Job Specifications
Title: Principal Data Scientist - AI & Machine Learning Foundations
Location: San Jose, California, United States
Type: Fulltime
Description:
Are you passionate about using data and cutting-edge machine learning to solve meaningful problems at scale? As a Principal Data Scientist, you'll be part of a forward-thinking team developing next-generation AI solutions that impact millions of users. This role offers the opportunity to work at the forefront of generative AI, natural language processing (NLP), and deep learning, driving innovation in customer-facing applications.
About the Team
You'll join a dynamic team focused on building scalable AI/ML solutions that power intuitive and personalized digital experiences. Collaborating closely with product, design, and engineering, this team delivers intelligent features such as virtual assistants, in-app search, and personalized content--all backed by state-of-the-art machine learning and language models.
Key Responsibilities
Collaborate cross-functionally with data scientists, ML engineers, software developers, and product managers to build and deploy AI-driven products.
Utilize a modern tech stack--including PyTorch, Hugging Face, AWS, LangChain, VectorDBs, and more--to derive insights from large-scale structured and unstructured datasets.
Lead efforts in developing, fine-tuning, and deploying LLMs and NLP models for production applications.
Take AI/ML models through the full development lifecycle--from prototyping and training to evaluation and scalable deployment.
Translate complex technical work into clear, actionable insights and business outcomes.
Continuously explore emerging tools and techniques in AI to enhance product capabilities and user experiences.
What Makes You a Great Fit
Customer-Focused: You're driven by impact and committed to solving real-world problems that benefit end users.
Innovative: You stay current with AI research and are eager to apply new techniques to unlock value.
Creative Problem Solver: You bring clarity to ambiguity and enjoy exploring new approaches to tough problems.
Technically Strong: You have hands-on experience with LLMs, deep learning, and cloud-based machine learning pipelines.
Collaborative Leader: You foster cross-functional partnerships and advocate for responsible AI across the organization.
Engineering Mindset: You've delivered models and systems that operate at scale, optimizing both performance and maintainability.
Influential Communicator: You can clearly communicate insights to both technical and non-technical stakeholders and inspire teams toward innovation.
Qualifications
Basic Qualifications:
You must meet one of the following:
A bachelor's degree in a quantitative field (e.g., Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, etc.) and at least 5 years of experience in data analytics.
A master's degree in a quantitative field or an MBA with a quantitative concentration and at least 3 years of relevant experience.
A PhD in a quantitative or related field.
Preferred Qualifications:
Advanced degree (master's or PhD) in a STEM discipline.
Strong experience with Python, Scala, or R (3+ years).
Proven track record with SQL and large-scale data processing.
3+ years working with machine learning models in production.
Familiarity with AWS or other cloud computing platforms.
Background in LLM training, optimization, or subfields such as self-supervised learning, explainability, or RLHF.
About the Company
At SoTechTalent, we specialise in connecting forward-thinking tech companies with world-class talent. With deep expertise in SaaS, AI, Cybersecurity, Data and Fintech, we provide bespoke hiring and recruitment solutions tailored to help your business thrive. Whether you're scaling a startup or building a powerhouse team, we're here to make finding exceptional talent effortless and impactiful.
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