Director of Engineering: AI-Driven Search & Query Understanding

Yahoo Holdings Inc. in; Champaign (IL); Hybrid; USD 161,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Healthcare benefits

401k plan

Job summary

Yahoo is seeking a Director of Engineering for Search Query Understanding and Guidance to lead ML-based system design across multiple teams. You will define data strategies, evaluation frameworks, and scalable serving, while partnering with product and research to drive innovation.

The role emphasizes AI/ML expertise, Python and Java/C++, and a strong track record in strategic technical leadership. A flexible hybrid work model is offered with opportunities to influence large-scale search

Qualifications

• 8+ years of track record driving significant impact in the industry with increasing levels of responsibility and strategic influence.
• Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Statistics, Applied Math or related field, or equivalent work experience with a proven record of strategic technical leadership.
• Expertise in AI, machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, and a demonstrated ability to apply these technologies to solve strategic business problems.

Responsibilities

• Guide the design and implementation of large-scale ML-based solutions across multiple teams based on strategic product roadmaps.
• Define overarching technical requirements, including data strategies, evaluation frameworks, and scalable production serving strategies.
• Drive cross-team collaboration through strong communication with engineering, product, and research leads.
• Stay current with AI industry trends, including LLMs and generative AI, and guide teams in adoption aligned with product vision.
• Lead data analysis efforts to identify patterns, validate hypotheses, and steer development directions with product partners.
• Champion the use of Agentic AI to maximize product and system benefits.

Skills

AI/ML expertise

Leadership

Python

Java or C++

Query understanding

Education

Master's degree in CS/EE/Statistics/Applied Math or related field

Tools

Java

C++

Job description

Yahoo is seeking a Director of Engineering for Search Query Understanding and Guidance to lead ML-based system design across multiple teams. You will define data strategies, evaluation frameworks, and scalable serving, while partnering with product and research to drive innovation.

The role emphasizes AI/ML expertise, Python and Java/C++, and a strong track record in strategic technical leadership. A flexible hybrid work model is offered with opportunities to influence large-scale search