Senior Manager, Partner Communications AI

About the teamAt Zillow, our mission is to give people the power to unlock life’s next chapter. Zillow’s Artificial Intelligence Org plays an important part in delivering unique AI-powered experiences for the hundreds of millions of customers who visit Zillow websites each month.
The Partner Communications AI team leads efforts to transform how real estate agents, their clients, and our ZHL loan officers communicate by leveraging cutting-edge AI and ML. This team builds innovative GenAI solutions that enhance partner engagement, streamline communication workflows, and deliver personalized, unbiased, and consistent interactions. This will enable our partners to scale their relationships, provide a superior experience, and foster stronger, more personalized collaborations.

About the role

 Zillow is seeking an experienced leader with a deep background in modern NLP and GenAI as well as a strong desire to innovate. As the head of the Partner Communications AI team, you will lead a talented group of applied scientists, software developers, and machine learning engineers to develop new GenAI and ML services and experiences.  You will be accountable for the efficiency and effectiveness of the team, positioning them to thrive. You will partner with the team's product manager to drive the development and implementation of AI/ML solutions that will revolutionize how real estate agents and loan officers communicate with homebuyers and each other. This role requires a curious mindset, a willingness to navigate complex challenges, and a passion for introducing advanced AI to critical business functions.  

You Will Get To

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of 5 to 8 machine learning engineers, applied scientists and software engineers.

• Stay abreast of Generative AI developments, tools, and trends.

• Partner closely with AI and product leaders to define the vision, strategy, prioritization, and execution for AI-powered partner communications.

• Build Agentic workflows and work on Agentic AI applications.

• Contribute to the long-term vision for AI and Machine Learning within Zillow's partner engagement initiatives.

• Collaborate with principal scientists and engineers to design and implement robust, scalable AI solutions.

• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability, maintaining high standards for quality and impact.

This role has been categorized as a Remote position. “Remote” employees do not have a permanent corporate office workplace and, instead, work from a physical location of their choice, which must be identified to the Company. U.S. employees may live in any of the 50 United States, with limited exceptions.

In California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Washington state, and Washington DC the standard base pay range for this role is $220,600.00 - $352,400.00 annually. This base pay range is specific to these locations and may not be applicable to other locations. In Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont the standard base pay range for this role is $209,600.00 - $334,800.00 annually. The base pay range is specific to these locations and may not be applicable to other locations.

In addition to a competitive base salary this position is also eligible for equity awards based on factors such as experience, performance and location. Actual amounts will vary depending on experience, performance and location. Employees in this role will not be paid below the salary threshold for exempt employees in the state where they reside.

Who you are

We are seeking a candidate with a strong background in Machine Learning with a particular focus on natural language processing and generative AI. The ideal candidate will possess:

• Strong understanding of Natural Language Processing and Generative AI fundamentals.

• 3+ years of management experience, ideally leading AI or Machine Learning teams.

• 5+ years of experience in AI development from prototyping and exploration through to scaling applied research into operational production systems.

• Experienced in evaluating GenAI applications and tying them to business outcomes/impact

• Vision and passion for AI and Machine Learning use cases and applications, particularly in communication and engagement.

• Strong communication skills and a track record for cross-functional collaboration and delivery.

• A genuine commitment to supporting the growth and development of your team's careers.

• A graduate degree in CS, Statistics, Applied Math, or a related STEM field, or equivalent experience in an applied research setting.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with the real-estate domain, especially with the day to day lives of real estate agents or loan officers..

• Expertise with GenAI tools and evaluation frameworks  (e.g., LangChain, HITL, RAGAS, LangGraph, etc.).

• Publications in Machine Learning or AI-related journals and conferences.

• Experience leading teams that leverage Databricks for their ML development and deployment

• Doctoral-level degree in a STEM-related field.

Transferable Skills

At Zillow, we value the experience and perspective of candidates with non-traditional backgrounds. We encourage you to apply if you have transferable skills or related experiences.

Get to know us

At Zillow, we’re reimagining how people move—through the real estate market and through their careers. As the most-visited real estate platform in the U.S., we help customers navigate buying, selling, financing and renting with greater ease and confidence. Whether you're working in tech, sales, operations, or design, you’ll be part of a company that's reshaping an industry and helping more people make home a reality.

Zillow is honored to be recognized among the best workplaces in the country. Zillow was named one of FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® in 2025, and included on the PEOPLE Companies That Care® 2025 list, reflecting our commitment to creating an innovative, inclusive, and engaging culture where employees are empowered to grow.

No matter where you sit in the organization, your work will help drive innovation, support our customers, and move the industry—and your career—forward, together.

Zillow Group is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive, innovative environment with the best employees. We are 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. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact your recruiter directly.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable state and local law.

Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.