🇮🇳 Bangalore. We love being in the office, hanging out together, and learning from each other every day.

🌎 Visa sponsorship: We provide visa sponsorship support and assess each circumstance on a case-by-case basis. However, visa sponsorship is dependent on many factors, including the role you are applying for, and the location you are going to be based, and so we can't always guarantee success. Your Recruiter will work with you to understand your visa sponsorship needs from the first call.

🚢 We ship fast. All of our work is novel and cutting edge, and execution speed is paramount. We have a high bar, and we don’t sacrifice quality or design along the way.

🤝 We support each other. We have an open & inclusive culture that’s focused on giving everyone the resources they need to succeed.

Our Benefits (US Employees Only)

💰 Compensation Competitive base salary alongside attractive equity package.

🩺 Health Insurance Fully covered medical insurance along with dental and vision for you and your family.

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Parental Leave 9 weeks paternity & 12 weeks maternity leave

🏦 401(k)

🚆 Commuter Allowance A monthly stipend to help you get to and from the office.

🏖️ Flexible PTO Take as much time as you need to recharge your batteries.

🍲 Meals & Snacks Lunch, dinner and plenty of snacks, provided daily.

🦖 Your own personal Yoshi

Our Commitment to Equal Opportunity

Cartesia is an equal opportunity employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status.

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About Data

The Data field has undergone a radical transformation with the rise of Generative AI. Data professionals are fundamental for evidence-based decision-making across all industries.

Key specializations include Data Engineering, Data Science, Business Intelligence, Machine Learning Engineering, and Analytics. Tools like SQL, Python, Spark, dbt, and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) are essential.

The data market continues with high demand and salaries among the most competitive in the technology sector, with many remote work opportunities.

About Engineering

Software Engineering goes beyond traditional development, focusing on scalability, performance, and system architecture. Software engineers are responsible for designing infrastructures that support millions of simultaneous users.

Skills include microservices architecture, DevOps, cloud computing, application security, and performance optimization. Knowledge of containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and CI/CD is increasingly required.

Senior software engineers are rare and highly compensated professionals, with opportunities at major global tech companies.

Discover Other Areas

Understand the scope of work, key skills, and tools used in different career areas.

About Human Resources

The Human Resources area is responsible for all people management in organizations, from attracting and selecting talent to developing, retaining, and ensuring employee well-being. HR professionals are fundamental to building strong organizational cultures and engagement.

Key skills include recruitment and selection, compensation and benefits management, learning and development (L&D), organizational climate, employee engagement, labor law, labor relations, and HR tools (Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, Bamboo HR). Knowledge of people analytics and data-driven HR is a differentiator.

HR professionals in technology companies are highly valued, especially those who master employer branding, people analytics, and talent retention strategies. The field offers opportunities from HR analyst to Chief People Officer, with a focus on culture, engagement, and people growth.

About Frontend

The Frontend area is responsible for creating the visual interfaces that users interact with on websites and web applications. Frontend professionals combine technical skills with design to deliver intuitive, responsive, and accessible digital experiences.

Key skills include HTML, CSS, JavaScript/TypeScript, frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue, build tools (Webpack, Vite), CSS (Tailwind, Sass), testing (Jest, Cypress), and knowledge of web performance and accessibility (WCAG). Familiarity with design systems and reusable components is a differentiator.

Frontend developers in technology companies are highly valued, especially those who master React, Next.js, web performance, and accessibility. The field offers opportunities from junior developer to frontend architect, with a focus on user experience, performance, and code quality.

About Business Intelligence

Business Intelligence (BI) is the area responsible for transforming raw data into strategic information for decision-making. BI professionals build dashboards, reports, and analyses that help companies understand their performance and identify growth opportunities.

Key skills include data modeling (star schema, snowflake), ETL (extraction, transformation, loading), advanced SQL, BI tools (Power BI, Tableau, Looker), data warehousing, KPIs, and business metrics analysis (MRR, churn, cohort). Knowledge of dbt, Airflow, and data pipelines is a differentiator.

BI professionals in technology companies are highly valued, especially those who master data visualization, analytics engineering, and can translate complex data into actionable insights for the business. The field offers opportunities from BI analyst to head of data, with a focus on data-driven decision making.

