Who We Are
Ema is building the next generation of AI solutions to transform enterprise productivity by automating document-intensive workflows across industries. Whether it-s drafting custom documents, automating search and extraction, or enabling reasoning over complex document workflows (such as RFPs, prospectuses, or auditing processes), our AI-powered solutions are redefining how businesses approach repetitive tasks. Founded by seasoned leaders from Google, Coinbase, and Okta, Ema is a stealth-mode startup, backed by top-tier investors and based in Silicon Valley and Bangalore.
Role Overview Key Responsibilities
This is a high-leverage leadership role that spans architecture, execution, and org-building, and will shape the direction of our search platform for years to come. We are seeking a Head of Search - engineering leader to architect, scale, and own the core systems that power Ema-s Search platform. This role is especially critical to building and scaling:
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Own the technical roadmap for Search at Ema
- this includes -
Core Search Platform
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Integrations internally with other application teams
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Integrations with partner teams
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Open API specs to bring in the data into Ema
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Set the roadmap for our Data Ingestion Platform
- which enables Ema to securely ingest, transform, and index data from documents, spreadsheets, emails, and SaaS systems. -
Our Application Integration Platform
- which connects Ema to hundreds of third-party APIs, allowing our agents to act across CRMs, ITSMs, HRIS platforms, and more. -
Design and scale our Search Platform, enabling structured and unstructured data to flow seamlessly into Ema for search, reasoning, and generation.
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Own the architecture and implementation of Ema-s Search Index.
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Drive and collaborate with the LLMOps infrastructure: influence on how 1000s of transforms can be developed by external folks as well.
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Ensure platform support for diverse data formats (PDFs, spreadsheets, databases, charts, etc.) using PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch, and other relevant tools.
Required Skills Qualifications
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Bachelor-s or Master-s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
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12+ years of experience in backend systems, lucene, elastic search, vector datastores, infrastructure and scale.
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Knowledge of indexing strategies, inverted indexes, sharding/replication, and managing large document corpora.
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Expertise in ranking algorithms (BM25, vector-based, hybrid).
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Familiarity with relevance tuning, query understanding, and search result evaluation.
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Proficiency with metrics (precision, recall, NDCG, MRR, etc.).
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Proven experience in building the search infrastructure and scaling real-time systems on the search engine.
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Deep understanding of knowledge search
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Deep expertise in cloud-native architecture, containerized services, and microservice orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes).
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Solid understanding of LLM-based pipelines, knowledge retrieval, and secure document processing.
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Strong experience with data systems like PostgreSQL, Elasticsearch, and Redis.
Why Join Ema
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Work at the forefront of agentic AI systems-driving real enterprise transformation.
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Own mission-critical platforms that make or break Ema-s capabilities.
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Join an elite team of engineers, product thinkers, and AI researchers who value deep execution.
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Help define the architectural, cultural, and operational DNA of a company set to define a new category.
Ema-s Culture Values
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High Bar on Quality - We value excellence and expect world-class execution.
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Ownership Accountability - We take full responsibility for our work and outcomes.
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Impact-Driven Approach - We set ambitious goals and measure success through real-world impact.
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Team Collaboration Growth - We believe in continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and supporting each other.
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No Hierarchy, Just Execution - Everyone is an individual contributor, focused on delivering results.
Join Ema and lead a team committed to delivering powerful, hands-on AI solutions that transform enterprise workflows.