Sr. Director, Engineering - Applied AI

Location

NAMER; EMEA

Employment Type

Full time

Location Type

Remote

Department

Engineering

Deadline to Apply

April 30, 2026 at 4:00 AM UTC

Compensation

• EMEA 240.5K 60.7K 3 Equity 3 Bonus
• United States $373.2K 59.8K 3 Equity 3 Bonus
• Canada CA$373.2K 59.8K 3 Equity 3 Bonus

We believe all Zapiens should be rewarded competitively and equitably, using practices that are simple and transparent. This philosophy ensures were able to find, grow, and retain exceptional people from a broad range of backgrounds. Heres how we define our compensation principles:

• Competitive: Zapier pays well among the technology sector.
• Equitable: Consistent pay practices; Pay for impact
• Simple: Pay is well understood, and pay practices are built for scale.
• Transparent: Zapiens know how pay works, including how their pay is determined.

A Candidate's compensation package is finalized once the interview process is concluded and accounts for demonstrated experience, job knowledge, skills, abilities, and internal equity. We use a business impact approach to base pay, which means we set pay for all Zapiens based on their demonstrated impact on Zapiers success. In alignment with that philosophy, the upper half of a pay range is typically reserved for individuals who have consistently demonstrated a high impact in their current role and level while at Zapier. For more information on Zapiers Total Rewards please click here.

AI at Zapier

At Zapier, we build and use automation every day to make work more efficient, creative, and human. So if youre using AI tools while applying here - thats great! We just ask that you use them responsibly and transparently. Check out our guidance on How to Collaborate with AI During Zapiers Hiring Process, including how to use AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or others during our hiring process - and when not to. Hi there! Zapier is on a mission to make automation accessible to everyone, empowering people and businesses to be more efficient and productive. Were seeking a Sr. Director of Engineering to lead our AI Orchestration engineering organization. In this role, youll manage multiple engineering squads to innovate and deliver AI solutions. You will lead AI engineering execution across the build organization. This role will report to Chee Chew Zapiers CPTO (Chief Product and Technology Officer) and will partner with the Director of Product - AI. We know applying for and taking on a new job at any company requires a leap of faith. We want you to feel comfortable and excited to apply at Zapier.

About You

• Youre a hands-on technical leader who thrives at the intersection of AI innovation and real-world product impact.
• You combine a deep understanding of AI and ML systems with the ability to apply them pragmatically to ship customer-facing products that solve meaningful problems.
• Youre passionate about applied AI engineering.
• You stay at the forefront of AI development and experimentation.
• You have hands-on experience building and shipping user-facing LLM features, training/tuning models, integrating them into end-to-end products.
• Trusted technical architect who makes pragmatic tradeoffs.
• Think strategically and act pragmatically.
• Comfortable with ambiguity.
• Customer-obsessed with passion for delivering high-quality solutions.
• Skilled in developing/selling vision & strategy across teams.
• Motivated by shaping whats next in automation in the AI era.
• Skilled mentor/coach/engineering leader holding high bar for talent.
• Use AI as part of daily work operations intentionally.

Things Youll Do

• Lead Zapiers AI Orchestration Zone in partnership with Product and Design.
• Prototype and push boundaries of applied AI.
• Build and mentor world-class engineering organization.
• Drive culture of innovation & technical rigor.
• Foster cross-functional alignment with Product, Design & Go-to-Market teams.
• Champion engineering excellence (architecture decisions, infrastructure evolution).
• Shape Zapiers next chapter in AI-powered automation.

How to Apply

Zapier has a non-standard application process designed for inclusion & equity; applicants answer in-depth questions upfront; resume/CV optional. Education not required but needed if offered position (for background check). Zapier commits to equal opportunity employment; welcomes diverse applicants including those with disabilities; provides reasonable accommodations upon request. Application deadline: 30 days from posting or until filled. Note: Although fully remote company, some country restrictions apply for permanent work locations.