NerdWallet
Financial Services
SeniorManager,Engineering(AI-ForwardPlatformBuilder,RIA)
Neural analysis suggests this role is
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“Senior Manager, Engineering (AI-Forward Platform Builder, RIA) at NerdWallet. Skills: AI-Forward Platform Builder, AI transformation strategy, building and deploying AI-powered systems in production, hands-on full-stack software engineering skills, leading engineering teams. Lead a small team of engineers, product managers, and designers. run the org as it exists today while actively transforming how it operates tomorrow”
What You'll Achieve.
shipping velocity; output quality; availability, performance, and security standards
Industry & Context.
architect the decision of when to build vs. buy vs. orchestrate; assess AI vendor capabilities critically; choose the right tool for the job, not the trendiest one; Balance the tension between speed and stability
What They're Looking For.
Must Have
6+ years of software engineering experience, 3+ years managing an engineering team, Demonstrated ability to operate at a Staff-level technical depth alongside management responsibilities, Demonstrated history of building and deploying AI-powered systems in production, Deep, hands-on familiarity with the current AI tooling landscape, Hands-on full-stack software engineering skills with experience in modern web systems, Genuine hacker mentality, business acumen, Proven ability to operate effectively inside a larger, more process-heavy organization, Experience building scalable, reliable systems with a pragmatic approach to architecture and technical debt, communicator who can translate between technical and non-technical stakeholders and influence without authority, Comfortable with the compliance and regulatory realities of financial products (or eager to get up to speed quickly)
Nice to Have
Experience in FinTech, regulated industries, or consumer financial products, Track record shipping AI-native features (agents, RAG pipelines, AI-assisted workflows) in a production environment, including building the observability and evaluate infrastructure to sustain them, Experience leading a team through an AI workflow transformation, Experience scaling a team or product through a significant growth inflection
What You'll Do.
Lead a small team of engineers
run the org as it exists today while actively transforming how it operates tomorrow
Serve as a hands-on technical force multiplier
prototype with emerging AI tools
model what great building looks like in practice
Own your team's AI transformation strategy
and AI-assisted workflows unlock the most leverage
deploy them deliberately
measure the impact on shipping velocity and output quality
Bring genuine technical depth in AI systems
understand how to build reliable
production-grade LLM-powered products
Architect the decision of when to build vs. buy vs. orchestrate
assess AI vendor capabilities critically
know when a third-party model or tool is the right call
and when you need to own it
Own the roadmap alongside Product and business
translate fuzzy business goals into focused
executable technical strategy
high-leverage engineering decisions
choose the right tool for the job
not the trendiest one
Navigate organizational complexity with confidence
Balance the tension between speed and stability for high-traffic
mission-critical financial systems
Cultivate a culture of curiosity
and continuous learning
push your team to work AI-natively
Ensure systems owned by the team meet availability
and security standards with a practical
risk-calibrated approach
How You'll Work.
Team & Collaboration
Lead a small team of engineers, product managers, and designers; Own the roadmap alongside Product and business; Navigate organizational complexity with confidence; build consensus; move initiatives through cross-functional processes
Communication Scope
communicator who can translate between technical and non-technical stakeholders; influence without authority
Process & Methodology
Own the roadmap, translate fuzzy business goals into focused, executable technical strategy, Drive pragmatic, high-leverage engineering decisions, Balance the tension between speed and stability
Full Job Description
At NerdWallet, we're on a mission to bring clarity to all of life's financial decisions and every great mission needs a team of exceptional Nerds. We've built an inclusive, flexible, and candid culture where you're empowered to grow, take smart risks, and be unapologetically yourself. Whether remote or in-office, we support how you thrive best. We invest in your well-being, development, and ability to make an impact because when one Nerd levels up, we all do. NerdWallet's RIA (Registered Investment Advisory) team builds and operates the platforms that power our financial advisory experiences. They own our lead generation marketplace, content rendering infrastructure, and the systems supporting our wealth management firms' business and website. We're looking for a rare kind of leader: part builder, part operator, and fully in command of what AI makes possible right now. Someone who can keep a high-traffic financial platform running with precision today while rewriting how their team works tomorrow. If you've shipped AI-native products in production, know how to turn a small team into a force multiplier through AI-assisted workflows, and can navigate a scaled organization without losing your startup edge, this role was written for you. This role reports to the GM of RIA. WHERE YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT: - Lead a small team of engineers, product managers, and designers, running the org as it exists today while actively transforming how it operates tomorrow - Serve as a hands-on technical force multiplier: architect systems, prototype with emerging AI tools, and model what great building looks like in practice - Own your team's AI transformation strategy: identify where LLMs, agents, and AI-assisted workflows unlock the most leverage, deploy them deliberately, and measure the impact on shipping velocity and output quality - Bring genuine technical depth in AI systems. You understand how to build reliable, production-grade LLM-powered products, not just integrate APIs; you
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