Lead Machine Learning Engineer

Posted 4 Days Ago
Be an Early Applicant
2 Locations
Hybrid
Senior level
Artificial Intelligence • Information Technology • Productivity • Software
The Role
Lead and own the ML/AI function: architect multi-modal agentic systems, define evaluation frameworks and datasets, productionize reliable scalable ML, ensure compliance, and build and mentor a high-performing ML team.
Summary Generated by Built In
About Saris AI

We're a San Francisco, Montreal and Toronto based applied AI startup that's building the future of work in the banking industry. We are tackling a $100 billion/yr problem, doubling every quarter and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with multi-turn AI agentic systems

Our goal is to tackle the type of automation problems that require long-context reasoning, tool orchestration across legacy systems, and strict compliance loops: the ones without known answers.

We’ve shipped real agents that handle real customer workflows in production. With a growing customer base and live deployments, we’re scaling up fast and looking for deeply technical builders who want to have outsized impact early.

Our core engineering team is looking for a hands-on ML Engineering Lead who thrives in early-stage, ambiguous environments. You’ve led ML systems from v1 to scale, and enjoy defining both the technical direction and the systems that power them.

 
Your mission is to
  • Own and lead the ML/AI function end-to-end, setting technical direction and standards across the company

  • Architect and guide the development of multi-modal, agentic AI systems powering real-world workflows

  • Define and oversee evaluation frameworks, datasets, and performance metrics to continuously improve agent quality

  • Drive productionization of ML systems, ensuring reliability, scalability, and compliance in real-world environments

  • Build and mentor a high-performing ML team over time, setting best practices across modeling, experimentation, and deployment

     
Who You Are
  • 8+ years of experience in ML/AI engineering, including time as a technical lead or manager

  • Proven track record of leading ML initiatives end-to-end, from problem definition → production deployment

  • Deep experience with LLMs and/or agentic systems, ideally in real-world, customer-facing applications

  • Strong understanding of ML fundamentals (deep learning, transformers, model evaluation, tradeoffs)

  • Experience scaling ML systems in production, including monitoring, iteration, and reliability

  • Demonstrated ability to lead engineers, influence architecture decisions, and drive technical direction

  • Comfortable operating in early-stage, ambiguous environments with high ownership

  • Strong communication skills with the ability to translate complex ML concepts into clear decisions

 
Bonus Points If You
  • Have experience building agentic systems, orchestration layers, or long-context reasoning systems

  • Are comfortable across the stack (data → modeling → infra → APIs)

  • Have worked with both open-source and closed LLMs, including fine-tuning or retrieval systems (RAG)

  • Have a strong product mindset and care deeply about real-world impact, not just model performance

 
Why Join Saris AI?
  • 🏦 Join us in building the future of work for the trillion-dollar banking industry using cutting edge AI technology.

  • ⚡Tackle ambiguous technical challenges with no clear answers.

  • 💲Competitive compensation with premium benefits and equity package.

  • 🤝Work with a stellar team of engineers, builders, and leaders; including repeat YC founders with a successful exit (Ready Education).

  • 📈We already have production agents live with revenue-generating customers

  • 🐦 🔥Our team is backed by Tier 1 Silicon Valley VCs

Skills Required

  • 8+ years of experience in ML/AI engineering, including time as a technical lead or manager
  • Proven track record of leading ML initiatives end-to-end from problem definition to production deployment
  • Deep experience with LLMs and/or agentic systems in customer-facing applications
  • Strong understanding of ML fundamentals: deep learning, transformers, model evaluation and tradeoffs
  • Experience scaling ML systems in production including monitoring, iteration, and reliability
  • Demonstrated ability to lead engineers, influence architecture decisions, and drive technical direction
  • Comfortable operating in early-stage, ambiguous environments with high ownership
  • Strong communication skills with ability to translate complex ML concepts into clear decisions
  • Experience building agentic systems, orchestration layers, or long-context reasoning systems
  • Comfortable across the stack (data -> modeling -> infra -> APIs)
  • Experience with open-source and closed LLMs, including fine-tuning or retrieval systems (RAG)
  • Strong product mindset and focus on real-world impact
Am I A Good Fit?
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The Company
35 Employees
Year Founded: 2024

What We Do

Saris AI develops AI workflow agents that automate back-office operations and complex customer interactions for banks and credit unions.

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