Head of Applied Science

A home is the biggest investment most people make, and yet, it doesn’t come with a manual. That's why we’re building the only app homeowners need to effortlessly manage their homes —  knowing what to do, when to do it, and who to hire. With Thumbtack, millions of people care for what matters most, and pros earn billions of dollars through our platform. And as one of the fastest-growing companies in a $600B+ industry — we must be doing something right. 

We are driven by a common goal and the deep satisfaction that comes from knowing our work supports local economies, helps small businesses grow, and brings homeowners peace of mind. We’re seeking people who continually put our purpose first: advocating for pros and customers, embracing change, and choosing teamwork every day.

At Thumbtack, we're creating a new era of home care. If making an impact and the chance to do good inspires you, join us. Imagine what we’ll build together. 

Thumbtack by the Numbers

• Available nationwide in all 3,143 U.S. counties
• 75 million+ projects started on Thumbtack
• About 4 million customers in the last 12 months
• Pros earn billions on our platform
• About 10 million 5-star reviews for our stellar pros 
• 1000+ employees and $3.2 billion valuation (June, 2021) 

About the Applied Science team:

 At Thumbtack, the Applied Science team is responsible for a wide variety of problems spanning machine learning, statistics, and computer science:

• Characterize marketplace dynamics. Thumbtack’s marketplaces consist of thousands of active markets across our service categories and U.S. cities. Via exploratory data analysis and experimental design, our team works to understand trends and behaviors within these markets.
• Improve customer and service provider matching. Matching and optimization algorithms are fundamental to Thumbtack’s product: we now service millions of matches per week. Identifying better matches between customers and service providers has an incredible impact on the experience of customers and professionals transacting on our platform.
• Model complex relationships in the presence of many confounding factors. Predictive modeling problems are everywhere across our product. Our team works to scope, design and implement machine learning models to support Thumbtack’s product.

Role Summary

We are seeking a Head of Applied Science who will leverage data science and applied science to build a more compelling product for Home Owners and Pros, and scale Thumbtack’s business. Reporting to the CTO, you will be responsible for growth initiatives, demand & supply optimization, dynamic pricing, personalized home care solutions. You will drive the Data and Machine Learning strategy and leverage generative AI such as LLMs to bring a step function change in Thumbtack’s offerings.

To be successful, you need to have a deep expertise in machine learning, optimization and building data products. You are a passionate, enthusiastic and experienced leader who will collaborate with key leaders, peers and stakeholders, to develop priorities, roadmaps, and deliver game changing ML & AI products and capabilities with a relentless focus on engineering and operational excellence.

You must be a builder of high performing teams, a talent magnet with a track record of talent development, and - above all - a values-first leader. ​​

Responsibilities: 

• Lead and inspire a high-performing team of Applied Scientists and Machine Learning Engineers and Leaders
• Grow and coach talent, acting as a talent magnet to attract, nurture and retain talent.  
• Be a thought leader and ensure AI/ML & Applied Science will influence key product and engineering decisions. 
• Set strategy and direction for AI/ML & Applied Science Product & Engineering and its organizational culture and leadership
• Partner with key stakeholders and business leaders to establish and drive measurable success criteria for applied science implementations and execution of the strategies to realize the full potential of the applied science discipline 
• Partner with the technology leadership team to create a long-term vision and develop a roadmap of applied science projects
• Develop new capabilities to deliver business solutions by applying applied science algorithms 

What you’ll need

If you don't think you meet all of the criteria below but still are interested in the job, please apply. Nobody checks every box, and we're looking for someone excited to join the team.

• Master's or Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related field
• 10+ years of o