- Company: Elastic
- Location: United Kingdom
- Job type: Full-time
- Salary: Competitive pay based on the work you do here and not your previous salary
✅ Visa sponsor check: Elasticsearch Limited (London) is on the UK Home Office register of licensed sponsors for Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility: Senior or Specialist Worker (A rating), checked 30 October 2026. Being a licensed sponsor doesn’t guarantee sponsorship for this role: confirm it with the employer, and never pay anyone for a Certificate of Sponsorship.
About the role
Elastic, the Search AI Company, is looking for a Senior Engineering Manager to join the Agents and Context group. You will lead the Chat team, which builds the conversational platform that allows customers to interact with their data in Elasticsearch. As a Senior Engineering Manager, you will manage a distributed team of approximately 12 engineers. You will work closely with a Product Manager and Technical Lead to define the roadmap, manage delivery, and coach your team. This is a people and delivery leadership role that requires a calm, direct style and the ability to create structure in a fast-moving space.
Responsibilities
- Own the delivery of the Chat roadmap, breaking it into milestones and managing risks to ensure predictable shipping.
- Manage the hiring process end-to-end, including job descriptions, interviews, and onboarding.
- Coach and develop engineers through regular 1:1s, clear expectations, and honest feedback.
- Run performance management, including promotions, development plans, and resolving underperformance.
- Partner with the Tech Lead and PM to shape priorities and collaborate with other teams on shared primitives.
- Build and improve team processes for planning, communication, and releases through consensus.
- Represent the team to leadership and stakeholders.
Requirements
- Proven track record as an established engineering manager, including experience with hiring, coaching, and performance management.
- Experience delivering large, multi-team software initiatives in a distributed, async-first environment.
- Previous hands-on software engineering experience with enough technical depth to understand TypeScript/Node/React stacks, Elasticsearch-backed systems, and LLM-powered products.
- Familiarity with LLM applications, including RAG, agents, tool use, and evaluation.
- Experience with Elasticsearch, Kibana, or open source communities is a plus.
- Strong product acumen and the ability to set priorities in ambiguous situations.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a focus on clear, concise long-form writing.
- A direct, kind, calm, and empathetic leadership style.
Pay and benefits
- Competitive pay based on the work you do, not your previous salary.
- Health coverage for you and your family in many locations.
- Flexible locations and schedules for many roles.
- Generous number of vacation days each year.
- Up to $2000 (or local currency equivalent) matched for financial donations and service.
- Up to 40 hours each year for volunteer projects.
- Minimum of 16 weeks of parental leave.
Important Note: Elasticsearch develops and distributes technology subject to U.S. and other countries’ export controls and licensing requirements for individuals located in or nationals of sanctioned countries and regions, including Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, or Russia (including specific Ukrainian territories). An export license may be required for employment in these regions.
How to apply
Apply directly on Elastic’s own careers website. Omadaily never charges job seekers.
