Senior Applied ML/AI Scientist - Search - Faire, Kitchener-Waterloo

AI Summary

Faire is seeking a Senior Applied ML/AI Scientist for their Search Group in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. This role involves driving the technical vision and ML algorithm strategy for critical search and recommendation systems. Key duties include integrating large language models, natural language processing, and deep learning to deliver hyper-relevant, personalized product feeds. Successful applicants will possess over five years of experience building large-scale ML systems, with a strong background in search, recommendation, or ads ranking.

About the Role at Faire

Faire, a leading technology wholesale platform, is dedicated to empowering independent retailers around the globe by connecting them with exceptional products. The company leverages the power of technology, data, and machine learning to foster a thriving community of entrepreneurs. This Senior Applied AI/ML Scientist position within the Search Group is pivotal for enhancing customer value and company growth, focusing on the core search functionality that underpins the e-commerce experience. The successful candidate will lead the advancement of real-time Search and Recommendation systems, shaping the next generation of shopping experiences on the platform. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a company that believes in the future of local commerce, providing essential tools and insights to level the playing field for small businesses.

Key Responsibilities and Technical Leadership

As a Senior Applied AI/ML Scientist, you will own the next-generation Search engine, integrating cutting-edge technologies such as large language models (LLMs), query understanding, dense vector retrieval, deep personalization embeddings, multi-stage ranking, and reinforcement learning. The objective is to serve personalized product feeds with exceptionally low latency, ensuring a seamless user experience. A significant part of this role involves designing and productionizing natural language search and discovery systems, enabling intelligent agents to generate relevant collections and assist retailers in browsing and evaluation. Furthermore, you will lead model development and GPU-based deployment efforts, leveraging frameworks like Triton to scale inference reliably and efficiently. This position also includes a strong mentorship component, guiding senior Applied Scientists and Machine Learning Engineers and establishing best practices around model development, agent workflow evaluation, and MLOps. Your work will directly impact how retailers discover products from around the world.

Ideal Candidate Profile and Qualifications

The ideal candidate for this Senior Applied AI/ML Scientist role will bring a robust technical background, demonstrated through at least five years of experience building large-scale ML systems. This must include a minimum of three years specifically in search, recommendation, or ads ranking. Hands-on experience with popular deep learning libraries, such as PyTorch, and vector search infrastructure like Faiss, ScaNN, or Pinecone, is essential. A proven track record of productionizing models that effectively blend LLMs (e.g., BERT, GPT-class) with structured features to drive personalization is highly valued. Faire is looking for individuals with a product-focused mindset and a bias toward execution, capable of moving quickly from conceptualisation to prototype and then into production. Strong Python skills, a deep respect for system reliability and ownership, and experience operating in high-stakes environments are critical. Excellent communication and cross-functional influence are also key, as you will be expected to raise the technical bar beyond your immediate team. Bonus points are awarded for contributions to open-source ML libraries or peer-reviewed publications in ML/AI, as well as an MS or PhD in Computer Science, Statistics, or a related STEM field. Faire uses AI to screen and select applicants, ensuring a streamlined process for this exciting opportunity.