Staff ML Engineer: Platform Leader & High-Impact ML

Kikoff; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 307,000 - 352,000; Full time

Job summary

Kikoff is seeking a Staff Machine Learning Engineer to set the technical direction for ML across underwriting, risk, and personalization. You will own the ML platform and modeling roadmap end to end, delivering high-impact models and governance at scale.

This hands-on role partners with Product, Risk, Finance, and Engineering to raise the bar for ML and drive measurable business value for millions of users.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of software or machine learning engineering experience.

Responsibilities

• Define the multi‑quarter vision for ML at Kikoff across underwriting, fraud/risk, and personalization.
• Architect and evolve the ML platform and modeling roadmap end to end.
• Lead flagship modeling work including cash advance and credit underwriting models.
• Establish model governance with Risk, Compliance, and Legal.
• Set standards for experiment design and measurement.
• Collaborate with product and business leaders to translate goals into technical bets.
• Provide hands-on mentorship to grow engineers into technical leaders.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Analytical rigor

Cross-functional leadership

Technical mentorship

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering/Math/Statistics

Tools

Python

PyTorch

AWS/GCP

Docker

Kubernetes

Model registries

Feature stores

Job description

Kikoff is seeking a Staff Machine Learning Engineer to set the technical direction for ML across underwriting, risk, and personalization. You will own the ML platform and modeling roadmap end to end, delivering high-impact models and governance at scale.

This hands-on role partners with Product, Risk, Finance, and Engineering to raise the bar for ML and drive measurable business value for millions of users.