About Graphic Designer

The Graphic Designer is the professional responsible for creating visual pieces for print and digital communication, from visual identity and logos to marketing materials and packaging. They combine creativity with technique to convey messages visually and impactfully.

Key skills include Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, CorelDRAW, visual identity design, typography, color theory, packaging design, and motion graphics. Knowledge of vector illustration, offset/digital printing, and print production is a differentiator.

Graphic Designers in technology companies are highly valued, especially those who master social media design, infographics, and can create materials that strengthen brand visual identity. The field offers opportunities from junior graphic designer to art director and design director.

About Tech Recruiter

The Tech Recruiter is a professional specialized in recruiting technology talent, from developers to AI engineers and DevOps professionals. They combine technical knowledge with recruitment skills to evaluate and attract highly qualified candidates.

Key skills include technical screening, analysis of technical profiles (GitHub, portfolios, blogs), knowledge of software stacks and architectures, networking in tech communities and events. Proficiency with tools like LinkedIn Recruiter, Gem, Ashby, and technical assessment platforms is a differentiator.

Tech Recruiters are scarce and highly paid professionals, especially those who can map and access passive talent in competitive markets like AI, data engineering, and cloud computing.

Career Guides

Technology Career Guide

Planning, skills, interviews, and professional growth in IT, Data Science, DevOps, and Product.

Read full guide →

Design Career Guide

UX/UI, Graphic Design, Product Design. Portfolio, tools, interviews, and growth in the Design field.

Read full guide →

Marketing Career Guide

SEO, Paid Media, Growth, Content Marketing. Certifications, tools, and strategies to grow in Digital Marketing.

Read full guide →

Finance Career Guide

Financial market, investments, corporate finance, certifications, and strategies to grow in the financial field.

Read full guide →

Communication Career Guide

Journalism, PR, Corporate Communication, Content Marketing, and Multimedia Production.

Read full guide →

Administration Career Guide

Business Management, HR, Logistics, Consulting, Project Management, and Entrepreneurship.

Read full guide →

Data Career Guide

Data Science, Data Engineering, BI, Machine Learning, and AI. From training to the job market.

Read full guide →

Product Career Guide

Product Management, Product Ownership, Agile, Scrum, and OKRs. From strategy to execution.

Read full guide →

Tech & Remote Glossary

Stop getting lost in interviews and job descriptions

The job market, especially within tech and global companies, has developed its own dialect. Not understanding these acronyms can make you lose valuable opportunities or poorly negotiate your contract. To end this problem, we created the Definitive Glossary for the Remote Professional.

🏢 Work Models & Routine

Async (Asynchronous Work)
A communication model where responses don't need to be immediate. Instead of back-to-back meetings, the team relies on well-structured documents, threads, and messages. It's the gold standard for global companies spanning multiple time zones.
Sync (Synchronous Work)
The opposite of Async. It requires the team to be online and available at the same time for meetings, live chats, and real-time collaboration.
Daily / Stand-up
A quick daily meeting (usually 15 minutes) common in Agile (Scrum) methodologies. The team answers three questions: What did I do yesterday? What will I do today? Are there any blockers?
All-Hands / Town Hall
A company-wide meeting involving all employees. Usually led by the founders (C-Levels) to present results, new goals, and answer team questions.
1:1 (One-on-One)
A recurring individual meeting between a professional and their direct manager. It is used for career alignment, feedback, and problem-solving, not just for project status updates.

💰 Contracts, Benefits & Compensation

PTO (Paid Time Off)
Instead of strict, categorized leave policies, modern US companies usually offer a flexible pool of days (e.g., 20 days of PTO, or even "Unlimited PTO") that you can use for vacations, sick days, or personal matters, while receiving your regular compensation.
Equity / Stock Options
Company ownership. The startup offers you the right to buy shares at a heavily discounted strike price in the future. If the company grows, goes public, or is acquired, these shares can be highly lucrative.
Vesting (Vesting Schedule)
The rule that controls your Equity. It usually lasts 4 years. You don't get all the shares on day one; you "earn" them gradually as you stay with the company. A "1-year Cliff" means you must stay for at least one year to receive your first batch of shares.
RSUs (Restricted Stock Units)
Unlike Stock Options (where you have the right to buy the stock), RSUs are actual shares the company grants you as a bonus or part of your compensation package, following a strict Vesting schedule.
Independent Contractor (1099 / B2B)
The most common international hiring model for global talent working for US companies. You act as a service provider (business-to-business), receiving the gross salary (often six-figure compensation) without standard local payroll tax deductions at the source.

