Learning Commons is Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan’s education initiative, which aims to scale proven teaching and learning practices to benefit every learner. Learning Commons became the name of our education efforts in 2025 to build on the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s work over the past decade to advance learning science and help translate that research into classroom practice.
At Learning Commons, we pair technology with grantmaking to scale proven teaching and learning practices to benefit every learner. We aim to translate what learning science tells us about how students learn best into classroom practice. With the advent of generative AI, that translation work can be accelerated and scaled to have a greater impact.
Our mission is to bring learning science into the tools used every day by teachers and students, ensuring that technology reflects the realities of classrooms and strengthens teaching and learning.
In today’s fragmented edtech landscape, school districts are often left piecing together products that don’t always align with curricula or instructional needs. While AI holds enormous potential to support educators, it can only deliver on that promise when grounded in research, high-quality educational data, and expert evaluation. That’s why we’re building open, public-purpose infrastructure — datasets, rubrics, and resources — that help raise the standard for educational tools and create more consistent, impactful learning experiences for all students and teachers.
At our core, we are builders, and our unique builder philanthropy approach is what sets us apart from other education funders. Take a closer look at the highlights and significant milestones of CZI’s first eight years of education work.
The OpportunityEducation is building foundational infrastructure that ensures the quality of the AI systems that are being built for use in classrooms. Our Evaluators team is at the core of this work, building tools that evaluate the quality and educational relevance of the output of LLMs and other AI systems, at the cutting edge of AI’s application to education.
As the Senior Manager, Data Science and Software Engineering for our Evaluators team, you will lead a team of data scientists, software engineers, and machine learning engineers who build and maintain our rapidly growing set of evaluators. You will work with leading subject matter experts to develop tools that measure the educational suitability of AI systems. This is a phenomenal opportunity to make an impact in the field of education, by setting the standard way to evaluate AI systems.
What You'll Do- Manage the team of data scientists, software engineers, machine learning engineers, including holding them accountable, performance management and hiring to expand the team
- Drive an iterative/agile mindset into our organization, and set the bar for engineering and process excellence
- Drive the team’s technical strategy, especially as we scale up the work
- Partner closely with product management to define and execute the product roadmap
- Work with internal and external partners to expand the scope of evaluation
- 5 or more years of people management experience with a focus on engineering and process excellence
- Experience managing data scientists and software engineers
- A passion for innovation and rapid iteration
- Experience leading teams in rapidly scaling environments, with a demonstrated ability to thrive in ambiguity and lead others through moments of change
- A business-driven approach that puts customer needs first
- Experience in the rapidly evolving field of AI/ML
- Deep interest in how we measure the quality of LLMs
The Redwood City, CA base pay range for a new hire in this role is $241,000.00 - $362,000.00. New hires are typically hired into the lower portion of the range, enabling employee growth in the range over time. Actual placement in range is based on job-related skills and experience, as evaluated throughout the interview process.
Work ModeAs we grow, we’re excited to strengthen in-person connections and cultivate a collaborative, team-oriented environment. This role is a hybrid position requiring you to be onsite for at least 60% of the working month, approximately 3 days a week, with specific in-office days determined by the team’s manager. The exact schedule will be at the hiring manager's discretion and communicated during the interview process.
Benefits for the Whole YouWe’re thankful to have an incredible team behind our work. To honor their commitment, we offer a wide range of benefits to support the people who make all we do possible.
- Provides a generous employer match on employee 401(k) contributions to support planning for the future.
- Annual benefit for employees that can be used most meaningfully for them and their families, such as housing, student loan repayment, childcare, commuter costs, or other life needs.
- Life of Service Gifts are awarded to employees to “live the mission” and support the causes closest to them.
- Paid time off to volunteer at an organization of your choice.
- Funding for select family-forming benefits.
- Relocation support for employees who need assistance moving to the Bay Area
If you’re interested in a role but your previous experience doesn’t perfectly align with each qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply as you may be the perfect fit for this or another role.
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What We Do
Learning Commons is the name of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s long-standing work and investment in education, which aims to scale proven teaching and learning practices to benefit every learner. Learning Commons builds on CZI's work over the past decade to advance learning science and help translate that research into classroom practice.
