About the role
About Pinterest:
Millions of people around the world come to our platform to find creative ideas, dream about new possibilities and plan for memories that will last a lifetime. At Pinterest, we’re on a mission to bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love, and that starts with the people behind the product.
Discover a career where you ignite innovation for millions, transform passion into growth opportunities, celebrate each other’s unique experiences and embrace the flexibility to do your best work. Creating a career you love? It’s Possible.
At Pinterest, AI isn't just a feature, it's a powerful partner that augments our creativity and amplifies our impact, and we’re looking for candidates who are excited to be a part of that. To get a complete picture of your experience and abilities, we’ll explore your foundational skills and how you collaborate with AI.
Through our interview process, what matters most is that you can always explain your approach, showing us not just what you know, but how you think. You can read more about our AI interview philosophy and how we use AI in our recruiting process here.
We’re looking for an engineering director for the online systems organization. This org has 50+ people spanning multiple sub-teams who build, scale, and operate the foundational systems powering Pinterest. These teams are responsible for delivering reliable, high-performance, and efficient storage, storage API, and analytics platforms at huge scale, supporting business-critical applications company-wide. This leader will define and drive the long-term vision, ensure technical excellence, and foster a culture of inclusion, innovation, and high accountability.
What you’ll do:
- Lead a high-performing multi-team organization (50+) building Pinterest’s foundational online systems: storage, storage API, and analytics platforms leveraged by the entire company.
- Create a culture of high quality and ownership; ensure systems are reliable, low-latency, and efficient as they scale globally.
- Lead and deliver a cross-functional strategic initiative to modernize Pinterest’s online systems tech stack by adopting cutting-edge technologies and practices.
- Define and drive the team vision and technical strategy for the next 3+ years, partnering closely with senior engineering leadership and cross-functional partners.
- Champion AI adoption to accelerate system development, enhance operations, and continuously improve outcomes for internal customers and business stakeholders.
- Support, coach, and develop managers and senior technical leaders across the organization, investing in their growth and success.
- Collaborate with cross-functional partners (Product, Design, Data Science, PMM) to align on priorities, manage dependencies, and transparently communicate progress and risks.
What we’re looking for:
- 10+ years of relevant industry experience with deep technical expertise in distributed systems, storage, or caching architectures.
- 5+ years of experience leading or managing large, high-impact engineering organizations, including experience managing managers and setting direction at scale.
- Proven success driving the strategy, vision, and technical roadmap for foundational engineering teams supporting mission-critical use cases.
- Demonstrated experience leveraging AI to accelerate development, enhance operations, and improve customer outcomes.
- Strong track record building and mentoring high-performing, diverse teams and creating a culture of inclusion and candid feedback.
- Exceptional collaboration and communication skills with the ability to navigate ambiguity, make technical and organizational tradeoffs, and influence stakeholders.
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, a related technical field, or equivalent experience.
Relocation Statement:
- This position is not eligible for relocation assistance. Visit our PinFlex page to learn more about our working model.
In-Office Requirement Statement:
- We recognize that the ideal environment for work is situational and may differ across departments. What this looks like day-to-day can vary based on the needs of each organization or role.
- This role will need to be in the office for in-person collaboration 1-2 times per quarter and therefore needs to be in a commutable distance from one of the following offices: PA or SF offices.
#LI-CL5
At Pinterest we believe the workplace should be equitable, inclusive, and inspiring for every employee. In an effort to provide greater transparency, we are sharing the base salary range for this position. The position is also eligible for equity. Final salary is based on a number of factors including location, travel, relevant prior experience, or particular skills and expertise.
Information regarding the culture at Pinterest and benefits available for this position can be found here.
Our Commitment to Inclusion:
Aplyr's read
Pinterest is a hub for creative inspiration, attracting individuals passionate about visual discovery and digital content curation.
What's promising
- •Pinterest's unique visual discovery platform attracts a creative and engaged user base.
- •The company offers diverse roles, from engineering to creative strategy, indicating growth and innovation.
- •Pinterest's focus on machine learning and big data suggests a strong investment in technology.
What to watch
- •Pinterest faces stiff competition from other social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
- •Monetization challenges persist, particularly in converting user engagement into revenue.
- •The company's reliance on ad revenue makes it vulnerable to economic downturns.
Why Pinterest
- •Pinterest's platform centers on visual discovery rather than traditional social networking.
- •The company emphasizes user inspiration and idea curation over personal connections.
- •Pinterest's integration of machine learning enhances personalized content discovery.
Aplyr’s read is generated by AI from public sources. Was it useful?
About Pinterest
Pinterest is a visual discovery engine that allows users to find and save ideas for various interests, including home decor, fashion, and recipes. By enabling users to curate and share their inspirations, Pinterest has become a significant platform for creativity and planning, impacting how people discover and engage with content online.
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