Ninjakitchen
Director, Machine Learning & AI Needham, MA, United States
Ninjakitchen, Snowflake, Arizona, United States, 85937
SharkNinja is a global product design and technology company, with a diversified portfolio of 5-star rated lifestyle solutions that positively impact people’s lives in homes around the world.
Powered by two trusted, global brands, Shark and Ninja , the company has a proven track record of bringing disruptive innovation to market, and developing one consumer product after another has allowed SharkNinja to enter multiple product categories, driving significant growth and market share gains. Headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts with more than 3,600+ associates, the company’s products are sold at key retailers, online and offline, and through distributors around the world.
Position Summary The Director of ML and AI leads SharkNinja’s enterprise-wide machine learning strategy, delivery, and operations. This role partners with the AI Product Manager to translate business priorities into scalable AI systems that deliver measurable business impact. The Director builds and manages high-performing ML engineering and MLOps teams, sets standards for responsible AI, and ensures SharkNinja’s AI platforms are secure, reliable, and cost-effective. The role is also accountable for leveraging Capex investments to deliver high-return AI capabilities and for managing key partnerships and vendor relationships to accelerate delivery.
Responsibilities
Strategy & Vision
- Define and own the ML/AI strategy aligned with enterprise objectives, balancing near-term value and long-term scalability. Partner with AI Product Management on roadmap prioritization and resource allocation. Serve as executive advisor on AI/ML trends, vendor landscape, and technology adoption.
ML Engineering & Delivery
- Lead development of production-grade ML systems (predictive models, recommendation engines, generative AI apps). Build reusable components (feature stores, vector databases, evaluation frameworks). Ensure models meet KPIs for accuracy, latency, cost, and business impact. Directly manage the allocation of Capex funds to maximize ROI in platforms, tooling, and engineering capacity.
ML Ops & Platform Standards
- Establish enterprise MLOps practices (CI/CD, automated testing, monitoring, retraining). Define standards for data quality, model observability, prompt/version management, and reproducibility. Partner with Security, Legal, and Data Governance to enforce safety, privacy, and compliance.
Build vs. Buy
- Lead technical due diligence and financial modeling for AI/ML investments. Collaborate with Product Management on vendor evaluations and build vs. buy decisions. Publish decision logs with risks and contingency plans.
Cross-Functional Integration
- Partner with Platform, Data Engineering, and Enterprise MDM to ensure AI solutions are built on trusted, standardized data. Lead technical design for API-first and event-driven integrations across ERP, CRM, and eCommerce systems.
Partners & Vendors
- Own relationships with key AI/ML technology vendors and service providers. Negotiate contracts, SLAs, and deliverables. Run proofs of value and ensure third-party contributions meet enterprise standards. Build strategic alliances with cloud providers, model vendors, and consultancies to accelerate delivery.
Talent & Culture
- Recruit, mentor, and retain ML engineers, data scientists, and MLOps specialists. Foster a culture of experimentation, transparency, and measurable impact.
Required Qualifications
7+ years in applied machine learning and AI leadership roles.
Proven record delivering enterprise-scale ML solutions tied to measurable outcomes.
Deep expertise in ML engineering, data science, and MLOps.
Hands-on experience with cloud AI/ML stacks (AWS, Azure, GCP), modern data platforms (Snowflake, dbt), and vector search/RAG.
Demonstrated ability to lead build vs. buy evaluations and present recommendations to executives.
Strong executive communication and stakeholder leadership.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in consumer goods, retail, or eCommerce optimization (e.g., Amazon marketplace, ad spend optimization).
Experience with Salesforce Cloud suite and customer data platforms.
Exposure to LLMOps frameworks, guardrail tooling, and prompt engineering.
Familiarity with regulatory compliance and data privacy in AI systems.
Our Culture At SharkNinja, we don’t just raise the bar—we push past it every single day.
Our Outrageously Extraordinary mindset
drives us to tackle the impossible, push boundaries, and deliver results that others only dream of. If you thrive on breaking out of your swim lane, you’ll be right at home.
What We Offer We offer competitive health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, employee stock purchase options, wellness programs, SharkNinja product discounts, and more.
We empower your personal and professional growth
with high impact Learning Programs featuring bold voices redefining what’s possible.
When you join, you’re not just part of a company—you’re part of an outrageously extraordinary community.
Together, we won’t just launch products—
we’ll disrupt entire markets.
At SharkNinja, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vital to our global success. Valuing each unique voice and blending all of our diverse skills strengthens SharkNinja’s innovation every day. We support ALL associates in bringing their authentic selves to work, making an impact, and having the opportunity for career acceleration. With help from our leadership, associates, and our community, we aim to have equity be a key component of the SharkNinja DNA.
