Senior Software Engineering Manager, Instacart
AI & Developer Productivity
$216-289k
+ Equity. Salary varies depending on location
Online grocery marketplace & grocery tech platform
Open for applications
Online grocery marketplace & grocery tech platform
1001+ employees
Open for applications
$216-289k
+ Equity. Salary varies depending on location
1001+ employees
Company mission
To create a world where everyone has access to the food they love and have more time to enjoy it together.
Role
Who you are
- This role is ideal for someone who thrives at the intersection of infra, product, and AI - and is excited to lead talented teams shaping the future of internal tools at scale
- 5+ years of engineering management experience, with at least 2+ years leading teams in infrastructure, AI/ML, or developer tooling
- Strong product instincts - ability to balance technical depth with usability and adoption
- Strong technical background—able to engage in architecture reviews, drive technical direction, and make informed tradeoffs
- Hands-on experience building or integrating AI/LLM-based tools into production or internal systems
- Proven ability to lead high-impact teams, deliver complex projects, and drive adoption of internal platforms at scale
- Comfortable operating in a fast-moving environment with evolving priorities and high expectations
Desirable
- Prior experience leading both Developer Experience and AI-focused teams
- Familiarity with tools like Copilot, Cursor, OpenAI APIs, Glean, or similar platforms
- Experience managing relationships with AI or infra vendors and evaluating platform partnerships
- Experience scaling developer productivity across 100+ engineers in a high-growth environment
What the job involves
- We’re looking for a Senior Engineering Manager to lead our AI Productivity and Developer Experience teams - two core teams responsible for transforming how engineers build software at Instacart
- You’ll oversee high-impact projects like AI-powered code review, LLM tooling, local dev platforms, and CI/test automation. Your work will directly improve engineering velocity, reduce friction, and embed AI into daily developer workflows
- The Developer Productivity & Platform organization at Instacart builds the tools, systems, and infrastructure that enable engineers to move fast and build with confidence. Within this org, the AI Productivity and Developer Experience teams focus on reshaping how engineers write, review, test, and ship code—through world-class internal platforms and cutting-edge AI workflows
- Together, these teams are at the forefront of a major shift in how software is built. From AI-powered code review to faster builds and smarter dev environments, they’re responsible for some of the most impactful tools used across all of engineering at Instacart
- Own and drive the roadmap for Instacart’s internal AI tooling and developer platforms - shaping how hundreds of engineers write, test, and ship code every day
- Lead two high-impact teams (AI Productivity & Developer Experience) working on systems like AI PR review agents, LLM gateways, CI/test performance, and local dev environments
- Partner with senior engineers, TPMs, and leaders across Infrastructure, ML, and Product to drive alignment and adoption at scale
- Navigate ambiguity, shifting priorities, and high expectations - this role is fast-paced, complex, and requires clear prioritization and strong execution under pressure
- Build and grow a high-performing, mission-driven team that thrives on impact, iteration, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with AI in software development
Our take
Instacart is an online grocery marketplace that operates a pick-up and delivery system in the US and Canada. Unlike standard grocery shopping, Instacart sends a “personal shopper” to your local store to buy your products, who then delivers them straight to your door on the same day via their own car. The company also supplies the Instacart Platform, with services for stores encompassing eCommerce, fulfilment, in-store, ads, and insights.
The increased modernization of society has meant more than ever that consumers are looking to buy their groceries online, making space for apps like Instacart to become daily life staples for years to come. Although the company must compete with other grocery store delivery services, such as Walmart’s own, it has expanded to cover large percentages of US and Canadian households, and is now aligned with over 900 retail banners across more than 75,000 locations.
Instacart's software offerings signify the company's focus on tech, designed to move it away from its dependence on the gig economy. To this end, the company has acquired FoodStorm, an order management system that powers end-to-end order-ahead and catering, integrating its technology into its enterprise suite. Despite an IPO in September 2023, market downturns have necessitated a 7% workforce cut in 2024, focused on middle management and creating a flatter organisational structure. With a new streamlined workforce, here's to hoping Instacart can maintain its momentum.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
7% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 14 rounds)
Nov 2021
$232m
LATE VC
Mar 2021
$265m
LATE VC
Total funding: $2.9bn
Company benefits
- Wellness Tailored to You: Medical, dental, vision, retirement, life & disability coverage right alongside physical & mental wellness programs, memberships and stipends to keep you and your family feeling your best.
- Family Building Benefits: No matter where you are in your family journey, we support you. Our plans cover modern family planning for all. We offer leave for all parents, flexible working schedules and an active Parents@ community.
- Work From Home Stipend: We help outfit your WFH setup and offer reimbursements so you can be your most productive while at home.
- Flexible Time Off: We all recharge differently. Take the time you need with our flexible time off policy and company-wide Self-Checkouts where we encourage everyone to sign off.
- Learning & Development: Whether you're just starting your career or leading teams, we provide customized L&D programs to help you grow and an annual allowance to pursue your development.
- Future Planning: We have you covered as you plan for your future. 401(k) matching in the US and RRSP in Canada, student loan assistance through Peanut Butter, free Rocket Lawyer membership, SoFi & First Republic financial planning and more.
- Four Year Fill-Up: We encourage our tenured employees to take longer breaks and truly unplug by doing something they love – typically four consecutive weeks around the four year mark.
- Community Connection: Support the communities you care about with volunteer weeks and get involved with our social impact program, Instacart Serves.
- Instacart Express Membership: We help keep your fridge stocked. Unlock grocery discounts with our Instacart Beta app while testing our latest features.
Company HQ
The East Cut, San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Apoorva Mehta
(Co-Founder & Chairman)Studied Electrical Engineering at University of Waterloo. Worked in Fulfillment Optimisation SDE at Amazon.com before going on to co-found Instacart.
Brandon Leonardo
(Co-Founder)Interned at Cisco Systems as an IT Engineer. Later became a Senior Web Developer at Webs and then a Venture Hacker at Angel List.
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