Applied AI is where Datadog's ambitious AI bets get built and shipped (Bits Chat, updog). We sit at the intersection of research and product: turning promising capabilities from Datadog AI Research lab and the research community into production systems that reach real customers. The team builds specialized models that replace frontier models where they are not necessary, making AI capabilities faster, cheaper, and more secure. The mandate is to move fast from idea to customer impact, and when a product finds its footing, to set it up for growth.
As a Manager I in Applied AI, you will lead a team of engineers and applied scientists working on one of these challenges. You will define technical direction, run short feedback loops, make deliberate decisions about what to pursue or stop, and work closely with product managers, research teams, and cross-functional partners to ship AI capabilities that matter.
At Datadog, we place value in our office culture, the relationships and collaboration it builds and the creativity it brings. We operate as a hybrid workplace to ensure our Datadogs can create a work-life harmony that best fits them.
What You'll Do
- Lead and develop a team of engineers and applied scientists focused on cost-efficient specialized models and AI security capabilities
- Work closely with product managers, research teams, and cross-functional partners to shape the team's bets from initial framing through to broader adoption, with a clear definition of success criteria at each stage
- Own end-to-end delivery of high-quality AI systems, from early research exploration to production-grade reliability, with high standards for operational excellence, system reliability, and technical quality
- Navigate the unique challenges of shipping AI-powered products: balancing quality, latency, cost, and safety considerations. Drive evaluation and iteration practices for AI systems: define the quality bar and guide the team in building the offline and online evaluation pipelines needed to measure quality and detect drift
- Contribute to cross-team collaboration and knowledge sharing across the broader AI organization
- Support career growth for engineers through coaching, feedback, and fostering a culture of experimentation, innovation, and learning. Participate in hiring and help shape the future team as the organization grows
Who You Are
- A people-focused manager with experience leading and mentoring engineers, able to develop strong engineering talent in a fast-moving domain
- A technical leader with deep expertise in one or more areas of AI or machine learning: large language models, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), semantic search, agentic systems, deep learning, or NLP
- Well-versed in evaluation methodologies for AI systems, both offline benchmarks and online metrics
- A strong product instinct: able to anchor early-stage work in concrete customer problems, define success criteria before writing code, and actively contribute to shaping product direction alongside product and research partners
- Experience taking AI products from 0 to 1 is strongly valued: able to bring structure to early-stage work by scoping clear hypotheses, moving quickly toward signal, and making deliberate decisions about what to pursue, pivot, or stop
- BS/MS/PhD in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent professional experience
#LI-Hybrid
About Datadog:
Datadog is the leading observability and security platform for the AI era, providing businesses with unified visibility across the technology stack to manage complexity at scale. It brings applications, infrastructure, data, models, and security into one place, using AI to detect and resolve issues before they impact customers. Trusted globally by Fortune 500 companies and high-growth AI leaders, Datadog enables businesses to move faster with clarity and confidence. Learn more about #DatadogLife on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Datadog Learning Center.
Equal Opportunity at Datadog:
Datadog is proud to offer equal employment opportunity to everyone regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, veteran status, and other characteristics protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. Here are our Candidate Legal Notices for your reference.
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Privacy and AI Guidelines:
Any information you submit to Datadog as part of your application will be processed in accordance with Datadog’s Applicant and Candidate Privacy Notice. For information on our AI policy, please visit Interviewing at Datadog AI Guidelines.
Skills Required
- Experience leading and mentoring engineers and applied scientists
- Deep technical expertise in one or more areas: large language models, RAG, semantic search, agentic systems, deep learning, or NLP
- Well-versed in evaluation methodologies for AI systems including offline benchmarks and online metrics
- Experience shipping production-grade AI systems with focus on reliability, latency, cost, and safety
- Strong product instincts: ability to define success criteria and tie work to customer problems
- Experience taking AI products from 0 to 1 (scoping hypotheses, rapid iteration, prioritization)
- BS/MS/PhD in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience
What the Team is Saying
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Datadog Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Coverage spans medical, dental, and vision with a dedicated mental‑health program offering free appointments for employees and dependents, and many locations include fitness reimbursements. Gender‑affirming care support is provided in eligible locations.
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Parental & Family Support — Fully paid, gender‑neutral parental leave is complemented by family‑forming benefits such as adoption, fertility, preservation, and surrogacy support, plus childcare assistance where available. Pet‑related benefits, including adoption assistance and insurance, are offered in some regions.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity participation is emphasized through a discounted employee stock purchase plan and RSUs for eligible roles. These programs can enhance total compensation alongside core salary.
Datadog Insights
What We Do
Datadog (NASDAQ: DDOG) is a global SaaS business, delivering a rare combination of growth and profitability. We are on a mission to break down silos and solve complexity in the cloud age by enabling digital transformation, cloud migration, and infrastructure monitoring of our customers' entire technology stacks. Built by engineers, for engineers, Datadog is used by organizations of all sizes across a wide range of industries. Together, we champion professional development, diversity of thought, innovation, and work excellence to empower continuous growth. Join the pack and become part of a collaborative, pragmatic, and thoughtful people-first community where we solve tough problems, take smart risks, and celebrate one another.
Why Work With Us
At Datadog, we learn from and celebrate each other daily - each win is a team win. Datadogs solve tough problems, innovate pragmatically, and grow together. We promote from within, provide mentorship and opportunities for career development, and support our colleagues in the process. Best of all? We truly love what we do.
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Datadog Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
We operate as a hybrid workplace to ensure our Datadogs can create a work-life harmony that best fits them and their team.
