Engineering Manager, Machine Learning & Data Platforms

Who we are:

Apella is applying computer vision and machine learning to improve the standard of care in the most critical aspect of healthcare: surgery. We build applications to enable surgeons, nurses, and hospital administrators to deliver the highest quality care.

Who you are:

We're looking for an experienced Engineering Manager who thrives on technical leadership and people development. You'll lead three highly technical teams spanning Machine Learning Engineering for computer vision and forecasting, plus our Data Platform team. If you enjoy the intersection of applied machine learning, surgical healthcare operations, and the data & MLOps infrastructure, this role is for you. You'll play a vital role in ensuring ML systems move reliably from research to production, delivering measurable real-world impact.

In this role you'll:

• Manage, mentor, hire and grow 8+ ML Engineers and Data Engineers across three distinct teams

• Be a strong technical partner for engineers to guide ML system architecture, model deployment, and data platform design & execution

• Ensure ML solutions are production-grade, scalable, observable, cost effective and maintainable

• Drive best practices for ML model lifecycle management, data pipelines, and system reliability

• Work closely with Product, Clinical, Operations, and Research stakeholders to translate business and clinical needs into clear technical priorities

• Partner with Tech Leads and Product to define the ML and data platform goals and roadmaps, balancing near-term wins with long-term scalability

What you'll bring:

• Multiple years of experience managing engineering teams, ideally including AI/ML or data-focused teams

• Strong understanding and hands on experience with machine learning systems in production (not just model development)

• Familiarity with realtime (Flink or similar) and batch data platforms, pipelines, and analytics infrastructure

• Ability to lead teams working on distinct but interdependent problem spaces

• Excellent communication skills with both technical and non-technical stakeholders

• Background in ML Engineering, Data Engineering, or Applied ML (preferred)

• Experience with computer vision and/or time-series forecasting (preferred)

• Experience building ML systems in regulated environments like healthcare (preferred)

• Comfort operating in a fast-growing, ambiguous environment

What to expect from our interview process:

• Chat with Our Recruiter – A quick intro to get to know you and share more about Apella & the role

• Meet with Hiring Manager – Dive deep into your ML, Data and Management experience and expertise areas

• Virtual Onsite Interviews – Meet a few team members and dive into areas like collaboration, culture, and role-specific skills. Typically 3-4 interviews

• Meet with one or two of our founders – Usually "reverse interview" style where you can ask questions and make sure we're the right fit for you

Our benefits:

• Competitive salary and stock options

• Flexible vacation policy and a culture that values time for rest and recharging

• Remote-first work environment with unique virtual and in-person events to foster team connection

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance—we're a healthcare company that prioritizes your health

• 16 weeks of parental leave for all parents

We're excited to meet people who bring diverse perspectives and a passion for making an impact. If this role resonates with you, we encourage you to apply—even if you don't meet every qualification. At Apella, we believe that great ideas come from all backgrounds and experiences.

Apella is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our roles.