Machine Learning Engineer

Valence has built the first-ever, first-to-market AI coaching platform for enterprise, offering personalized, expert, and human-like guidance and support to any leader or employee. At Valence, we're not just talking about the future of work – we're actively shaping it. From your first interaction with us, you'll notice we're different. We're not just offering a job; we're inviting you to help transform the future of work by bringing groundbreaking research into real-world applications that will enhance human skills and abilities in the workplace. At Valence you'll be helping to architect the future of leadership in the age of AI. And we'll be honest – this is not for everyone. But for those with an insatiable curiosity, a passion for innovation, and a desire to transform how businesses approach leadership, this could be the career-defining opportunity you've been waiting for. The future of leadership development is waiting, and we want you to help shape it.

The Role: As a founding Applied AI Engineer at Valence, you'll spearhead the development of groundbreaking AI-driven leadership coaching, reporting directly to our Head of AI. This pivotal role places you at the intersection of cutting-edge generative AI and practical business applications, offering the opportunity to shape the future of workplace development. You'll pioneer AI coaching by developing and deploying advanced generative AI models that revolutionize leadership development. This includes:

• Crafting intelligent interactions through sophisticated natural language processing systems that provide personalized, context-aware guidance to leaders.
• Optimizing our AI systems for enterprise scale, building robust solutions capable of serving Fortune 500 clients with high performance and reliability.
• Collaborating closely with product and leadership teams to drive product innovation and identify new opportunities for AI integration.
• Leading the charge in developing responsible AI practices to ensure our coaching solutions maintain the highest standards of fairness, transparency, and user trust.

This role presents a rare opportunity to tackle unique challenges at the intersection of AI, psychology, and leadership development, creating truly innovative solutions.

About Valence: We're a Series A B2B SaaS company, backed by Insight Partners, that's pioneering the first generative AI leadership coach for large enterprises. Our mission is to transform how the world's biggest companies approach learning and development, helping teams work better together. We've been featured in Harvard Business Review, and our client list reads like a who's who of global business, including Coca-Cola, Nestlé, General Mills, ServiceNow, AstraZeneca, Experian, and Bristol Myer.

What You'll Do:

• Architect and develop enterprise-grade conversational AI solutions for leadership coaching.
• Design and implement improvements in user experience in conversational interactions leveraging LLMs to advance product goals.
• Evaluate and improve existing conversational models across effectiveness, scalability, and efficiency.
• Implement, test, and deploy LLM-powered coaching agents that understand complex tasks, provide accurate responses, and adapt to diverse conversational contexts.
• Integrate and manage diverse data sources to enhance the knowledge and contextual understanding of our AI coaching models.
• Collaborate with the product team to study user behavior and prioritize evolving product developments while streamlining data science processes to support rapid iteration and quality improvement.
• Full stack responsibilities, including writing, reviewing, and deploying code across back and front end as needed.

What We're Looking For:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of professional experience in software engineering or AI/ML development (preferably with a Master's or Ph.D. in a related field).
• Practical and theoretical knowledge of language systems in conversational systems, NLP, and Information Retrieval, along with proficiency in relevant tools.
• Strong software engineering skills with experience in developing data-driven machine learning systems or products.
• Proficiency in Python and relevant deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX).
• Experience with cloud deployment of ML systems (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure) and open systems (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) and their associated ML services.
• Familiarity with Data Science tools and processes (e.g., NumPy, scikit-learn, Pandas, PySpark) and ML lifecycle tools like MLflow and Weights & Biases.
• Hands-on experience building Generative AI-powered applications, including Large Language Models.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to communicate complex ideas effectively.
• Exposure to early-stage startups, preferably B2B SaaS.

What You'll Get:

• Ownership of projects and strategic priorities regardless of seniority in a learning-focused environment.
• Strong ties to the executive team, along with a culture of transparency and engagement with strategic decisions.
• Options from day one, placing you on the ownership track right away.
• Competitive salary and equity packages, along with comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, and vision) from day 1.
• Provision of tools and resources necessary for success: learning tools, hardware, office equipment, and software.
• 401k optionality for US-based employees, alongside generous PTO, company-wide R&R shutdowns, and paid leave for parents.
• A WFH stipend and support for those preferring to work at a We Work or similar space.

Location and Work Environment: Candidates based in NYC or Toronto are welcome to work hybrid in our offices, but this role can also be done remotely. Candidates must be comfortable working with colleagues in different time zones (UK) and have valid travel documents without work authorization restrictions in the US.

Diversity and Inclusion: We are dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and supported. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and offer accommodations upon request throughout the hiring process. If you have any questions, please reach out to Allison Langille, Head of People, at jobs@valence.co.