Principal ML Scientist

Role Description: Principal Machine Learning Scientist - Search Location: Bangalore About the Team: Join Nykaa's Data Science team as a Principal Machine Learning Scientist, where you'll play a pivotal role in driving advancements in search relevance and ranking across our platforms. In this role, you will analyze data, develop machine learning models, and enhance search algorithms, ensuring an optimized and seamless user experience. This position requires close collaboration with cross-functional teams to gather performance metrics, evaluate search effectiveness, and implement strategies for continuous improvement on Nykaa’s platform. What are we looking for ? Education : Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related field from a reputable institution. Experience : 10+ years of industry experience in software engineering with at least 8+ years in Data Science. Proven track record of leading a group of ML Scientists along with building and deploying ML solutions that scale to large datasets. Extensive experience in the Search domain, with a strong focus on solving problems related to Ranking, Query Understanding and Expansion, Relevance Feedback and Click-Through Rate Optimization and Autocomplete through the application of ML techniques. Familiarity with search engineering ecosystems such as ElasticSearch, microservices, and measurement infrastructure. Prior experience working in the eCommerce sector is a plus. Technical Skills : Strong foundational knowledge in Probability Theory, Statistics, and Machine Learning. Expertise in text classifiers, vector search, and ANN (Approximate Nearest Neighbor) algorithms, fine-tuning transformer-based models, ranking algorithms (e.g., gradient boosting, LambdaMART), and retrieval and ranking models for autocomplete/suggestions. Expertise in NLP - extracting context, themes with some exposure to Language models. Exposure to Chatbots - Workflow , intent identification Strong understanding of A/B testing methodologies, with experience designing, implementing, and analyzing experiments to evaluate search algorithm performance. Familiarity with best practices throughout all stages of the Data Science lifecycle, including data preprocessing, feature engineering, model training and tuning, evaluation, deployment and telemetry. Soft Skills : Strong ability to navigate ambiguity, independently drive, design, and implement large-scale ML solutions. Demonstrated experience in taking ownership and delivering data-driven projects. Capable of managing multiple priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. Strong technical aptitude to address complex issues and effectively communicate with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Responsibilities: Search Optimization : Analyze user behavior data to develop high-quality machine learning algorithms that enhance search relevance and ranking. Leadership and Mentorship : Lead and mentor other machine learning scientists, fostering an environment of learning, growth, and success within the team. Technical Oversight : Provide oversight and accountability for technical decisions, ensuring high standards are met in model development and deployment. Inclusive Environment : Cultivate an inclusive environment that attracts and retains high-performing machine learning scientists. Cross-Functional Collaboration : Collaborate with ML Scientists, Engineering Managers, Product Managers, QA, and DevOps Engineers in an agile development environment to drive projects forward. Continuous Learning : Stay updated on advancements in the field of Machine Learning and apply these learnings to improve search algorithms. Customer Focus : Demonstrate a deep understanding of customer needs and leverage technology to enhance the search experience on Nykaa’s platform.