Senior Engineering Manager, Emerging Business

Upwork ($UPWK) is the world’s largest work marketplace, connecting businesses with highly skilled professionals worldwide. From entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 enterprises, companies trust Upwork’s platform to access expert talent, leverage AI-powered work solutions, and drive meaningful business outcomes.

Upwork’s AI-powered platform has facilitated over $20 billion in economic opportunity for professionals worldwide. With professionals spanning 10,000+ skills, including AI and machine learning, software development, sales and marketing, customer support, finance and accounting, and more, Upwork empowers businesses of all sizes to scale, innovate, and build agile teams.

We’re looking for a Senior Engineering Manager to join our Emerging Business organization and lead the development of AI-native products that create measurable impact for our customers. This role is ideal for a hands-on engineering leader who thrives at the intersection of execution, innovation, and team leadership. If you’re passionate about building and scaling AI-powered solutions, prototyping new experiences, and working cross-functionally to bring ideas to life, you’ll thrive here.

Reporting to the Director of Engineering for Emerging Businesses, you’ll manage and grow multiple teams focused on rapidly delivering AI-first features and systems. You’ll play a critical role in shaping the technical direction of our AI investments, enabling our teams to build autonomous, intelligent agents that solve real customer problems.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop multiple engineering teams focused on AI-native product development, ensuring high performance and collaboration.
• Rapidly build functional prototypes and proof-of-concepts to validate ideas, demonstrating full-stack technical fluency.
• Oversee the architecture and implementation of AI agent systems that enhance user experience and drive business outcomes.
• Collaborate closely with Product, Design, and Machine Learning partners to align roadmaps and deliver value with speed.
• Champion AI-first thinking, guiding teams to explore, adopt, and scale innovative technologies responsibly and pragmatically.
• Translate emerging AI trends into actionable insights that influence technical strategy and product direction.
• Ensure delivery of high-quality, maintainable solutions while balancing short-term milestones with long-term scalability.

What it takes to catch our eye:

• Demonstrated success managing multiple engineering teams (typically 2+ teams and 10+ engineers) in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong understanding of AI systems, including LLMs, agent architectures, and real-world implementation challenges.
• Proven ability to prototype and guide technical direction with hands-on contributions when needed.
• Strong collaboration skills and a track record of working effectively across engineering, product, and machine learning teams.
• Pragmatic approach to shipping working solutions while setting a long-term technical vision.

Come change how the world works.

At Upwork, you’ll shape the future of work for a global, remote-first workforce, creating economic opportunities for professionals worldwide. While we have a physical office in Palo Alto, we currently hire full-time employees in 21 U.S. states, making it easier than ever to join our mission from wherever you call home.

Our culture is built on trust, risk-taking, customer focus, and excellence, all in service of our core mission: to create economic opportunities so people have better lives. We embrace authenticity and inclusion, encouraging everyone to bring their whole selves to work. Personal and professional growth is a priority here, supported through development programs, mentorship, and our Upwork Belonging Communities.

We’re proud to offer benefits that go beyond the basics, including comprehensive medical coverage for you and your family, unlimited PTO, a 401(k) plan with matching, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Visit our Life at Upwork page to learn more about our values, working principles, and the overall employee experience.

Ready to help shape the future of work? Check out our Careers page and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X. to learn more about life at Upwork.

Upwork is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or other legally protected characteristics under federal, state, or local law.

Please note that a criminal background check may be required once a conditional job offer is made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered in accordance with applicable law, including the California Fair Chance Act and local Fair Chance ordinances.