Head of Applied Machine Learning

Attentive® is the AI-powered mobile marketing platform transforming the way brands personalize consumer engagement. Attentive enables marketers to craft tailored journeys for every subscriber, driving higher recurring revenue and maximizing campaign performance. Activating real-time data from multiple channels and advanced AI, the platform personalizes content, tone, and timing to deliver 1:1 messages that truly resonate.

With a top-rated customer success team recognized on G2, Attentive partners with marketers to provide strategic guidance and optimize SMS and email campaigns. Trusted by leading global brands like Neiman Marcus, Samsung, Wayfair, and Dyson, Attentive ensures enterprise-grade compliance and deliverability, supporting trillions of interactions across more than 70 industries. To learn more or request a demo, visit www.attentive.com or follow us on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), or Instagram.

Attentive’s growth has been recognized by Deloitte’s Fast 500, Linkedin’s Top Startups and Forbes Cloud 100 all thanks to the hard work from our global employees!

About the Role

Attentive’s Data Science & Machine Learning organization unites data scientists, applied scientists, and applied ML engineers who design, build, and operate the models behind our AI‑powered marketing platform. We own the company’s data‑driven decision‑making and conversational‑AI efforts end‑to‑end, turning real‑time data into production ML systems that reach hundreds of millions of consumers every day. Partnering closely with Product, Engineering, and Go‑to‑Market, we transform data into revenue‑driving capabilities while fostering a high‑performance, high‑impact culture. Joining this group offers a rare, high‑growth opportunity to lead and learn from some of the world’s most talented ML and data professionals.

This role requires someone able to operate strategically within the organization to elevate machine learning from technical execution to applied product and market impact. With a dedicated Machine Learning Platform organization now supplying robust infrastructure and MLOps, your mandate is squarely on the applied and product side: discovering the highest‑value opportunities in our data, crafting the applied‑ML strategy that turns those insights into shipped features, and shaping the teams, processes, and models that scale them—from zero‑to‑one prototypes and pragmatic heuristics to enterprise‑grade systems. Operating at the intersection of data, product, and go‑to‑market, you will guide multiple squads of ML engineers and scientists, serve as the executive point of contact for all product‑facing ML work, set vision, influence company‑wide roadmaps, and serve as a magnet for world-class talent who want to do the best work of their careers.

• Define the applied ML strategy that drives measurable gains in subscriber LTV and brand revenue/earnings
• Lead and scale high-impact teams of applied ML engineers and (potentially) applied scientists embedded across product squads
• Prioritize value, not complexity—identify where pragmatic modeling, heuristics, or zero-to-one systems unlock outsized business returns
• Drive cross-functional alignment with Product, Engineering, and GTM to ensure ML work is sequenced, scoped, and shipped with impact
• Establish accountability for outcomes through clear success metrics, experimentation standards, and model-to-KPI frameworks

• 8+ Years of proven experience leading applied ML and potentially data/applied science teams in a fast-paced, product-led environment
• Deep technical fluency across ML modeling, experimentation, and production systems, with strong product and business judgment
• Track record of turning ambiguous opportunities into shippable ML systems that deliver business resultsEffective at influencing executive/senior stakeholders and guiding cross-functional strategy
• Leadership presence that draws in, develops, and inspires world-class talent
• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Statistics, Economics, Operations Research, or a related quantitative field preferred

For US based applicants:

- The US base salary range for this full-time position is $335,000 to $480,000 annually + equity + benefits

- Equity is a substantial part of the total compensation package

- Our salary ranges are determined by role, level and location

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Attentive Company Values

Default to Action - Move swiftly and with purpose

Be One Unstoppable Team - Rally as each other’s champions

Champion the Customer - Our success is defined by our customers' success

Act Like an Owner - Take responsibility for Attentive’s success

Learn more about AWAKE, Attentive’s collective of employee resource groups.

If you do not meet all the requirements listed here, we still encourage you to apply! No job description is perfect, and we may also have another opportunity that closely matches your skills and experience.

At Attentive, we know that our Company's strength lies in the diversity of our employees. Attentive is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. Our policy is to provide equal employment opportunities for all employees, applicants and covered individuals regardless of protected characteristics. We prioritize and maintain a fair, inclusive and equitable workplace free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Attentive is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities. If you need any assistance or reasonable accommodations, please let your recruiter know.