Engineering Manager

About the role

About Chalk

Chalk is building the data platform that powers the future of machine learning applications. We tear down complexity, latency, and scale barriers that have traditionally constrained ML capabilities. Our platform combines Rust-speed performance with elegant tools that developers love to use. Leading companies depend on Chalk for everything from stopping fraudulent credit card swipes, verifying identities, and maximizing clean energy capture. We've recently raised a $50 million Series A https://www.reuters.com/business/databricks-competitor-chalk-raises-50-million-series-2025-05-28/, led by Felicis.

About the role

Working directly with our founders, you'll lead a team of exceptional engineers building our platform for real-time inference at scale. This role is a unique opportunity to shape technical architecture and engineering culture at a fast-growing, early-stage company. You'll collaborate with brilliant folks, including Putnam and Advent of Code winners, former Jane Street quants, and Rust compiler contributors — all dedicated to bending the curve of what's possible in ML inference.

We're in the office 5 days a week. When unavoidable conflicts come up, we’re flexible. This is not a hybrid role.

What you will do

- Lead a team of engineers building Chalk's data platform

- Partner with the founding team to define and execute our technical roadmap

- Establish engineering processes that enable high velocity without sacrificing quality

- Work directly with customers to understand requirements and ensure Chalk's platform solves real-world ML challenges

- Shape Chalk's engineering culture as we grow — you'll help us nurture top talent

What we're looking for

- 5+ years of engineering experience with 2+ years of technical leadership

- Previous experience at an early-stage startup

- Experience building production ML systems or data infrastructure

- Strong programming skills and systems thinking — you understand how things work under the hood

- Ability to lead technical teams

- Strong communicator who can bridge technical and business contexts

- Proven track record of delivering complex projects on time

- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent

Bonus points

- Experience with Rust or distributed systems

- Experience with query planners or compilers

- Experience implementing data infrastructure or PaaS-like software

- Experience scaling engineering teams in high-growth environments