Staff Machine Learning Scientist

Zendesk; Greater London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading software company in the UK is seeking a Staff Machine Learning Scientist to revolutionize customer interactions through AI. This role involves designing innovative ML solutions and collaborating with cross-functional teams. Candidates should have a degree in a relevant field and a proven record in ML or NLP research, along with knowledge of deep learning architectures. Experience with conversational AI technologies is highly desirable. The position offers the opportunity to shape product roadmap and engage in meaningful research.

Qualifications

• Proven record of Machine Learning or NLP research in industry.
• Knowledge of building deep learning neural network architectures.
• Ability to implement ideas from research literature into proof‑of‑concept models.

Responsibilities

• Design and test novel AI solutions for real business problems.
• Own research projects from understanding requirements to reporting.
• Collaborate with Product managers to discover product roadmap.

Skills

Machine Learning

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Deep Learning

Statistical Analysis

Conversational AI

English Fluency

Education

Degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or related

Job description

Overview

The Agentic Tribe is revolutionizing the chatbot and voice assistance landscape with Gen3, a cutting‑edge AI Agent system that pushes the boundaries of conversational AI. Gen3 is not your typical chatbot; it is a goal‑oriented, dynamic, truly conversational system capable of reasoning, planning, and adapting to user needs in real time. By leveraging a multi‑agent architecture and advanced language models, Gen3 delivers personalized and engaging user experiences, moving beyond scripted interactions to handle complex tasks and off‑script inquiries with ease.

We are delighted to be hiring a Staff Machine Learning Scientist for the AI Agent product at Zendesk. You will own a designated product area and revolutionize how our customers experience our products. This is an exciting opportunity to bridge the gap between cutting‑edge ML research and real‑world impact. You’ll have the freedom to shape the product roadmap, discover innovative ML applications, and collaborate with a talented cross‑functional team.

What You Will Do (Responsibilities)

• You’ll be part of a team responsible for designing and testing novel AI solutions for real business problems.
• You’ll own the full research projects end‑to‑end from understanding business requirements to design, implementation, experimentation, and reporting.
• You’ll discuss ideas with the research team regularly and provide peer review for your colleagues’ work.
• You’ll keep up with the NLP and ML fields and literature and introduce new concepts discovered as potential solutions to our business problems.
• You’ll work closely with AI engineers, helping them implement your designs into our production system.
• You’ll use suitable tools and technologies for rapid implementation and quick hypothesis testing while keeping production implementation in mind.
• You’ll collaborate with Product managers and other non‑technical stakeholders to discover product roadmap.

Who You Are (Qualifications)

• Degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, Engineering, Mathematics, etc.
• Proven record of Machine Learning or NLP research, ideally in industry.
• Knowledge of building deep learning neural network architectures, ideally with a focus on NLP.
• Ability to implement ideas from research literature into proof‑of‑concept models.
• Practical approach for researching machine learning solutions to business problems.
• Huge bonus if you have experience with LLMs, Prompt Engineering, and AI Agent Context Management.
• Ideally have experience with conversational AI and voice technologies including text‑to‑speech (TTS) and speech‑to‑speech (STS).
• A positive, pro‑active team player who is passionate about their craft, eager to contribute to product discussions, and cares about helping the team deliver.
• Great communication skills and fluency in English.

How We Measure Success

• Alignment of your work with the overall product roadmap and strategic goals.
• Effectiveness in collaborating with product managers, engineers, designers, and other stakeholders.
• Discovery and ideation – ability to identify new opportunities within the product area and champion these ideas.

The Interview Process

We want to be transparent about what you can expect from our interview process:

1. Initial Call with Talent Team – 15 minutes
2. Interview with a member of the Hiring Team – 45 minutes
3. Take‑home technical/research challenge
4. A technical interview with two of our scientists – 1 hour
5. Final interview with either the CTO or an Engineering Manager/Director – 45 minutes

About Zendesk

Zendesk builds software for better customer relationships. It empowers organizations to improve customer engagement and better understand their customers. Zendesk products are easy to use and implement. They give organizations the flexibility to move quickly, focus on innovation, and scale with their growth.

More than 100,000 paid customer accounts across 150+ countries use Zendesk products. Zendesk is headquartered in San Francisco and has operations worldwide.

Zendesk is an equal‑opportunity employer and is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion. All applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, ancestry, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

By submitting your application you agree that Zendesk may collect your personal data for recruiting, global organization planning, and related purposes. Zendesk’s Candidate Privacy Notice explains how personal information is processed and the rights you have regarding its use.