Lead Data Scientist (Founding Team)

The Mission That Moves Us:

Tensor Planet is on a mission to keep heavy-duty fleets rolling. Our AI-driven platform combines telematics, sensor feeds and repair logs to predict failures before they happen.

Our predictive maintenance product blends cutting-edge AI: time-series models, anomaly detection algorithms, and LLM-powered diagnostic copilots with actionable recommendations.

What You Will Do:

• Shape the data science practice:

  Lead our ML roadmap and drive outcomes to improve uptime and minimize false positive alerts.

• Engineer robust pipelines:

  Design ETL pipelines to ingest terabytes of IOT data from diverse vehicle systems. Collaborate with engineering to productionize models.

• Innovate with ML and Generative AI:

  Build ML algorithms and LLM-based conversational intelligence to power copilots for fleet managers and vehicle technicians.

• Embed domain expertise:

  Translate vehicle mechanics knowledge into high-value features. Partner with product teams to ground models in real-world behavior.

• Mentor a high-performing team:

  Grow and coach a data science team. Establish best practices for model monitoring, explainability, and reproducibility.

Challenges You Will Tackle:

• Sensor Fusion Complexity:

  Integrating high-frequency CAN-bus streams with third-party IoT feeds, historical maintenance logs and real-world context.

• Scale & Latency:

  Delivering real-time predictions across hundreds of vehicles with minimal false positives.

• Regulatory & Safety Constraints:

  Ensuring models comply with industry standards and support safety-critical decision-making.

Who You Are:

• Experience:

  7+ years in data science with at least 3 years in vehicle telematics, Industrial IoT, or automotive diagnostics.

• Technical Skills:

  Expert in Python, ML, SQL/NoSQL and data streaming platforms, deployment workflows - containerization, CI/CD, model tracking and observability.

• Vehicle Expertise:

  Deep familiarity with CAN-bus protocols (J1939, OBD-II), telematics standards, and core vehicle systems like engine, transmission, and exhaust.

• Leadership & Communication:

  Proven track record mentoring teams, delivering production ML models, and translating technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

• Startup DNA:

  You thrive on ambiguity, unafraid to roll up your sleeves, experiment boldly and celebrate learning from failed runs.

What’s In It For You:

• Ownership & Impact:

  Lead data science teams; your work will directly power multimillion-dollar savings for customers.

• Work at the AI Frontier:

  Innovate with LLMs and real-time ML pushing the boundaries of what's possible with AI, while making it useful and understandable.

• Compensation & Incentives:

  Benefit from competitive salaries and ESOPs.

Who We

Tensor Planet is a fast-growing startup backed by a venture accelerator operating in a $20 billion market. We’re running live pilots with waste haulers across the US to help slash vehicle breakdowns by 50%, lower repair costs by 30% and extend fleet life by 25%. 

What’s Our Culture:

We dream big, move with urgency, learn from failures, and thrive on collaboration. We value transparency, curiosity and the right attitude.

Tensor Planet is an equal-opportunity employer building a team as diverse as the fleets we serve.

Come Join Our Team!

If you’re passionate about keeping fleets on the road and have fun doing it, join us now. Be a part of our growth story and scale with us. Drop us a note at careers@tensorplanet.com.