Principal Machine Learning Engineer

About the Principal Machine Learning Engineer at Headspace: Machine Learning at Headspace is a dynamic and innovative group whose mission is to improve the experiences of our members and clinicians through the mindful application of Machine Learning. These applications include building conversational AI systems, healthcare assistance tools, and recommendation and personalization systems. In this team, you’ll be tasked with owning and delivering cutting edge language-based ML applications that will power the core features of Headspace. You’ll have the opportunity to lead the vision, alignment, development, deployment, and adoption of these solutions, helping to bring Headspace to the forefront of AI and to realize its mission to improve health and happiness of the world. What you will do: Technical Leadership: Lead the development of complex, scalable AI models and applications from inception to production. Drive impactful ML technology initiatives that will shape the delivery of and access to mental healthcare. Serve as a go-to expert and mentor, exemplifying excellence in AI/ML engineering and inspiring others to pursue technical career growth. Shape ML Platform Architecture: Drive the design, development, and evolution of our internal ML platform, taking it from high-level vision to robust implementation. Collaborative Problem-Solving: Partner with cross-functional teams to align technical decisions with organizational goals, ensuring cohesive and impactful solutions. What you will bring : Required Skills: Master’s of Science degree or higher in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics or a related field OR equivalent experience 8+ years of ML engineering experience in an academic or professional setting, programming in Python 8+ years of experience with any of the following fundamental technologies: vector search, embedding models, recommender systems, supervised, unsupervised machine learning, deep learning, reinforcement learning, LLM orchestration, RAG systems. 5+ years of experience with modern NLP tools and machine learning libraries (scikit-learn, PyTorch, TensorFlow, spaCy) Experience with unit, integration, and end-to-end testing, version control Strong problem solving and communication skills and ability to influence across internal organizations Mentorship of junior engineers and contribution to DEIB initiatives Preferred Skills: PhD in relevant field or equivalent experience Professional experience with clinical and/or healthcare applications of machine learning Familiarity with current ML literature including optimization methods and agent-based models Experience with implementation of robust and highly scalable services Experience with AWS, including SageMaker, Lambda, S3, DynamoDB, IAM Location: This role is open to candidates across the US, with preferred locations in San Francisco, CA (hybrid), New York City, NY (remote), and Seattle, WA (remote). Candidates must permanently reside in the US full-time. If your primary residence is in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, this role follows our hybrid model, with 3 days per week in office to support in-person collaboration. Your recruiter will share more details. Pay & Benefits : The anticipated new hire base salary range for this full-time position is $162,000-$225,000  + equity + benefits.  For candidates based in San Francisco, New York City, or Seattle, a separate salary range of $207,000-$258,700 applies, consistent with our location-based compensation philosophy. Our salary ranges are based on the job, level, and location, and reflect the lowest to highest geographic markets where we are hiring for this role within the United States. Within this range, individual compensation is determined by a candidate’s location as well as a range of factors including but not limited to: unique relevant experience, job-related skills, and education or training.  Your recruiter will provide more details on the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process. At Headspace, base salary is but one component of our Total Rewards package. We’re proud of our robust package inclusive of: base salary, stock awards, comprehensive healthcare coverage, monthly wellness stipend, retirement savings match, lifetime Headspace membership, generous parental leave, and more. Additional details about our Total Rewards package will be provided during the recruitment process.   About Headspace Headspace exists to provide every person access to lifelong mental health support. We combine evidence-based content, clinical care, and innovative technology to help millions of members around the world get support that’s effective, personalized, and truly accessible whenever and wherever they need it. At Headspace, our values aren’t just what we believe, they’re how we work, grow, and make an impact together. We live them daily: Make the Mission Matter, Iterate to Great, Own the Outcome, and Connect with Courage. These values shape our decisions, guide our collaborations, and define our culture. They’re our shared commitment to building a more connected, human-centered team—one that’s redefining how mental health care supports people today and for generations to come. Why You’ll Love Working Here: A mission that matters—with impact you can see and feel A culture that’s collaborative, inclusive, and grounded in our values The chance to shape what mental health care looks like next Competitive pay and benefits that support your whole self How we feel about Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging: Headspace is committed to bringing together humans from different backgrounds and perspectives, providing employees with a safe and welcoming work environment free of discrimination and harassment. We strive to create a diverse & inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, feel a sense of belonging, and do impactful work together.  As an equal opportunity