About the Role
The Enterprise ML team at Scale AI is at the forefront of the AI revolution, collaborating closely with customers to identify significant business challenges and develop advanced AI systems. This involves leveraging Scale’s proprietary research, data, and infrastructure to unlock domain expertise through high-quality data and expert feedback.
As the Director of Enterprise ML, you will be responsible for leading a world-class team of research scientists and engineers. Your role will involve defining the research roadmap and driving execution from initial prototyping through to deployment. This position requires a leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment, capable of balancing deep technical leadership with people management, vision setting, and delivery. This is an ideal role for someone who excels in ambiguity, possesses a strong understanding of frontier GenAI capabilities and their limitations, and is motivated by transforming research into robust, production-ready systems.
What You’ll Do
- Lead, mentor, and grow a team of research scientists and engineers focused on GenAI research initiatives (e.g., evaluation, post-training, agents, RL environments).
- Define and drive a multi-year research roadmap, which includes identifying key scientific questions, setting milestones, allocating resources, and ensuring 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 by publishing research, presenting at conferences, contributing to open-source projects, and representing the team externally.
- Foster an inclusive, high-performing culture, providing technical guidance, growth opportunities, and attracting top talent.
- Maintain a deep connection to the research community, staying informed about major trends and actively contributing to shaping them.
- Thrive in a high-energy, fast-paced startup environment, dedicating the necessary time and effort to deliver 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, evidenced by publications in top-tier ML/AI venues (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, etc.).
- Demonstrated experience in landing major research impacts within a fast-paced environment.
- Experience leading or managing research teams, with a passion for mentoring, coaching, and developing talent.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate research ideas and outcomes to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, capable of influencing 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.