Senior Manager, Machine Learning Search

Summary

Join Upwork's Search team as a Senior Engineering Manager, Machine Learning and lead a team of engineers and researchers to enhance Upwork's search and discovery experience. You will drive the development and deployment of state-of-the-art ML models, integrate cutting-edge technologies like RAG and LLMs, and collaborate with various teams. This role requires strong expertise in machine learning, deep learning, and search technologies, as well as exceptional leadership skills. Upwork offers a remote-first work environment and provides comprehensive benefits, including medical insurance, unlimited paid time off, a 401(k) plan, parental leave, and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The annual base salary range is $195,000 - $308,000 USD, with eligibility for bonuses and equity incentives.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering, with at least 3+ years leading ML teams
• Strong expertise in machine learning, deep learning, information retrieval, and search technologies
• Proven experience in search ranking, query understanding, and NLP-based search improvements
• Proficiency in distributed computing frameworks (e.g., Spark, Kubernetes)
• Deep knowledge of deploying scalable ML models in production search systems
• Exceptional leadership skills with a track record of building and mentoring high-performing engineering teams
• Experience with cloud-based ML infrastructure (AWS, GCP, or Azure)
• Strong collaboration skills with the ability to drive alignment across product, engineering, and data teams

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of machine learning engineers, data scientists, and backend engineers
• Drive the development and deployment of state-of-the-art ML models for search retrieval, ranking, and personalization
• Pioneer the integration of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and Large Language Models (LLMs) into traditional search systems
• Collaborate with product, engineering, and data teams to enhance Upwork’s search ecosystem
• Establish technical direction and best practices for ML model training, experimentation, and large-scale deployment
• Optimize search algorithms to improve user experience, engagement, and conversion rates
• Foster an experimentation-driven culture, leveraging A/B testing and data insights to refine search and ranking strategies
• Ensure model explainability, fairness, and ethical AI considerations in search algorithms
• Develop a roadmap for scaling ML-powered search and stay ahead of industry trends

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical insurance coverage for both you and your family
• Unlimited paid time off
• A 401(k) plan with matching contributions
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• An Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Annual bonus plan or sales incentive plan
• Eligibility to participate in our long term equity incentive program