Senior Applied ML/AI Scientist - Search

About the role

As a Senior Applied AI/ML Scientist on the Search team, you will help shape the technical vision, machine-learning algorithm strategy, and system design behind one of our most important growth levers: Search (the primary tool used by customers on any e-commerce site). You will advance real-time search and recommendation systems that power next-generation shopping experiences. You'll work at the frontier of algorithms, combining query understanding, deep learning, transformer-based sequential modeling, graph neural networks, and structured behavioral data to return hyper-relevant, personalized products and brands for every user query. This is a rare chance to influence the end-to-end personalized discovery experience at Faire within a high-scale, deeply multi-modal environment, while collaborating closely with a talented team of scientists and engineers.

What you'll do

• Build our next-generation Search ranking algorithms by integrating the latest advances in deep learning and machine learning to personalize the retailer discovery journey at Faire
• Leverage LLM to extract multimodal signals (text, visual) to better profile users and their intents
• Partner closely with teams across Faire to experiment and improve the ML models for search ranking and beyond
• Design and productionize natural-language search and discovery systems so that intelligent agents can generate relevant and personalized collections, explain search results, and assist retailers with browsing, filtering, and evaluation
• Share best practices regarding deep learning model development, agent-workflow evaluation, and MLOps, and help teammates level up through code reviews and technical guidance

You're a great fit if you have

• 5+ years of industry experience building large-scale ML models with business impact and shipping ML solutions to production, including 3+ years in search, recommendation, or ads ranking
• A Master's or PhD in Computer Science, Statistics, or a related STEM field
• Strong programming skills (Python, Java, or equivalent) and hands-on experience with deep-learning libraries (e.g., PyTorch) and big data technologies (e.g., Spark)
• Deep understanding of machine learning best practices (e.g., training/serving, imbalanced data, A/B testing, feature engineering, and feature/model selection) and algorithms (e.g., user modeling, deep learning, and reinforcement learning) with applications in search, recommendation, and advertising domains
• A product-focused mindset and a bias toward execution—moving quickly from research papers to prototypes and production
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong cross-functional influence that raise the technical bar beyond your immediate team

Bonus points

• Contributions to open-source ML libraries or peer-reviewed publications in ML/AI
• Industry experience developing and productizing LLM-based applications and systems in the search domain
• Industry experience building search and recommendation systems for e-commerce or two-sided marketplaces
• Experience using AI tools (e.g., Cursor, Claude Code, Codex) for code development and daily productivity
• Familiarity with Kotlin

Pay

$211,000 to $290,500 per year, plus equity and benefits. Actual base pay determined based on transferable skills, work experience, market demands, and primary work location.

Schedule

Hybrid in-office 3 days per week (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and a third flex day of your choosing), with flexibility to work remotely up to 4 weeks per year.

Why you'll love working at Faire

• Move fast: You'll own meaningful problems that serve customers around the globe with the agency to move fast and see your results clearly
• Equipped to scale: We invest in what matters, including the latest enterprise AI tools, to help you work smarter and get more out of every day
• Best in class: Our team is full of sharp, kind, and generous colleagues who care about their craft and about helping you grow in yours
• Real rewards: Competitive pay, equity, and comprehensive benefits designed to support your life inside and outside of work
• Belonging: We're intentional about building an environment where every Faire employee has equal access to opportunities, growth, and success