Manager I, Engineering - APM Retrieval
The APM Retrieval team is a strategic platform team shaping how APM data is queried, surfaced, and used in the age of AI. This engineering leader will guide a team responsible for the query path for traces and spans search that powers the Datadog UI, while also leading the evolution of the APM MCP Toolset that enables
What this role actually needs.
The APM Retrieval team is a strategic platform team shaping how APM data is queried, surfaced, and used in the age of AI. This engineering leader will guide a team responsible for the query path for traces and spans search that powers the Datadog UI, while also leading the evolution of the APM MCP Toolset that enables Responsibilities: - Lead and develop a team building and operating core APM retrieval services that power traces and spans search in the Datadog UI - Define technical direction and execution priorities for the APM MCP Toolset and related interfaces that support internal and external agentic workflows - Drive cross-functional alignment with platform, storage, frontend, and AI-focused teams to prioritize high-impact platform capabilities - Establish and measure success through operational and product KPIs such as token efficiency, discoverability, usage, performance, and downstream task outcomes - Own the reliability, deployment, and operational excellence of critical APM services, including services running in ITAR-compliant environments - Mentor engineers through hands-on technical leadership, clear accountability, and a strong culture of execution, learning, and continuous improvement Requirements: - You have experience managing engineering teams building backend or platform systems at scale - You bring strong technical depth in distributed systems, APIs, service operations, and production reliability - You have experience working with observability platforms and operating services with clear availability, performance, and quality goals - You are comfortable leading in fast-evolving technical spaces and can translate emerging AI or platform trends into pragmatic team direction - You have a track record of driving cross-team prioritization across multiple stakeholders and downstream consumers - You are an inclusive people leader who supports engineer growth across experience levels through coaching, feedback, and high standards Company context: Datadog operates a cloud observability and security platform with meaningful hiring across infrastructure, security, AI, and developer tooling.
Day-to-day expectations
Datadog lists these responsibilities for the Manager I, Engineering - APM Retrieval role.
- Lead and develop a team building and operating core APM retrieval services that power traces and spans search in the Datadog UI
- Define technical direction and execution priorities for the APM MCP Toolset and related interfaces that support internal and external agentic workflows
- Drive cross-functional alignment with platform, storage, frontend, and AI-focused teams to prioritize high-impact platform capabilities
- Establish and measure success through operational and product KPIs such as token efficiency, discoverability, usage, performance, and downstream task outcomes
- Own the reliability, deployment, and operational excellence of critical APM services, including services running in ITAR-compliant environments
- Mentor engineers through hands-on technical leadership, clear accountability, and a strong culture of execution, learning, and continuous improvement
What a strong candidate brings
These requirements are extracted from the source listing and normalized for UpJobz readers.
- You have experience managing engineering teams building backend or platform systems at scale
- You bring strong technical depth in distributed systems, APIs, service operations, and production reliability
- You have experience working with observability platforms and operating services with clear availability, performance, and quality goals
- You are comfortable leading in fast-evolving technical spaces and can translate emerging AI or platform trends into pragmatic team direction
- You have a track record of driving cross-team prioritization across multiple stakeholders and downstream consumers
- You are an inclusive people leader who supports engineer growth across experience levels through coaching, feedback, and high standards
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Source: careers.datadoghq.com · Source ID: 7731735 · Confidence: 93/100 · Last checked: May 7, 2026
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