Senior Manager, ML Engineering

We are seeking an experienced and experienced AI & Machine Learning Technical Manager to lead our dynamic team in developing cutting-edge AI & ML solutions. This role is perfect for someone passionate about applying AI and ML, promote innovation, and create impactful products. You will be responsible for our AI systems (conversational agents, tax code classification for products and services, document intelligence, etc.) and how we apply them at Avalara to simplify and scale tax compliance across our entire portfolio of products. As an important part of our leadership team, you will shape the future of our AI & ML projects, manage a talented team of AI professionals, and collaborate with teams to implement projects. We offer the chance to work on pioneering AI technologies and mentor a team of experts, and contribute to the strategic direction of our AI & ML endeavors.

This role will report to Sr Director of AI & ML.

• Lead and manage a team of AI&ML engineers and data scientists, overseeing project lifecycles from conception to deployment, ensuring timely delivery.
• Develop team members, providing guidance on technical challenges, career development, and professional growth opportunities.
• Stay up to date with the latest AI&ML technologies and methodologies, incorporating new approaches into our projects to maintain competitive advantage.
• Develop our AI&ML strategy, aligning with our objectives, and ensuring the team's projects support this vision.
• Collaborate with teams, including product management, engineering, and design, to define project requirements, set priorities, and allocate resources effectively.
• Foster a culture of innovation, encouraging experimentation and learning, and leading by example in adopting a hands-on approach to problem-solving.
• Ensure implementing best practices in project management, software development, and quality assurance to optimize team performance and productivity.
• Manage stakeholder communications, providing regular updates on project status, important milestones, and any challenges or risks, ensuring alignment and support across the organization.

Specific Qualifications:

• Expertise in AI technologies and methodologies, with a portfolio of projects demonstrating your ability to apply these in solving complex problems.
• Experience building and deploying to production APIs powered by AI & Machine Learning systems.
• Proficiency in programming languages relevant to AI & ML, such as Python, R, Java, Scala, C++ and familiarity with AI & ML frameworks and libraries (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, and Scikit-learn).
• Experience with cloud computing platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and understanding of how to use these for scalable, secure, reliable distributed systems with complex workflows relying on AI & ML solutions.
• Background in data engineering and familiarity with database technologies, as well as, data processing / ETL pipelines and visualization tools.

General Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or Machine Learning.
• 9 years of experience in AI & ML with at least 6 years in a management position, overseeing technical teams.
• Translate complex technical concepts and challenges into clear strategic plans and applicable solutions.
• People management skills, with experience mentoring and developing teams.
• Excellent project management skills, with experience in agile methodologies