About the Enterprise ML Team
The Enterprise ML team operates at the forefront of the AI revolution, collaborating closely with customers to pinpoint impactful business challenges and construct advanced AI systems. They leverage Scale’s proprietary research, data, and infrastructure to unlock domain expertise through high-quality data and expert feedback.
About the Role
As the Director of Enterprise ML, you will lead a world-class team of research scientists and engineers, define the research roadmap, and drive execution from initial prototyping to successful deployment. This role demands a leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment, adeptly balancing deep technical leadership with people management, strategic vision setting, and delivery. It is ideal for someone who embraces ambiguity, comprehends both the capabilities and limitations of frontier GenAI, and is motivated by transforming research into robust, production-ready systems.
What You’ll Do
- Lead, mentor, and expand a team of research scientists and engineers focused on GenAI research initiatives (e.g., evaluation, post-training, agents, RL environments).
- Define and execute a multi-year research roadmap: identify key scientific questions, establish milestones, allocate resources, and ensure rigorous execution.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, product, client-facing teams, and external academic or industry partners to translate research into components, insights, and actionable outcomes.
- Communicate compellingly: publish research, present at conferences, contribute to open-source projects, and represent the team externally.
- Cultivate an inclusive, high-performing culture: support your team through technical challenges, provide growth opportunities, and attract top talent.
- Maintain deep engagement with the research community, understanding major trends and contributing to their development.
- Thrive in a high-energy, fast-paced startup environment, dedicating the necessary time and effort to achieve impactful results.
What We’re Looking For
Core Qualifications
- 8+ years of hands-on research experience (PhD or equivalent preferred) in machine learning, deep learning, generative models, agent/rl systems, or related domains.
- A strong track record of research excellence, including publications in top-tier ML/AI venues (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, etc.).
- Demonstrated experience in successfully landing major research impacts within a fast-paced environment.
- Experience leading or managing research teams, with an enthusiasm for mentoring, coaching, and developing talent.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of articulating research ideas and outcomes to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence executives, customers, and cross-functional partners.
Nice to Have
- Hands-on experience building and deploying agent-based, tool-augmented, or workflow-driven LLM systems in enterprise environments.
- Prior ownership of enterprise AI platforms, internal ML products, or customer-facing AI services at scale.
- Proven track record of partnering directly with enterprises to identify high-impact use cases and deliver measurable business outcomes.