Senior Learning Engineer [NYC/Northeast]

ABOUT PLAYLAB

Playlab is a tech non-profit dedicated to helping educators and students become critical consumers and creators of AI.

We believe that an open-source, community-driven approach is key to harnessing the potential of AI in education. We equip communities with AI tools and hands-on professional development that empowers educators and students to build custom AI apps for their unique context. Over 40,000 educators have published apps on Playlab, and the impact is growing every day.

At Playlab, we believe that AI is a new design material, one that should be shaped by many to bring their ideas about learning to life. If you're passionate about building creative, equitable futures for students and teachers, we hope you'll join us.

THE ROLE

Playlab seeks a Senior Learning Engineer to anchor our work across NYC and the Northeast, home to some of the largest school systems, districts, and CMOs. This role is the senior technical partner for the region, holding deep relationships with NYC DOE schools, regional networks, and partner organizations whose work depends on a steady, in-person Playlab presence.

NYC is unique in Playlab's partner geography. The density of schools, networks, and CMOs working seriously on AI in K-12 is unlike anywhere else in our footprint. The bar for partner trust here is high, the political terrain is real, and the work benefits from a senior practitioner who can show up in person, hold relationships across multiple boroughs, and translate Playlab's craft into the cadence NYC educators and leaders work in.

As Playlab's NYC anchor, you will spend significant time on the ground: in school buildings during build sessions, at network convenings, at district AI-strategy meetings, at lab school sites in the cohort. You will also hold the regional craft bar, defining what good looks like for NYC partner builds, mentoring embedded LEs across the Northeast, and partnering with the Head of Learning Engineering on what the next phase of the region looks like.

This work spans educator AI literacy, student AI literacy, strategic AI adoption at the district level, and helping NYC schools redefine teaching and learning. You will adapt how you build and design with each school's pedagogy, curricula, and context.

You'll also bring regional insights back to the Playlab team, helping us improve the platform, learning materials, and partnership strategy from the seat with the most partner-density on the team.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Anchor the NYC and Northeast Region. Hold the senior Playlab relationship with NYC DOE schools, regional partners, and Northeast CMOs, supporting their work toward strategic, system-level AI adoption.

Lead High-Impact Professional Learning In-Person. Run school-based trainings, PLCs, and coaching experiences across the region that build educator capacity in AI literacy and Playlab app-building.

Build and Co-Design AI Tools alongside NYC and Northeast educators, helping them ship apps that fit their pedagogy, curricula, and school context.

Hold the Bar for Regional Builds. Define what good looks like across the region, review embedded LE work, and make sure apps shipping in NYC partner schools meet a high craft bar.

Mentor Embedded LEs across NYC and the Northeast, sharpening their craft and helping them grow into senior practitioners.

Run High-Trust Coaching through drop-in sessions, in-person office hours at partner schools, and 1:1 work with the most advanced educator builders in the region.

Serve as a Strategic Partner to NYC Leaders. Facilitate goal setting, success planning, and change management with NYC superintendents, principals, and CMO leaders as they scale work with Playlab.

Bring Regional Insights Back to the Playlab team to shape platform features, learning resources, and partnership strategy.

YOU MIGHT BE A FIT IF YOU...

- Have 5+ years of K-12 classroom or instructional leadership experience, ideally in NYC or the Northeast, with a deep respect for how the work of teaching actually goes.

- Former NYC DOE, charter, or Northeast educator, instructional coach, or school/district leader

- Have a senior builder's track record of shipping ambitious AI tools using advanced patterns.

- Have a strong NYC or Northeast network: schools, districts, CMOs, education nonprofits, or networks you have credibility inside of.

- Are a skilled facilitator who runs engaging, inclusive, outcomes-driven adult learning experiences.

- Have experience mentoring or coaching educators or LEs.

- Are confident using and explaining AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Playlab) and can help educators get comfortable too.

- Care for equity and access at the center of the work, especially for students who have been systematically underserved by NYC schools.

- Are excited to spend significant time in NYC partner schools and at regional convenings.

BONUS POINTS FOR...

- Experience leading large-scale instructional technology or PD initiatives across NYC

- Familiarity with NYC DOE structures and Northeast CMO networks

- Experience supporting both student- and adult-facing AI initiatives

- Bilingual (especially Spanish/English)

- Strong network across NYC schools, networks, or education nonprofits

WHY JOIN US?

Real Impact: Lead Playlab's regional strategy in our densest partner geography.

Senior Craft: Hold the bar for NYC and Northeast partner builds, and mentor the embedded LE team in the region.

Mission-Aligned Team: Join a small, passionate group committed to equity, creativity, and joyful learning, backed by the Gates Foundation, Google, CZI, and the Schwab Foundation.

Flexible Work: Hybrid in-person presence in NYC, remote otherwise, with a strong culture of collaboration.

Competitive Pay & Benefits: Includes salary, healthcare, retirement, generous time off, and opportunities for professional growth.