Senior Engineering Manager – Machine Learning Research Tooling & Infrastructure Lead (Remote) – arenaflex

About arenaflex

arenaflex is a global leader in entertainment technology, delivering cutting‑edge streaming experiences to millions of members worldwide. Our mission is to blend creativity with advanced engineering, turning data‑driven insights into unforgettable moments for every viewer. As a pioneer in the machine learning (ML) space, arenaflex invests heavily in research, infrastructure, and tooling that empower our scientists to push the boundaries of personalization, recommendation, and content discovery. Join a forward‑thinking organization where innovation is not just encouraged—it’s expected.

Why This Role Matters

At arenaflex, the success of our ML research programs hinges on the reliability, scalability, and speed of the internal tooling that powers them. As the Engineering Manager for the ML Research Tooling team, you will lead a group of senior engineers who design, build, and maintain the platforms that enable our researchers to experiment faster, iterate smarter, and deliver tangible improvements to the member experience. Your leadership will directly influence the efficiency of groundbreaking research, shaping the future of entertainment for a global audience.

Key Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Mentorship: Recruit, develop, and mentor a high‑performing team of senior and staff engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, and technical excellence.
• Strategic Roadmap Development: Define and own the multi‑year technical vision for ML research tooling, aligning it with broader business objectives and stakeholder priorities.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Partner closely with ML research leads, product managers, and data scientists to identify friction points, gather requirements, and translate them into robust engineering solutions.
• Architecture & Design: Guide the design of distributed, high‑throughput systems that support parallel and distributed computing workloads, ensuring low latency and high availability.
• Tooling & Platform Delivery: Oversee the development of internal build systems (e.g., Bazel, Buck, Pants), runtime environments, and CI/CD pipelines that accelerate research cycles.
• Performance Optimization: Drive initiatives to improve code quality, reduce technical debt, and enhance the overall developer experience for researchers and engineers.
• Operational Excellence: Implement monitoring, alerting, and incident response processes to maintain platform reliability and rapid recovery from failures.
• Innovation Advocacy: Champion emerging technologies, best practices, and open‑source contributions that can elevate arenaflex’s research capabilities.
• Budget & Resource Management: Manage engineering budgets, resource allocation, and hiring plans to meet project timelines and strategic goals.

Essential Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of experience as an Engineering Manager or equivalent leadership role, with a proven track record of delivering complex software systems.
• Strong software development expertise in at least one production language such as Python, Scala, Java, or C++.
• Hands‑on experience with parallel and distributed computing frameworks (e.g., Spark, Ray, Dask).
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and conflict‑resolution skills.

Preferred Qualifications (Not Required)

• 4 + years of experience as an Engineering Manager, with 10 + years of overall industry experience.
• Prior leadership of a developer tools or infrastructure team, preferably within a research‑intensive environment.
• Experience configuring and extending build systems such as Bazel, Buck, or Pants, including custom rule development.
• Familiarity with ML frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX, or similar, and an understanding of how tooling interacts with these ecosystems.
• Track record of contributing to open‑source projects or internal tooling initiatives that have been adopted organization‑wide.

Core Skills & Competencies

• Technical Vision: Ability to anticipate future research needs and design platforms that scale accordingly.
• People Management: Coaching, performance management, and career development for senior technical talent.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Working effectively with data scientists, product owners, and senior leadership.
• Problem Solving: Systematic approach to diagnosing performance bottlenecks and delivering pragmatic solutions.
• Agile Methodologies: Experience with Scrum, Kanban, or other iterative development processes.
• Security & Compliance: Understanding of data privacy, security best practices, and compliance requirements in a large‑scale environment.

Career Growth & Learning Opportunities

arenaflex invests heavily in the professional development of its employees. In this role, you will have access to:

• Executive mentorship programs that connect you with senior leaders in AI, product, and engineering.
• Annual conference budgets for attending industry events such as NeurIPS, ICML, and O'Reilly Strata.
• Internal technical talks, hackathons, and innovation days that encourage experimentation and knowledge sharing.
• Tuition reimbursement for advanced degrees or certifications related to machine learning, distributed systems, or leadership.
• A clear promotion pathway from Engineering Manager to Director of Research Infrastructure, and eventually to VP of Engineering, based on impact and leadership.

Work Environment & Culture at arenaflex

Our remote‑first culture is built on trust, autonomy, and a shared commitment to excellence. Key aspects of life at arenaflex include:

• Flexibility: Choose your own work hours and location while staying connected through regular virtual stand‑ups, quarterly in‑person meetups, and collaborative tools.
• Inclusive Community: Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for underrepresented voices, diversity training, and a zero‑tolerance policy for discrimination.
• Innovation‑Driven Atmosphere: Teams are encouraged to allocate 15 % of their time to exploratory projects that could become the next breakthrough in entertainment technology.
• Health & Well‑Being: Comprehensive mental‑health resources, virtual fitness classes, and a generous paid‑time‑off policy.
• Recognition Programs: Quarterly awards, peer‑nominated accolades, and public shout‑outs for outstanding contributions.

Compensation, Perks & Benefits

arenaflex offers a competitive total rewards package designed to attract and retain top talent:

• Base salary aligned with market benchmarks for senior engineering leadership roles.
• Annual performance bonus tied to individual, team, and company outcomes.
• Equity grants that provide ownership in arenaflex’s long‑term success.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents.
• Retirement savings plans with company matching contributions.
• Generous parental leave, adoption assistance, and flexible family‑care options.
• Home office stipend, high‑speed internet reimbursement, and ergonomic equipment allowances.
• Professional development budget, conference travel, and access to a curated library of technical resources.

How to Apply

If you are ready to lead a world‑class engineering team, shape the future of ML research tooling, and make a measurable impact on millions of members worldwide, we want to hear from you. Submit your application through the link below and include a cover letter that highlights your leadership philosophy, technical achievements, and why arenaflex’s mission resonates with you.

Apply Job!

Join arenaflex and Build the Tools That Power Tomorrow’s Entertainment

At arenaflex, your work will be seen by every member who streams a show, discovers a new genre, or enjoys a personalized recommendation. By leading the ML Research Tooling team, you will empower the brightest minds in AI to innovate faster, iterate smarter, and deliver experiences that delight audiences around the globe. Take the next step in your career—apply today and become a catalyst for change at arenaflex.