VP of Data Science

Read AI; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 230,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity and benefits

Flexible time away and family leave programs

Low-deductible health plans

Job summary

A leading AI firm is seeking a VP of Data Science to guide a team focused on advancing machine learning and data engineering. This strategic role involves defining the AI roadmap, mentoring staff, and ensuring alignment with company goals. Candidates should have extensive experience in data science, a proven track record of deploying AI, and strong leadership skills. The position offers a competitive salary and benefits package.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in data science or ML roles, with 5+ in leadership.
• Experience with production AI in user-facing applications.
• Strong knowledge of LLMs and modern ML stacks.

Responsibilities

• Lead a cross-functional data organization.
• Define and drive AI/ML roadmap to align with business goals.
• Oversee data infrastructure and real-time ML systems.

Skills

Leadership in data science

ML and AI deployment

Cloud-native platforms

Effective communication

Hands-on ML experience

Education

Advanced degree in Computer Science, ML, or Statistics

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

BigQuery

Spark

Job description

Overview

We are seeking a strategic and hands-on VP of Data Science to lead Read AI’s core technical foundation across AI, machine learning, and data engineering. This role will oversee a growing team of data scientists, ML researchers, data engineers, and MLOps professionals focused on building and scaling our AI models, pipelines, and production infrastructure. You’ll own the roadmap, execution, and quality of everything from research to deployment, helping shape the future of AI-powered productivity.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a cross-functional data organization spanning research science, ML, and analytics.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop managers and ICs across functions, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.
• Create clear development paths and career opportunities for a diverse and deeply technical team.
• Define and drive our long-term AI/ML roadmap, ensuring alignment with product and business goals.
• Balance forward-looking research with delivering impactful, scalable product features.
• Represent the data science org to executive stakeholders and help shape company-wide priorities.
• Oversee the design and optimization of data infrastructure and real-time ML systems, including ranking, summarization, RAG, LLM orchestration, and signal processing.
• Drive best practices for model experimentation, evaluation, deployment, observability, and responsible AI.
• Enable a flexible, high-velocity experimentation environment that empowers scientists and engineers to move quickly.
• Partner closely with Product, Engineering, Design, and GTM teams to integrate AI deeply into our user experience.
• Translate technical capabilities into product innovation and measurable business value.
• Serve as a thought leader for AI both internally and externally (optional: speaking, publishing, or open-source contributions).

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in data science, ML, or applied research roles, with 5+ years in technical leadership roles.
• Demonstrated success leading teams that built and deployed production AI at scale in real-world user-facing applications.
• Hands-on experience with LLMs, transformers, and modern ML stacks (e.g. PyTorch, JAX, TensorFlow, Hugging Face, LangChain).
• Strong knowledge of cloud-native data and ML platforms (e.g., BigQuery, Spark, Ray, Airflow, KubeFlow).
• Proven ability to manage infrastructure as well as applied ML science.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence both executive stakeholders and technical teams.
• Experience building and deploying models to both B2C and B2B experiences that touch tens of millions of users.
• Experience with GenAI, Retrieval, ML or Recommendations.
• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Computer Science, ML, Statistics, or related field preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

The base salary range for this position is $230,000 - $250,000 per year, plus equity and benefits. The base pay shown is a guideline; total compensation varies based on qualifications, skill level, competencies, and location. Benefits include low-deductible health plans and flexible time away and family leave programs.

Location and Employment

Location: Bellevue, WA (or as specified by the posting). This is a full-time position. Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor visas at this time.

Why Read AI?

• Innovative: We’re bringing AI to the masses to improve every interaction.
• Massive Impact: AI helps people focus on what matters by taking on mundane tasks.
• Growth Opportunities: Read AI is rapidly expanding with strong investor backing and recognition in the industry.
• Collaborative Culture: Work in a supportive, diverse, and talented team.