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Role description

Head of ML

Mach9 logoMach9YC S21
AI-native
TypeFull-time
WorkplaceRemote
SeniorityDirector / Executive
SponsorshipNo visa sponsorship
Salary$275,000–$400,000
LocationSan Francisco, CA
Engineering

The Role

At Mach9, we're building AI to turn dense LiDAR and image data into design-grade CAD deliverables for civil engineering and surveying. We have one of the richest survey-grade datasets in the world. Our product, Digital Surveyor, automates work that takes surveyors and engineers weeks of manual effort.

We're looking for a Head of Machine Learning to build and grow the organization that turns our data into the automated products of the future in surveying and design. This is a hands-on leadership role: you'll set the technical vision for our strategy, mentor and grow a team of ML engineers and researchers, and own the throughline from hard research problems to shipped product capabilities.

This role is ideal for experienced engineers, team leads, and managers who want to push the frontier of 3D computer vision and perception. You’ll have the opportunity to solve problems that few other teams have the data or the talent to take on. We need you to bring a strong vision of what’s possible with our unique dataset, and then to build a team around you to accomplish that vision.

Responsibilities

  • Define and drive a coherent vision for how Mach9 can leverage our data advantage to build the best automation products across surveying and design.

  • Translate your vision into a technical roadmap, execute strongly, and bring our products to the next level. You’ll need to identify which challenges are worth solving, and then which models are ready to ship.

  • Build and grow our ML team: hiring, onboarding, structuring the team as it scales, and shaping the split between research and engineering as our organization matures.

  • Mentor ML engineers and researchers, providing technical direction, career growth, and guidance to raise the level of the whole team.

  • Stay technically hands-on: review designs and code and weigh in on architecture and modeling decisions, so that you stay credible and connected to the team and problems.

  • Partner with product and engineering leadership to align Mach9’s investment into research with our product strategy and customer needs.

Requirements

  • Experience leading and growing teams — hiring and mentoring ML engineers and researchers.

  • 5+ years of work experience in machine learning, with a track record of shipping ML models or systems to production.

  • Strong technical depth in machine learning and computer vision, and an ability to set technical direction and to earn the trust of a strong technical team.

  • Ability to develop technical roadmaps and execute on them.

  • Strong communication skills, with the ability to operate across research and engineering.

  • Proficient with Python and PyTorch. You must be comfortable engaging deeply with our technical work.

Bonus qualifications

  • Background in machine learning for 3D perception — point cloud understanding, 3D detection/segmentation, geometric deep learning, or related areas.

  • Experience with CAD AI, design automation, or applying ML to generate structured/geometric output, rather than just classification or detection.

  • Experience scaling an ML organization through a growth phase — defining team structure and hiring strategy.

  • Background in domains that work with similar data to Mach9 — remote sensing, geomatics, autonomous driving, or robotics.

  • Experience leveraging large unstructured datasets, especially reality-capture datasets, to build data-driven products and flywheels.

Relevant archetypes

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Company info

Mach9 logo

Mach9

AI CAD Software for Civil Engineering

Mach9 is the AI CAD platform for civil engineering, built to expand the world’s capacity to build and maintain critical infrastructure. Its software turns 3D scans into engineering-ready CAD drawings, helping teams work up to 10x faster and at one-fifth the cost. Mach9 has been used across more than 2,500 projects in all 50 states, surveying over 100,000 miles of infrastructure. Founded by engineers from Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Institute who built systems for the physical world at Tesla, SpaceX, Apple, NASA and Google X, Mach9 is headquartered in San Francisco. Learn more at mach9.ai.

Private companySeedYC S21In the news
Founded2021
HQSan Francisco, United States
Unlock human wisdom
ThesisTermsPrivacy
Size
11–50 employees
IndustryTechnology, Information and Internet
Funding
  • Seed · $12M · Nov 14, 2024
  • Seed · Jul 7, 2024
Investors
Quiet Capital
News
  • Mach9 Now Works in the Sky
  • Mach9 adds aerial LiDAR and photogrammetry support
  • Investors back Mach9 with a significant Series A to bring AI to civil engineering
  • Latham & Watkins Advises Mach9 on US$34 Million Series A
  • Mach9 Raises $34M Series A for AI CAD That Turns LiDAR Scans Into Civil Engineering Drawings

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