Head of AI Research Product
Core
Lead the intersection of applied machine learning research and product innovation for Via's rider and transit operations platform, acting as the engine for smarter, more equitable, and efficient public transportation.
Role type
Head of AI Research Product (Strategy & Hands-on IC)
Builds
Core platform features for routing, pooling, dispatching, and rider personalization
Domain
Smart transportation / Public transit / Applied Machine Learning
Deliverable
production ML models
Required skills
Reinforcement learning, Deep reinforcement learning, Monte Carlo tree search, Multi-objective optimization, Causal inference, A/B testing design, Behavioral economics modeling, Real-time inference system design, Product roadmap definition
Preferred skills
AlphaGo-style approaches (self-play, policy/value networks), Experience with lighthouse customer pilots, Experience translating research to production at scale
Technologies
Reinforcement learning frameworks, Simulation environments, A/B testing infrastructure
Responsibilities
Define roadmap for ML advances in rider experience and network performance; Design and deploy RL systems for routing and dispatching; Pioneer AlphaGo-style ML for transit; Develop weighted ensemble models for tradeoffs; Invent personalization systems for rider mobile experience; Research and productize behavioral incentive models; Partner with agencies to validate novel AI approaches; Establish rigorous experimentation infrastructure
Seniority
Senior, hands-on IC with strategic leadership
