Staff ML Engineer / ML Team Lead

About Zencoder

Join us at Zencoder, where our mission is to advance human knowledge through innovative AI solutions. We're transforming the landscape of software development by empowering developers with AI coding agents embedded into their workflow that help create high-quality software and accelerate product delivery. By empowering developers to code smarter, faster, and with greater impact we bridge the gap between imagination and implementation, helping organizations ship impactful software products faster.

Our product is an extension for JetBrains and VSCode that assists developers not only in generating code but also in iterative refining and repairing it through embedded AI agents. This approach goes beyond the basic code snippet suggestions. By deeply analyzing developers’ repositories and employing robust software engineering principles, Zencoder's agents enhance code quality and project alignment, freeing developers to concentrate more on innovation and creative problem-solving.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a talented Staff ML Engineer / ML Team Lead to shape and lead the development of innovative AI-driven solutions. In this role, you will take ownership of key areas, driving the design, implementation, and optimization of AI pipelines and models that redefine how developers create and refine code. This includes advancing tools for code generation, chat assistance, unit test creation, code repair, and more.

Apply your expertise while continuing to grow in the direction that excites you — whether that’s advancing your technical skills, stepping into leadership, or exploring product development and beyond. This is a unique opportunity to join an early-stage company led by the founder of a unicorn startup, Andrey Filev, and help scale it into a thriving, innovative business. You’ll be a part of the team that ships AI products, shaping the future of software development and unlocking the creative potential of brilliant minds.

Key Responsibilities

• Create embedded AI agents pipelines; design, train, and implement advanced AI models focusing on LLMs, LMMs, and RL. 
• Collaborate with the AI and SWE teams to conceptualize, design, and build a code-generation add-in that empowers developers to automate repetitive tasks and boost productivity.
• Conduct thorough testing of developed solutions, identify and address any bugs or performance issues, and optimize code for efficiency and scalability.
• Stay updated with the latest trends and advancements in full-stack development, DevOps practices, and AI technologies to drive innovation and maintain competitiveness.
• Influence how software development will be done in the whole industry.

Essential Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in the ML/AI field. 
• Deep understanding of machine learning, including experience with some fields of classical ML (recommendation systems, regressions/classifications on tabular data, and time series or other areas of classical ML).
• Deep understanding of modern NLP: different providers strengths and weaknesses, best OS models, SOTA ways to finetune, quantize and distill models.
• Experience with fine-tuning using RLHF or DPO. 
• Ability to set up data collection pipelines.
• Proficiency in Python.
• Ability to explain complex AI concepts and architectures clearly.
• Deep understanding and experience of enterprise software development processes, ability to formalize typical SDLC tasks with all nuances.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a knack for troubleshooting and debugging complex issues.
• Proven ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment, with excellent communication skills and a commitment to delivering high-quality solutions on time.
• Eagerness to learn and adapt to new technologies and methodologies, with a passion for continuous improvement and innovation.
• Ability to work in dynamic, fast-changing environments or experience in start-ups. 
• Prior experience in creating developer tools loved by their users would be highly advantageous, especially for VS and JetBrains add-ins.
• Experience with RAG and multi-agent pipelines is a plus.

Why Join Zencoder?

• Impact: Gen AI will change how companies develop software in the next two years. Be at the frontier of that AI work, building a category-leading product in a huge market. You will have an everyday opportunity to innovate.
• Growth potential: Thrive in a high-growth AI startup combining personal and career growth.
• High Talent Density: Collaborate daily with our experienced AI engineers, software engineers, and founder, Andrew Filev.
• Equity: Align your success with ours by participating in our equity plan.
• Flexibility: We hire globally, prioritizing talent over location. Work where you’re most productive and comfortable.

Zencoder is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.