🤖 Recruitment & Hiring Process

ATS (Applicant Tracking System)
The "robot" that reads your resume. Software like Greenhouse, Ashby, and Workday are used to filter candidates by keywords before a human even looks at the document. (Pro tip: this is why your resume must be clean, semantic, and have the right keywords).
JD (Job Description)
The document that lists the responsibilities, technical requirements, and benefits of the open position.
Cultural Fit
The interview stage that evaluates if your core values, communication style, and worldview align with the company's culture. This is the ultimate test of your Soft Skills.
Onboarding
The integration process. It's the period of your first few weeks at the company, where you get your access credentials, learn about the culture, study the internal documentation, and understand how the product works.

🚀 How to use this to your advantage?

The secret isn't just knowing what these acronyms mean, but using them actively. If during an interview for a premium tech role you ask, "How does your PTO policy and Vesting schedule work?", the recruiter will immediately perceive you as a high-level professional, familiar with the global market standards.

The remote job market requires preparation. And having the right vocabulary is the first big step to securing six-figure proposals and standing out among thousands of applicants.

Expert Tip

Data-Driven: How Data Defines Company Success or Failure

The Data-Driven Era: How Data Culture Defines Company Success or Failure

Published by Mondywork | Category: Data / Business Intelligence

The End of Corporate Gut Feeling

In the past, major business decisions were made based on intuition, previous experience, or the famous "gut feeling" of directors (what the market refers to as the HiPPO - Highest Paid Person's Opinion). Today, however, in a highly competitive and globalized corporate ecosystem, relying on guesswork is the fastest recipe for bankruptcy.

Digital transformation didn't just connect processes; it generated a massive volume of information. The companies that thrive are those that know how to capture, clean, and transform this raw data into actionable insights.

"Data-driven organizations are 23 times more likely to acquire customers, six times as likely to retain those customers, and 19 times as likely to be profitable as a result."
McKinsey Global Institute Study

What Does it Mean to Have a Data-Driven Culture?

Being Data-Driven doesn't just mean subscribing to expensive Analytics tools or having a beautiful dashboard on the office wall. It's a fundamental shift in organizational culture, where truth is sought in the numbers before any action is executed.

  • Predictability: Predictive models allow companies to forecast market trends, customer churn, and operational bottlenecks before they happen.
  • Risk Mitigation: Decisions based on statistics drastically reduce the margin of error in investments and new product launches.
  • Personalization at Scale: Behavioral analysis enables marketing to deliver exactly what the user wants, right when they have the highest propensity to buy.

The Impact of Business Intelligence (BI) and Big Data

To extract the true value from information, companies are building robust Business Intelligence (BI) and Big Data departments. ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes, Data Lakes architecture, and the mastery of software like Power BI and Tableau have become the backbone of top-tier US startups and unicorns.

The Harvard Business Review has repeatedly highlighted that the professional who can translate complex data into business language is a modern corporation's most valuable asset. It's not enough to have the data; you must know how to tell a story with it (Data Storytelling).

The Job Market: The Hunt for Data Talent

With this paradigm shift, the demand for Data Engineers, BI Analysts, Data Scientists, and Analytics Engineers has skyrocketed. International companies—especially in the US and Europe—are aggressively hiring global professionals for 100% US Remote roles, offering highly competitive six-figure compensation packages.

For these companies, which use rigorous Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS like Ashby, Workday, and Greenhouse), the ideal candidate is one who seamlessly blends technical mastery (SQL, Python, DAX) with a sharp business acumen.


References and Recommended Reading

  • McKinsey & Company: The data-driven enterprise of 2025.
  • Harvard Business Review: How to Build a Data-Driven Culture.
  • Gartner: Top Trends in Data and Analytics.

Master the art of turning data into revenue?

The best US startups and global tech companies are actively looking for analytical professionals like you, offering remote roles with premium compensation. Don't miss out on the top Data, BI, and Machine Learning opportunities in the market.