We are on the lookout for a Senior Applied Scientist specializing in Natural Language Processing (NLP) to join our pioneering NLP team at Five9. In this crucial role, you will spearhead the development and enhancement of our cutting-edge AI solutions, focusing on proof of concept (POC) for new features and the improvement of existing products. This position offers a remarkable opportunity to engage in hands-on research and development, working closely with advanced AI technologies and contributing to the evolution of our cloud contact center solutions. The ideal candidate is a seasoned researcher and engineer with a track record of innovation in NLP, demonstrated through practical R&D experience and contributions to top-tier conferences. As a Senior Applied Scientist in NLP, you will be a key player in a dynamic environment, advocating for breakthrough AI applications and enjoying a hybrid work model that encourages both collaboration and flexibility. You will play a pivotal role in our San Ramon, CA headquarters, enjoying a hybrid work model that blends collaboration and flexibility with three office days per week (Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays). 

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the research, development, and implementation of proof of concept (POC) for new features, alongside enhancing our existing NLP-driven products.
• Collect, pre-train, fine-tune, and evaluate NLP models, ensuring they meet the high-performance standards required for scalable, multitenant production systems.
• Drive the end-to-end process of NLP model development, from initial data gathering and model training to deployment, evaluation, and continuous improvement in a production environment.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including engineering, product management, and customer success, to align NLP solutions with business needs and customer expectations.
• Stay at the forefront of NLP research and development, continuously exploring and integrating the latest advancements in AI, machine learning, and NLP to maintain and extend our technological lead.
• Act as a mentor and technical leader within the NLP team, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence through knowledge sharing and professional development.

Requirements:

• 5+ years of on-hands experience in Machine Learning Research related roles. 
• Demonstrable hands-on R&D experience with collecting, pre-training, fine-tuning, and evaluating NLP models, particularly in a product development context.
• Proficiency in NLP techniques and models such as bag-of-words models, topic modeling, transformer architectures and their applications.
• Proficiency in Python and familiarity with major NLP libraries and frameworks such as HuggingFace, PyTorch, TensorFlow, spaCy, scikit-learn etc.
• Solid understanding of machine learning principles and their application to NLP tasks.
• Experience with Generative AI, Large Language Models, Retrieval Augmented Generation, Distributed Deep Learning Model training, and prompt tuning. Experience with Conversational AI is a plus.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills, with a creative and analytical approach to overcoming challenges and optimizing AI solutions.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to non-expert stakeholders.
• Advanced degree (Masters or PhD) in Computer Science, Machine Learning, AI, Mathematics, or related field, with a strong preference for candidates who have published at top-tier conferences.