Director of Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence

This is a senior technology leadership role responsible for shaping the strategy and direction of a high-impact Machine Learning and AI function.
You will lead an established team of ML engineers while building the capabilities, leadership depth, and technical expertise needed for future growth.
The role combines people leadership, technical strategy, innovation, and cross-functional organizational influence.
You will partner closely with Engineering, Product, Research, and other technical and business teams to move ideas from experimentation into reliable production capabilities.
A major focus will be responsible, secure, privacy-conscious, and operationally robust AI development involving sensitive datasets.
You will also contribute to broader technology strategy, investment decisions, resource planning, and external technical representation.
The environment is remote-first, mission-driven, collaborative, and designed for leaders who combine technical judgment with empathy and strong organizational leadership.

• Leadership experience: Significant experience leading Machine Learning, AI, Data Science, or related technical teams responsible for production capabilities at meaningful scale.

• Technical expertise: Strong technical judgment across modern ML and AI, including the ability to evaluate architectural and technical tradeoffs and translate emerging research into practical capabilities.

• Relevant domain knowledge: Deep understanding of AI/ML applications, content detection technologies, and software development, with experience developing and operating production ML systems.

• Responsible technology: Experience incorporating reliability, evaluation, monitoring, privacy, security, governance, and responsible AI principles into ML development and operations.

• People management: Demonstrated ability to recruit, develop, retain, and empower high-performing technical teams, including coaching senior technical leaders and individual contributors.

• Organizational leadership: Ability to establish ownership, delegate effectively, set clear expectations, provide candid feedback, and build leadership capacity across a team.

• Cross-functional influence: Proven experience collaborating with Engineering, Product, Research, and other stakeholders while creating alignment across complex technical and organizational environments.

• Strategic communication: Strong communication and presentation skills, including the ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly, ask critical questions, influence decisions, and represent technical work externally.

• Problem-solving: Ability to influence change, navigate ambiguity, make sound tradeoffs, and address complex problems calmly and strategically.

• Leadership approach: Empathy, humility, transparency, honesty, clarity, accountability, and a trauma-informed approach to leadership and collaboration.

• Mission alignment: Commitment to keeping the needs and safety of children at the center of technical and organizational decisions.