Job Overview
Location
Indiana, USA
Job Type
Full-time
Category
Engineering Manager
Date Posted
February 26, 2026
Full Job Description
đź“‹ Description
- • As the VP of Engineering at Protege Inc., you will be instrumental in shaping the future of AI data infrastructure. Protege is tackling one of the most significant challenges in the artificial intelligence landscape: providing secure, efficient, and privacy-centric access to high-quality training data. The current methods are often prohibitively expensive, time-consuming, and fraught with potential failure. Our platform is designed to revolutionize this process, making AI development more accessible and effective. This is a generational opportunity to build one of the largest companies in the AI and tech sectors, backed by world-class investors and already forging partnerships with leading AI teams.
- • You will lead and define the overarching technical strategy, ensuring it is seamlessly aligned with Protege's ambitious company goals. This involves close collaboration with executive leadership to make critical decisions regarding product direction, fostering innovation, and ensuring the successful execution of the product roadmap. Your strategic vision will be key to navigating the complexities of a high-growth environment and positioning Protege at the forefront of AI data solutions.
- • A core part of your role will be establishing robust engineering-wide structures, processes, and operating rhythms that are not only effective today but are also designed to scale seamlessly as the company grows. You will partner proactively with leaders across all functional areas to anticipate future needs, ensuring that engineering capacity, processes, and operational cadences evolve in lockstep with the rest of the organization. This forward-thinking approach is crucial for maintaining momentum and agility.
- • You will be the ultimate custodian of technical excellence and execution within the engineering department. This means setting a high bar for quality, rigor, and efficiency, and cultivating a high-trust culture where every team member feels empowered to take ownership, move with speed, and deliver impactful results. Your leadership will inspire a team dedicated to innovation and continuous improvement.
- • In terms of team building and people leadership, you will be responsible for attracting, developing, and retaining top-tier engineering talent. Protege aims to be a magnet for industry-leading engineers, and your ability to identify, recruit, and nurture these individuals will be paramount. You will collaborate closely with the People team to define and execute the engineering recruiting strategy, taking full ownership of the process and its outcomes.
- • You will also serve as a mentor and coach to engineering managers and technical leaders, guiding their career development and honing their technical judgment. Creating an inclusive and collaborative environment that celebrates diversity of thought, fosters a strong sense of ownership and accountability, and encourages continuous learning and improvement is a key objective. This people-centric approach will build a resilient and high-performing engineering organization.
- • From an execution, quality, and delivery perspective, you will own the end-to-end engineering process. This spans from developing a strategic planning framework that prioritizes the most impactful initiatives to establishing an operating cadence that guarantees timely delivery with exceptional quality. You will be responsible for building and refining essential engineering workflows, including code review processes, automated testing infrastructure, observability tools, and incident management protocols.
- • Safeguarding product quality is a non-negotiable aspect of this role. You will achieve this by implementing robust processes and infrastructure designed to ensure reliability, security, and optimal performance. Fostering a culture where every engineer feels a deep sense of ownership over the customer experience is critical to delivering a product that delights users and builds lasting trust.
- • You will have direct oversight of architectural decisions, infrastructure scaling strategies, and overall system design. This requires a deep understanding of scalable systems and a proactive approach to anticipating future demands. Working hand-in-hand with product leadership, you will translate complex customer needs into elegant, scalable, and user-centric product experiences.
- • Finally, you will champion a culture of innovation, driving the delivery of a product that not only leads the AI data infrastructure space but also anticipates future customer needs. Your vision will ensure Protege remains agile and ahead of the curve, building the functionality that growing customers will require before they even articulate the need.
🎯 Requirements
- • 10+ years of progressive experience in engineering roles, with a minimum of 4 years in a leadership capacity, managing multiple teams or a significant engineering organization.
- • Proven ability to shape and execute technical strategy within high-growth or early-stage startup environments, demonstrating a strong aptitude for aligning technical direction with overarching business objectives.
- • Demonstrated track record of successfully growing and leading multi-level engineering organizations of 30+ individuals, maintaining strong operational rigor and upholding high technical standards.
- • Experience in building impressive, user-centric products within fast-paced, dynamic environments, with a clear understanding of the product development lifecycle.
- • A solid background in establishing and refining engineering discipline, implementing robust quality assurance practices, and structuring operational processes for efficiency and scalability.
- • Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and cross-functional leadership skills, coupled with strong decision-making capabilities and the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
🏖️ Benefits
- • Competitive salary and equity package commensurate with experience and the strategic importance of the role.
- • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance for you and your dependents.
- • Generous paid time off (PTO) and company holidays to ensure work-life balance.
- • Remote work flexibility, allowing you to work from anywhere.
- • Opportunity to work with a world-class team and shape the future of AI data infrastructure.
- • Professional development and continuous learning opportunities to support career growth.
Skills & Technologies
REST
Remote
About Protege Inc.
Protege is a career development platform that helps early-career talent connect directly with industry mentors and secure paid apprenticeships. The company partners with employers to create short-term, project-based experiences that give participants real work opportunities while companies evaluate candidates for full-time roles. Its marketplace offers mentorship, skill-building projects, and application tools designed to reduce hiring bias and widen access to competitive industries such as tech, finance, and media. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in New York City, Protege has facilitated thousands of placements and aims to replace traditional campus recruiting with scalable experiential hiring programs.
