Cognitiv
Director, ML Research Science (Adtech / Recommender Systems)
San Mateo, CA · Director
Sponsorship not specified$30k-$50kDetected 36 days ago
PythonC++Data StructuresAlgorithmsAWSGCPCloud PlatformsMachine LearningDeep LearningPyTorchSparkData EngineeringNLPLLMsA/B TestingResearchLeadership
About the role
- We are seeking a technical leader who can balance strategic leadership with hands-on contributions.
- You'll oversee a growing team of ML research scientists, guide innovation in deep learning and LLMs, and directly advance Cognitiv's real-time bidding and recommendation systems.
Responsibilities
- Advance AdTech Performance. You continuously improve models and algorithms to drive ad targeting, real-time bidding performance, and audience relevance.
- Enable Scalable Systems. You collaborate with operations, engineering, and cross-functional partners to refine data pipelines, model deployment, and monitoring systems.
- Deliver Results. You manage project timelines, resources, and deliverables, ensuring successful completion of high-impact research initiatives.
- Lead and Mentor.
Requirements
- Proven experience leading teams of researchers and senior ICs/PhDs while remaining 30-50% hands-on (coding, reviews, experimentation).
- Engineering Excellence: Proficiency in Python with strong foundations in algorithms, data structures, and software engineering principles
- Strong C++ programming ability is a significant advantage alongside Python expertise.
- Proficiency in Python with strong foundations in algorithms, data structures, and software engineering principles
Nice to have
- Are you ready to revolutionize the advertising industry?
- Now, we're growing!
- This role is critical to our success, sitting at the intersection of cutting-edge research and production-scale delivery.
- AdTech & RTB Experience.
- Prior exposure to advertising technology and real-time bidding (RTB) systems is a strong plus.
Skills
- Core Tools - Python, PyTorch, deep learning architectures (transformers, recommendation models).
- Traditional ML - XGBoost, PCA.
- Big Data / Infra - Spark, Hadoop, distributed training systems.
- Cloud Platforms - AWS, GCP, or Azure.
- Bonus - C++.
Compensation
- $250,000 - $330,000 USD Base Salary + Equity
- Career development with clear advancement paths
- Hybrid work model & daily team lunch
- 401(k) & RRSP with employer match
- Employee Assistance Program
- Comprehensive onboarding (Cognitiv University)
Benefits
- Base salary is just one part of your total rewards at Cognitiv-you'll also receive equity and a comprehensive benefits package.
- Medical, Dental and Vision plan for US employees & Extended Health Benefits for Canadian employees
- 12 weeks paid parental leave + 4 weeks WFH
- Unlimited PTO + Work-From-Anywhere August
- Equity for all employees
- Health & wellness stipend + cell phone reimbursement
- Parking (CA, WA, Vancouver offices) & pre-tax commuter benefits
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This listing is sourced directly from Cognitiv's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.