Upwork

Lead Machine Learning Engineer/Scientist, Algorithms and Research

Remote

Not SpecifiedCompensation
Expert & Leadership (9+ years)Experience Level
Full TimeJob Type
UnknownVisa
Information Technology & ServicesIndustries

Position Overview

  • Location Type: Not specified
  • Job Type: Full-time
  • Salary: Not specified

Upwork is the world’s largest work marketplace, connecting businesses with highly skilled professionals worldwide. From entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 enterprises, companies trust Upwork’s platform to access expert talent, leverage AI-powered work solutions, and drive meaningful business outcomes. Upwork’s AI-powered platform has facilitated over $20 billion in economic opportunity for professionals worldwide. With professionals spanning 10,000+ skills, including AI and machine learning, software development, sales and marketing, customer support, finance and accounting, and more, Upwork empowers businesses of all sizes to scale, innovate, and build agile teams.

We're looking for a Lead Machine Learning Engineer/Scientist to join our Algorithms and Research Team within the ML & AI organization. This team builds foundational models and reinforcement learning (RL) systems that power Upwork’s vertical teams, including Search & Recommendations and Uma, our AI assistant. In this role, you'll focus on designing, developing, and deploying cutting-edge RL systems for reasoning and planning. You'll contribute to building scalable decision-making and information retrieval systems utilizing structured and unstructured data, and drive innovation through RAG integration combined with advanced RL-based planning methods. You’ll partner closely with engineering, research, and trust and safety teams to transition reinforcement learning models from research prototypes into robust, production-ready solutions, enhancing the performance and reliability of Upwork’s evolving platform.

Requirements

  • Proven track record designing and deploying reinforcement learning systems, especially using Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) and policy/value network frameworks.
  • Deep understanding and practical experience with vector databases, graph databases, graph neural networks (GNNs), and their applications in RL.
  • Familiarity with search, recommendation, and decision-making systems within complex, two-sided marketplaces.
  • Passion for developing intelligent, autonomous agent systems utilizing advanced reinforcement learning paradigms and large language models (LLMs).

Responsibilities

  • Design and implement reinforcement learning approaches for reasoning & planning, e.g. leveraging Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) and AlphaGo-like planning algorithms.
  • Integrate knowledge graphs and vector databases to enhance context-awareness and decision-making capabilities of RL systems.
  • Collaborate with trust and safety stakeholders to investigate explainability and interpretability in reinforcement learning systems, minimizing risks and unintended behaviors.
  • Lead cross-functional efforts in advancing RL models from research stages to production, ensuring optimal performance, scalability, and robustness.
  • Stay at the forefront of reinforcement learning advancements and champion integration of promising RL innovations into Upwork’s production environment.
  • Mentor junior engineers, conduct detailed code reviews, and reinforce best practices in RL and software engineering.
  • Deliver high-quality, measurable outcomes aligned with team and organizational strategic goals.

Company Information

Come change how the world works. At Upwork, you’ll shape the future of work for a global, remote-first workforce, creating economic opportunities for professionals worldwide. While we have a physical office in Palo Alto, we currently hire full-time employees in 21 U.S. states, making it easier than ever to join our mission from wherever you call home. Our culture is built on trust, risk-taking, customer focus, and excellence, all in service of our core mission: to create economic opportunities so people have better lives. We embrace authenticity and inclusion, encouraging everyone to bring their whole selves to work. Personal and professional growth is a priority here, supported through development programs, mentorship, and our Upwork B

Skills

Reinforcement Learning
Monte Carlo Tree Search
AlphaGo-like planning algorithms
Knowledge Graphs
Vector Databases
Decision-Making
Information Retrieval
AI and Machine Learning
Scalable Systems
Research and Development

Upwork

Online platform connecting freelancers and clients

About Upwork

Upwork connects freelancers with clients looking for various services in the gig economy, which focuses on short-term contracts instead of permanent jobs. The platform allows freelancers to create profiles that showcase their skills, while clients can post job listings for specific projects. Freelancers bid on these projects, and clients choose the best candidates based on proposals and reviews. Upwork earns revenue through service fees charged to freelancers based on their earnings, with a tiered structure that rewards long-term client relationships. The platform also offers premium memberships and additional services for enhanced visibility and access to job listings. Upwork provides tools for time tracking, invoicing, and project management, making it easier for both freelancers and clients to manage their work and payments. The goal of Upwork is to facilitate successful project completion by bridging the gap between freelancers and clients.

San Francisco, CaliforniaHeadquarters
2015Year Founded
$143.8MTotal Funding
IPOCompany Stage
Consulting, Enterprise SoftwareIndustries
10,001+Employees

Benefits

Health Insurance
Unlimited Paid Time Off
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Parental Leave
Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Risks

Increased competition from Fiverr and Toptal threatens Upwork's market share.
The new Fiverr-style Project Catalog may commoditize services, reducing freelancers' perceived value.
Strategic shifts under new management may not align with current client expectations.

Differentiation

Upwork connects freelancers with clients across diverse industries, enhancing global work opportunities.
The platform offers tools like time tracking and invoicing for efficient project management.
Upwork's tiered fee structure incentivizes long-term client relationships, differentiating it from competitors.

Upsides

Upwork's acquisition of Objective AI enhances its AI capabilities for better talent matching.
The introduction of Featured Jobs increases visibility for job posts, attracting more candidates.
Upwork's recognition as the top job posting site boosts its credibility among employers.

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