Pelago is the leading specialty substance use care provider, built on the belief that effective treatment means matching care intensity to what each member actually needs rather than defaulting to the most expensive intervention. Our programs guide members through every stage of the substance use spectrum, from unhealthy habits to active use disorders, delivering personalized treatment for tobacco, alcohol, opioid, cannabis, and stimulant use based on individual health, habits, genetics, and goals.

With Sona, our voice-first AI Mental Health Specialist, Pelago now applies that same clinically-driven model to mental health, pairing deep clinical expertise with technology to expand access without compromising care quality. We believe technology should make clinical care more precise and more human, not replace the judgment behind it.

Pelago has scaled to helping hundreds of employers and health plans and has already helped more than 750,000 members better manage their substance use. If you're passionate about AI and making an impact on the health of others, join us and make it happen!

About Pelago Engineering

Our engineering team operates as empowered, outcome-oriented problem solvers, working in close partnership with product, design, and clinical teams to improve member outcomes at scale.

As AI transforms how software is built, we are intentionally evolving our development lifecycle so we spend less time on mechanical implementation and more time on system design, judgment, and impact.

How We Work

Outcome-driven: Engineers are given problems to solve, not just features to build. Success is measured by learning, impact, and outcomes—not velocity alone
AI-native: We use AI across the SDLC to accelerate implementation, testing, and review. Engineers focus on defining intent, validating behavior, and designing resilient systems
High autonomy, high accountability: Teams have real ownership over their domains. With autonomy comes responsibility for quality, safety, and results
Cross-functional by default: Engineers partner deeply with Product, Design, Data, and Clinical. Discovery, experimentation, and delivery are shared responsibilities
Quality and safety matter: We build in a regulated, member-impacting domain. Reliability, observability, and correctness are first-class concerns

What You’ll Do

Instead of task lists, anchor on ownership:

Own meaningful problem spaces end-to-end, from discovery through delivery and iteration
Design and evolve systems that support safe, scalable, AI-augmented development
Use data and experimentation to validate whether solutions actually work
Collaborate cross-functionally to balance member impact, clinical constraints, and technical tradeoffs
Shape how we work—our tools, processes, and culture

What We Look For

We explicitly assess for empowerment:

You start with "why" before diving into "how"
You're energized by ambiguity and collaborative problem-shaping
You use AI to amplify your judgment and move faster on what matters
You think in systems and anticipate second-order effects
You want to own outcomes, not just ship features

Overview of the Role

Pelago is looking for an Engineering Manager to lead and grow a high-performing team building AI-native products that improve outcomes for people living with substance use challenges.

We believe the best leaders are also builders. In this role, you’ll lead from the front: pairing with engineers, architecting systems, and setting a high bar for technical excellence and curiosity across the team. You won’t just tell the team what to do; you’ll be in the trenches with them, prototyping, debugging, and helping turn ambitious product ideas into robust, user-facing features.

You’ll foster a high-autonomy, high-accountability culture where engineers thrive, and you’ll help Pelago scale secure, reliable AI systems that patients and providers can trust.

This is a hybrid role with a high-collaboration rhythm (3 days/week in our NYC office).

In this role you will

Lead and grow a high-autonomy, high-accountability engineering team, mentoring engineers and fostering a culture of ownership, curiosity, and excellence.