Head of Applied AI

Job Description:

Title: Head of Applied AI

Databricks is constantly innovating on how to provide the best-in-class data platform for its customers. Machine learning and artificial intelligence built into the platform itself can provide significant benefits to our customers. First, by enhancing the productivity of our users through code autocompletion, recommendations, enhanced search, and more. Second, through "learned systems" where we use machine learning to autotune workloads, optimize cache behavior, construct better query plans, enhance data layout, and more. This is an exhilarating challenge at our scale.

In this exceptional leadership opportunity, you will lead Databricks's applied AI engineering team to both enhance our product and our infrastructure with machine learning. In this role, you will directly impact how we design, plan, and execute on applied machine learning initiatives at the company. It's a unique opportunity to go zero-to-one to carve a path for machine learning at Databricks.

You will pursue these challenges as a thought leader and key product and engineering partner in Databricks's "Data" organization. In addition to building a world-class team, you will debate and influence product and technical strategies to help make the product smarter.

The perfect candidate will have a passion for data, a proven track record of delivering net-new machine learning, strong ML modeling and architecture skills, great operational skills, and, most importantly, a strong vision for how data can proactively improve the product.

The impact you will have:

• Proactively drive the vision for artificial intelligence across product and engineering, and define and execute on a plan to achieve that vision
• Build machine learning foundation and deliver ML projects through the entire development lifecycle. Transform large, ambiguous business requirements into manageable specifications, define breakthroughs and success criteria, sequence solutions, and deliver and operate large-scale machine learning models and services
• Work with product and infrastructure teams on how applied machine learning can make their product or system better
• Grow and expand your expert team with an eye toward diverse and forward-looking skills that span machine learning methods
• Connect tools and infrastructure for maximizing leverage so that the next ML project is cheaper, faster, better
• Ensure the company is always at the forefront of artificial intelligence
• Represent Databricks at academic and industrial conferences & events

What you'll need:

• 10+ years of machine learning and data science experience in high velocity, high-growth companies
• 5+ years of management experience hiring and developing AI/ML teams
• You have experience building and leading expert machine learning teams that have routinely launched new products and features that drive significant revenue and engagement with machine learning.
• Your technical background is broad, spanning multiple areas including systems engineering and machine learning.
• You are skilled at having an impact in complex or ambiguous problem spaces that cannot initially be empirically proven and require blending data and scientific methods with judgment-based approaches.
• Experience developing machine learning products and capabilities in a cloud environment
• Strong communication skills to explain and evangelize machine learning to executives and the senior management team
• Bias to action and passion for delivering high-quality data solutions
• MS or Ph.D. in quantitative fields (Statistics, Math, CS or Engineering)

Benefits (U.S.)

• Medical, dental, vision
• 401k Retirement Plan
• Unlimited Paid Time Off
• Catered lunch (everyday), snacks, and drinks
• Gym reimbursement
• Employee referral bonus program
• Awesome coworkers
• Maternity and paternity plans
• Mental wellness resources 

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

As a federal government contractor, Databricks requires new U.S. employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Proof of vaccination will be required as a condition of employment. Databricks will make reasonable accommodations based on medical conditions or religious grounds for qualified candidates in accordance with applicable law.

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