Lead NLP Engineer

Presto is a company that provides enterprise-grade AI and automation solutions to the restaurant industry. Presto was one of the relatively few technology companies able to successfully become public in 2022. Founded out of MIT in 2008, the company has grown to become the leader in drive-thru voice automation. Presto’s solutions are designed to decrease labor costs, improve staff productivity, increase revenue, and enhance the guest experience. Presto offers its AI solution, Presto Voice™, to quick service restaurants (QSR) and has some of the most recognized restaurant names in the United States as its customers.

Are you interested in applying modern machine learning, generative AI, and NLP research to tangible real-world problems? Do you enjoy collaborating with an energetic cross-functional team to deliver innovative AI-driven experiences to users?  We are looking for a strong NLP Engineer to lead a new team focused on NLP and voice across all Presto products.

Key Characteristics:

• Proven track record in building NLP application(s) in production.
• Strong understanding of ML fundamentals.
• Hands-on familiarity with using LLMs and related Generative AI toolkits to solve real-world problems and/or proof-of-concept demonstrations
• Expertise in using AI/ML toolkits like OpenAI, Langchain, HiggingFace, Azure ML / Google VertexAI, SageMaker, PyTorch, Tensorflow, Scikit-learn, Xgboost, etc.
• Ability to take ownership of product specs and drive them from concept to production rollout.
• Understanding of software design principles including algorithm implementation, optimization &  performance tuning, and integration with other production systems.
• Collaborates with multi-functional teams to deliver great product experiences for Presto customers.
• Excellent written & verbal communication skills in ideating, prototyping, and providing thought leadership.

Requirements:

• 4+ years of professional experience in leading a team in Natural Language Processing, Deep Learning, Generative AI, or a related field.
• 8+ years overall industry experience in software development.
• Strong understanding of ML in NLP and the ability to translate them into production quality code.
• Publications in AI/ML highly desirable
• Expertise in algorithm design and implementation in Python and/or Java.
• Ability to understand business requirements and translate them into technical requirements.
• Passion for writing high-quality production code for building and maintaining scalable machine learning systems.
• Ability to research ML frameworks/technologies and capable of leveraging them in working prototypes for adoption recommendations.
• Proficient understanding of code versioning tools, such as Git.
• Familiarity with continuous integration.

Presto has a compensation strategy that aims to reward high performers and retain them for the long term.  Other benefits to U.S.-based employees include medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) program, and paid-time-off (PTO).  To learn more, please visit: www.presto.com.

We value people from all walks of life and are committed to creating an inclusive hiring process and work environment.  We especially encourage historically underrepresented candidates to apply.  We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need an accommodation to access the job application or interview process, please contact [email protected].