Engineering Manager, Core Data Applications

Overview

About the Role - As an Engineering Manager in our Core Data Applications Engineering team, you will drive the success of our data applications team responsible for making mission-critical data transformations at high scale. The team must manage billions of daily updates while meeting rigorous cost and reliability goals. In addition, you will oversee the buildout of ultra high-throughput services to ensure that every team at Instacart has access to critical information in real time. Your leadership will also extend to data governance, batch processes, and data quality monitoring—key functions that help maintain the speed, accuracy, and reliability of our core data applications.

About the Team - Our Core Data Applications team prides itself on high operational standards, deep technical expertise, and scalable solutions that facilitate Instacart’s complex and rapidly evolving business. You’ll manage approximately 8-10 talented engineers across multiple locations in the US and Canada including senior level engineers. We channel Instacart’s core values by collaborating closely with internal teams, pushing for creative problem-solving, and always looking for ways to improve reliability and performance.

About the Job

• Oversee an engineering team with direct operational responsibility to ensure business critical data  is updated swiftly, reliably, and cost-effectively.

• Set the technical vision for how data is stored, streamed, and accessed across Instacart’s many business lines.

• Lead and mentor a distributed team, providing direction on architectural design, code reviews, and process improvements.

• Drive adoption and migration campaigns across the organization, championing best practices and simplifying data usage for multiple stakeholders.

• Ensure high data integrity and quality with robust governance, batch processes, and retailer-specific monitoring protocols.

• Partner with cross-functional teams to negotiate scope, refine requirements, and align deliverables with core business objectives.

About You

Minimum Qualifications

• Demonstrated success leading high-performing software engineering teams (10+ engineers), including virtual and distributed groups.

• Strong background in designing, deploying, and maintaining streaming or real-time data pipelines at scale (handling billions of updates).

• Proficiency in building and operating large-scale services, with a focus on high throughput and low-latency data.

• Exceptional communication skills—capable of distilling complex concepts for both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Track record of delivering impactful results through clear prioritization and executional excellence.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science or related field.

• Prior experience in managing engineering teams that oversee mission critical business systems.

• Experience with building or scaling data platforms for e-commerce or marketplace products.

• Solid understanding of data privacy and compliance considerations.

• Proven track record of successfully implementing cost optimization initiatives.

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across multiple teams, time zones, and functions, with an emphasis on inclusive, empathetic leadership.