Principal ML Engineer

About Pinecone:

Pinecone is on a mission to build the search and database technology to power AI applications for the next decade and beyond. Our fully managed vector database makes it easy to add vector search to AI applications. Since creating the “vector database” category, demand has grown incredibly fast and it shows in our user base. We are a distributed team with clusters in New York, San Francisco, Tel-Aviv, and Manchester.

In this role, you will:

• Lead the design, development, and implementation of cutting-edge machine learning models and NLP techniques to address real-world challenges.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including data scientists, software engineers, and product managers to define requirements, prioritize tasks, and drive project execution.

• Conduct research and experimentation to explore new methodologies, algorithms, and techniques in the fields of LLMs and NLP.

• Optimize and fine-tune machine learning models for performance, scalability, and efficiency in production environments.

• Stay updated with the latest advancements in machine learning, NLP, and related fields, and apply relevant techniques to enhance existing solutions.

• Mentor and provide guidance to junior team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional development.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in Computer Science, 

• 6+ years in designing, developing, and deploying machine learning models and NLP solutions in production environments.

• Expertise in training, tuning and adapting language models (LLMs) such as GPT, BERT, or similar architectures.

• Strong proficiency in natural language processing (NLP) techniques and methodologies, including text classification, sentiment analysis, entity recognition, etc.

• Proficiency in programming languages and tools commonly used in machine learning and NLP such as Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, etc.

• Solid understanding of machine learning fundamentals, algorithms, and data structures.

• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams.

Bonus Points:

• Passion for information retrieval and NLP

• Experience with RAG or similar architectures

• Experience with distributed computing frameworks (e.g., Spark, Hadoop) and cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP).

• Contributions to open-source projects or publications in relevant conferences or journals.

• Familiarity with software development best practices such as version control, testing, and CI/CD pipelines.

Perks & Benefits:

• Comprehensive health coverage including medical, dental, vision, and mental health resources

• 401(k) Plan

• Equity award

• Flexible time off

• Paid parental leave

• Annual Company Retreat

• WFH Equipment Stipend

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) are the cornerstone of everything we do at Pinecone. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications in a job description. Our top priority is finding the best candidate for the job and if you are interested in the position, we would encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of the qualifications listed in this posting. All qualified applicants will receive considerations for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, veteran status, and any other legally protected status under federal, state, or local anti-discrimination laws.