Manager, Conversational AI

Pearl•San Francisco, CA

2d•Remote

About The Position

Pearl is AI for professional services at global scale, combining advanced AI with verified human expertise to deliver help that is accurate, accountable, and fast. Since 2003, our network has connected millions of customers with licensed professionals across 196 countries, making real expertise available anytime, anywhere. At Pearl, we're redefining how people interact with AI. Conversation Design sits at the center of that transformation, shaping intelligent, intuitive experiences that help millions of customers every day. As our Manager, Conversational AI, you'll lead a team of talented Conversation Designers while partnering closely with Product, Engineering, Analytics, and AI teams to deliver high-quality conversational experiences at scale. This role is ideal for a leader who is equally passionate about developing people, building innovative AI experiences, and shaping the future of Conversation Design. You'll help grow exceptional talent, contribute strategic ideas, improve how the team operates, and lead initiatives that strengthen our discipline as AI continues to evolve. With a builder's mindset, you'll enjoy coaching others, serving as a strategic advisor to cross-functional partners, and rolling up your sleeves to solve meaningful problems. You'll have the autonomy to influence the direction of the organization, own high-impact initiatives, and help define what's next for Conversation Design at Pearl.

Requirements

Experience leading and developing high-performing teams, ideally within Conversation Design, Conversational AI, or a related discipline.
Hands-on experience designing and building conversational AI experiences. You're a builder who understands the work because you've done it.
Experience shipping conversational AI products or AI agents powered by modern LLM technologies.
Experience improving conversational experiences through evaluation frameworks, optimization, experimentation, A/B testing, or similar quality practices.
Strong strategic thinking with the ability to anticipate opportunities, connect ideas, and influence direction.
Experience partnering cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Data, and AI teams to deliver customer-facing experiences.
A collaborative leadership style that builds trust, develops talent, and elevates those around you.
A continuous improvement mindset with a passion for improving workflows, solving problems, and finding smarter ways of working.
Confidence using AI as part of your daily work and a curiosity for exploring new tools, workflows, and technologies that improve team effectiveness.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and mentor a team of Conversation Designers, helping them grow their skills, deliver exceptional work, and advance their careers.
Provide regular coaching, performance feedback, career development, and support while fostering a collaborative, high-performing culture.
Recruit, hire, and onboard future Conversation Designers as the organization continues to grow.
Remove roadblocks, balance priorities, and empower your team to deliver their best work.
Serve as a strategic thought partner, identifying opportunities to improve conversational experiences and helping shape the future direction of Conversation Design.
Own a strategic pillar that advances the organization, whether through evaluation frameworks, tooling, workflow improvements, quality practices, or other high-impact initiatives.
Balance day-to-day execution with long-term thinking to ensure the team continues to evolve alongside customer needs and emerging AI capabilities.
Bring forward ideas that improve how the team operates and create lasting impact across the organization.
Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Engineers, Analytics, Machine Learning, and AI teams to deliver exceptional conversational experiences.
Help teams prioritize work, allocate resources, remove obstacles, and ensure Conversation Designers are set up for success.
Represent the Conversation Design organization in cross-functional planning, leadership discussions, and strategic initiatives.
Build trusted partnerships that enable better collaboration and stronger business outcomes.
Bring a builder's mindset by continuously looking for opportunities to improve workflows, streamline operations, and solve problems creatively.
Use AI and modern tools to enhance productivity, prototype ideas, and explore new ways of working that help the team move faster and smarter.
Encourage thoughtful experimentation and continuous learning while helping the team stay current with emerging AI capabilities.