Technical Manager, Generative AI Labs (GAIL)

Technical Manager, Generative AI Labs (GAIL)

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title
Technical Manager, Generative AI Labs (GAIL)

Job Profile Title
Application Architect

Job Description Summary
The Technical Manager oversees and contributes to the engineering strategy and execution for Wharton's Generative AI Labs (GAIL), translating cutting‑edge research into working open‑source prototypes and scalable tools. They collaborate closely with Wharton Computing, faculty researchers, and external partners to ensure strong technical integration and shared innovation. Reporting to the Executive Director of GAIL and collaborating closely with GAIL's Co-Directors, affiliated scholars, and staff, this person architects systems, mentors developers and students, and enables projects to rapidly move from prototype to products that elevate research, teaching, and professional practice. As GAIL's work evolves, this role may take on broader responsibility for scaling technical infrastructure and deepening the technical capabilities of the existing team.

Job Description

Technical Manager, Generative AI Labs (GAIL)
Wharton's Generative AI Labs (GAIL) sits at the intersection of world-class research and rapid prototyping, building open-source tools that will change how people work and learn. This position is designed for someone who thrives on turning ideas into working systems and helping others level up in the process. We're looking for a rare kind of leader-builder: someone who can architect and ship code one hour, then mentor a team or steer a moon-shot project plan the next. Interested candidates are asked to provide a cover letter, resume, and a GitHub link to a project that reflects the skills and level of expertise described in this position description.

Key Duties

• Lead architecture & delivery of LLM-powered prototypes
  
• Coordinate and mentor an internal engineering team and contractors to develop and implement projects.
  
• Pair with researchers to translate ideas into open-source products
  
• Align prototypes with Wharton Computing infrastructure & policies
  
• Present demos and technical road-maps to stakeholders
  

Qualifications:
Required - Bachelor's degree; 3-5 years of experience; 5+ yrs software engineering (2+ yrs tech lead), preferred; full‑cycle delivery of AI-powered applications (e.g., generative AI, LLMs, multimodal models, or emerging technologies); Python fluency plus a second server-side language; cloud &
GPU proficiency; record of mentoring.

Preferred - Master's degree; expertise in TypeScript and good architectural familiarity with
cloud technologies such as AWS, GCP or Azure; startup or high-growth experience.

Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School
Wharton School

Pay Range
$100,000.00 - $160,000.00 Annual Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts : Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
  
• Tuition : Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
  
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
  
• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family-whatever your personal needs may be.
  
• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, you won't have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
  
• Wellness and Work-life Resources : Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
  
• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
  
• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on at Penn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you're right in the middle of the excitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
  
• Discounts and Special Services : From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
  
• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
  
• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
  
• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.
  

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Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.
To apply, visit