Head of Artificial Intelligence

ModiFace; Toronto; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading beauty tech firm in Toronto is seeking an experienced AI Research Team Lead to drive innovation in the industry. You will mentor a high-performing team, manage cutting-edge AI projects, and communicate complex concepts effectively. The ideal candidate has over 10 years in AI research and a strong publication record. This role offers competitive pay and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Benefits

Health & Dental Benefits

Wellness & training programs

Worldwide Profit Sharing

RRSP matching

Team lunches

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in AI research with a proven record of leading successful research teams.
• Strong publication record in machine learning at top-tier conferences.
• Experience with machine learning development lifecycle and advanced AI methods.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team implementing novel AI techniques in beauty tech.
• Foster team growth and manage performance reviews.
• Ensure timely delivery of AI research projects while balancing innovation and quality.

Skills

Expertise in AI/ML concepts

Team leadership

Effective communication

Education

PhD or master’s degree in computer science or related fields

Job description

Research, innovation, and scale! ModiFace is the first tech company to be acquired by beauty giant L’Oréal and provides industry-leading AR and AI technology to the most influential brands in the world. ModiFace’s patented technology is based on more than a decade of advanced facial recognition research at the University of Toronto and in collaboration with L'Oréal’s Research and Innovation team. Our services include live 3D makeup and skin care simulation, anti-aging / skin-care diagnostics, and live hair colour simulation.

In this critical role, you will lead a team of ML researchers that partners with colleagues across multiple disciplines of the company to create innovative AI solutions and revolutionize the beauty industry. You will work with bright and insightful minds, passionate professionals, and a welcoming community where your creative ideas are highly valued.

What You’ll Do

1. Cutting-Edge Research :
2. Drive the exploration and implementation of novel techniques across core AI domains, including but not limited to computer vision, natural language processing, and generative AI, ensuring the organization remains at the forefront of technological advancement.
3. Stay abreast of the latest advancements in AI research and identify opportunities for innovation.
4. Represent the company at leading AI conferences and publish research findings in top-tier journals.
5. Act as a key liaison between the AI team and various business units, deeply understanding their challenges and opportunities, and translating them into well-defined, actionable machine learning problems.
6. Build and empower a world-class AI team :
7. Mentor and lead a high-performing team of AI scientists, fostering a collaborative and supportive environment that encourages growth and development. Conduct performance reviews to ensure team members meet their goals and contribute to the success of the AI team.
8. Recruit, develop, and retain top AI talent.
9. Project management :
10. Ensure timely delivery of AI research projects, maintaining a balance between innovation, quality, and efficiency.
11. Provide technical leadership and research direction, exploring innovative applications of AI in beauty tech.
12. Develop and execute a strategic research roadmap aligned with the company's overall goals.
13. Effective Communication :
14. Clearly articulate complex AI concepts and their business implications to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

What You’ll Need

• PhD or master’s degree in computer science or related fields.
• Extensive experience (10+ years) in AI research, with a demonstrable track record of leading successful research teams.
• Strong expertise in various AI / ML concepts and paradigms.
• A strong publication record in machine learning, computer vision, or related fields is desired at conferences such as SIGGRAPH, ICML, ICLR, NeurIPS, CVPR, ICCV, or ECCV.
• Experience with machine learning development lifecycle and AI / ML methods such as Transformers, Diffusion Models, LLM, GenAI, etc.
• Ability to convey rigorous mathematical and scientific concepts to non-experts.

Our Perks

When you join ModiFace, you’ll enjoy working with a team of passionate engineers and business professionals who are open and collaborative within an inclusive environment. We offer an opportunity to advance and refine your skills and talent.

Along with a competitive salary, we offer access to Health & Dental Benefits, including company-sponsored wellness & training programs, Worldwide Profit Sharing, RRSP matching, employee assistance programs, exciting in-office and off-site social activities, team lunches, a stocked kitchen, and more!

At ModiFace, we create software used by diverse people globally. We value diversity and inclusion within our team to ensure we can deliver the fairest and accessible technology possible, so we welcome and encourage all persons to apply. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.