Head of Data Science & Machine Learning Engineering

Resonate is a leading provider of high-quality, AI-powered consumer data, intelligence, and technology, empowering marketers to create a more personalized world that increases customer acquisition and lifetime value. Our SaaS platform, Ignite, and our Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) offerings provide unparalleled insights into consumer motivations, values, and behaviors, enabling our clients to connect with their target audiences in more meaningful and effective ways. We are a dynamic and fast-growing company seeking passionate and innovative individuals to join our team!

We are seeking a visionary and hands-on leader to become our Head of Data Science and Machine Learning Engineering. This pivotal role provides a unique opportunity to own the entire AI/ML lifecycle, from initial research and algorithmic innovation to robust, scalable production deployment. You will lead our talented Data Science (DS) and Machine Learning Engineering (MLE) teams, fostering a unified culture of excellence and accountability. As a key technology leader, you will be responsible for both setting the strategic AI vision and ensuring its flawless execution, directly impacting our product, customers, and competitive edge. 

The ideal candidate will have proven experience leading and managing both data science (research-focused) and machine learning engineering (production-focused) teams. They will demonstrate a strong track record of owning the entire machine learning lifecycle, including the successful deployment and ongoing maintenance of models in large-scale, real-time production environments. Experience in consumer data, ad-tech, or mar-tech industries will be considered a strong plus. 

In this role, you be at the forefront of extracting valuable insights from a vast array of online and offline data signals. You will drive innovation by developing a machine learning interface that leverages the power of foundation models to solve a myriad of tasks in predictive analytics – segmentation, forecasting, and classification. This is a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of building the next generation of enterprise level machine learning systems.  

Your expertise will contribute to solving complex, industry-specific problems across health, finance, consumer goods, politics, and advocacy. Domain-specific experience in any of these areas is a plus, as it helps us better understand unique market challenges and craft targeted machine learning solutions.  At Resonate, we foster a culture of innovation and expect you to play an integral part in advancing our product suite, spanning from data development to software-as-a-service (SaaS) tools. You will be encouraged to challenge the status quo, introduce new tools and techniques, and bring forward fresh ideas that drive our mission forward.   

 If you are passionate about data, possess a keen eye for detail, and have an unwavering commitment to innovation, we invite you to join our team and help shape the future of our company.   

Key Responsibilities: 

Team Leadership: 

• Lead, manage, and mentor our integrated Data Science and Machine Learning Engineering teams ensuring full accountability for both methodology and delivery.
• Foster a highly collaborative environment where data scientists and MLEs work seamlessly to accelerate the path from idea to production value.
• Define the operational model for the combined team to optimize for velocity, quality, and innovation, even with a lean team structure. 

 End-to-End Strategic Ownership: 

• Drive the strategic vision for data science and AI, ensuring alignment with our product roadmap and business goals.
• Take full ownership of the end-to-end machine learning lifecycle, from model ideation and development to deployment, monitoring, and maintenance in a production environment.
• Propose, lead, and communicate an R&D agenda to advance our product lines, with a focus on methodologies, modeling techniques, and agentic systems. 

 Technical and Operational Delivery: 

• Drive the architectural vision for our MLOps infrastructure, working with the MLE team to install and champion best practices for scalable, automated, and robust model deployment.
• Provide hands-on leadership in the development and deployment of advanced machine learning models, including deep learning techniques, embeddings, neural networks, and GNNs.
• Leverage your expertise in AWS Bedrock, SageMaker, TensorFlow, and PyTorch to build and scale our AI/ML capabilities.
• Stay current on emerging trends in ML, AI, and GenAI, and champion the adoption of new technologies and methodologies. 

 Communication and Evangelism: 

• Serve as an evangelist for AI and data science, partnering closely with the CTO to communicate our vision to the executive team, the board, and the broader organization.
• Represent Resonate at industry events, conferences, and customer meetings as the face of our data science and AI practice.
• Demonstrate exceptional communication skills, with the ability to distill complex technical topics for both technical and non-technical audiences.

Qualifications & Experience Requirements

Leadership and Communication: 

• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate a clear and compelling vision.
• A "player-coach" mentality, capable of guiding a lean, senior team while also contributing technically.
• Comfortability communicating with clients, reporters, and industry analysts
• A collaborative and cross-functional mindset, with the ability to work effectively with engineering, product, and go-to-market teams.
• A continuous learning mindset and a passion for staying at the forefront of the AI/ML field. 

Technical Skills: 

• Deep expertise in modern machine learning techniques, including gradient boosting, Bayesian latent class models, causal inference, deep learning, embeddings, and GNNs.
• Deep, hands-on experience with MLOps principles and tools to support repeatable research and deployment (e.g., CI/CD for ML, model registries, feature stores, model monitoring).
• Strong software engineering fundamentals and architectural skills.
• Hands-on experience with AWS AI/ML services, particularly Bedrock and SageMaker.
• Proficiency in Python and common data science libraries (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn).
• Agentic workflow experience is desirable 

Resonate Attributes 

At Resonate, we care about more than your experience on paper. We look for teammates who bring the right mindset and ways of working to help us do great work, together. The Resonators who thrive here embody these qualities: 

• Ownership: You take initiative, follow through, and hold yourself accountable. 

• Collaboration: You value working with others and building strong, respectful relationships. 

• Adaptability: You stay steady through change and adjust when needed. 

• Growth Mindset: You’re open to learning, feedback, and trying new things. 

• Customer Focus: You keep the end user in mind and aim for impact. 

• Clear Communication: You express ideas simply and listen to understand. 

• Integrity & Empathy: You act with honesty and consider the people around you. 

• Strategic Thinking: You focus on what matters most and work with purpose. 

• Drive: You show up motivated and ready to move things forward. 

• Readiness: You bring the skills to contribute meaningfully from day one. 

These attributes are the foundation of how we work and grow together! 

Benefits

Besides the opportunity to work alongside smart, fun, and hard-working colleagues at Resonate, you'll also enjoy uncapped growth potential, the chance to have a meaningful impact on the company, and the opportunity to work on cutting-edge, AI-powered marketing data and identity solutions that are forever changing the industry. From a competitive 401(k) match to an Open PTO policy that encourages real time off, we’re committed to creating an environment where our team members can thrive both inside and outside of work. Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. A full list of benefits is shared with candidates following their initial conversation with our HR team, so you’ll have a clear understanding of the support and resources available to you as part of the Resonate team.

Location

At Resonate, we take a remote-first approach to work, offering a flexible environment that empowers our team to collaborate seamlessly across different locations. While we embrace remote work, we also encourage thoughtful and intentional in-person collaboration to foster connection and teamwork when needed. Whether you're working from home or joining us in one of our state-of-the-art offices, you'll have the tools and resources you need to succeed.

Resonate is headquartered in Reston, VA, with offices in New York City and Washington, D.C. 

Our EEO Statement:

Resonate is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outline by federal, state, or local laws.

Find out more about our story at www.resonate.com.