We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other class protected by legislation, and local law. SharkNinja will consider reasonable accommodations consistent with legislation, and local law. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact SharkNinja People & Culture at accommodations@sharkninja.com
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LinkedIn Profile
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Are you legally authorized to work in the United States? *
Will you now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B visa status)? *
Are you comfortable to be in the office specified on the job description, 3 days a week? *
What is your current company? *
Are you subject to any noncompete nondisclosure/confidentiality agreement? *
I would like to receive updates from a recruiter about this job via SMS. *
How did you hear about us? *
You can choose to receive recruitment marketing communications from us, including updates on job opportunities, career advice, and recruitment events. Select yes if you wish to receive email communications from our recruitment team. You can update your preferences or withdraw consent at any time. To learn more about how we handle your personal data including your rights, and how to opt out of marketing please visit ouhttps://sharkninja.com/candidate-privacy-notice/ *
U.S. Standard Demographic Questions At SharkNinja, we take pride in our uniqueness. Our innovation extends beyond our products to the way we work, embracing diversity as a cornerstone of our success. We recognize that our differences make us stronger, more creative, and better at what we do. Our workforce should reflect the diversity of our customer base, which is why our recruitment commitment is to truly be an exemplary, equal opportunity employer, fostering a welcoming and inclusive workplace.
We are looking for you as a valued candidate, to help us achieve our commitment by participating in this short questionnaire. You can choose if you want to complete the questions, if you do your answers will help us to ensure our hiring practices are inclusive, and in return we commit to treating the information you provide with respect by applying technical measures to your response to remove it from your candidate record.
How will we use the data?
None of the hiring team will have access to your responses, therefore the information you provide will NOT be used as part of your application process.
The data will be used to report on our recruitment process and its success in supporting Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion.
You can exercise your Data Subject Rights at any point during or after our recruitment process. For more information, please visit our Candidate Privacy Notice here
How would you describe your gender identity? (mark all that apply) Select...
How would you describe your racial/ethnic background? (mark all that apply) Select...
How would you describe your sexual orientation? (mark all that apply) Select...
Do you identify as transgender? Select...
Do you have a disability or chronic condition (physical, visual, auditory, cognitive, mental, emotional, or other) that substantially limits one or more of your major life activities, including mobility, communication (seeing, hearing, speaking), and learning? Select...
Are you a veteran or active member of the United States Armed Forces? Select...
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Powered by two trusted, global brands, Shark and Ninja , the company has a proven track record of bringing disruptive innovation to market, and developing one consumer product after another has allowed SharkNinja to enter multiple product categories, driving significant growth and market share gains. Headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts with more than 3,600+ associates, the company’s products are sold at key retailers, online and offline, and through distributors around the world.
Position Summary The Director of ML and AI leads SharkNinja’s enterprise-wide machine learning strategy, delivery, and operations. This role partners with the AI Product Manager to translate business priorities into scalable AI systems that deliver measurable business impact. The Director builds and manages high-performing ML engineering and MLOps teams, sets standards for responsible AI, and ensures SharkNinja’s AI platforms are secure, reliable, and cost-effective. The role is also accountable for leveraging Capex investments to deliver high-return AI capabilities and for managing key partnerships and vendor relationships to accelerate delivery.
Responsibilities
Strategy & Vision
- Define and own the ML/AI strategy aligned with enterprise objectives, balancing near-term value and long-term scalability. Partner with AI Product Management on roadmap prioritization and resource allocation. Serve as executive advisor on AI/ML trends, vendor landscape, and technology adoption.
ML Engineering & Delivery
- Lead development of production-grade ML systems (predictive models, recommendation engines, generative AI apps). Build reusable components (feature stores, vector databases, evaluation frameworks). Ensure models meet KPIs for accuracy, latency, cost, and business impact. Directly manage the allocation of Capex funds to maximize ROI in platforms, tooling, and engineering capacity.
ML Ops & Platform Standards
- Establish enterprise MLOps practices (CI/CD, automated testing, monitoring, retraining). Define standards for data quality, model observability, prompt/version management, and reproducibility. Partner with Security, Legal, and Data Governance to enforce safety, privacy, and compliance.
Build vs. Buy
- Lead technical due diligence and financial modeling for AI/ML investments. Collaborate with Product Management on vendor evaluations and build vs. buy decisions. Publish decision logs with risks and contingency plans.
Cross-Functional Integration
- Partner with Platform, Data Engineering, and Enterprise MDM to ensure AI solutions are built on trusted, standardized data. Lead technical design for API-first and event-driven integrations across ERP, CRM, and eCommerce systems.
Partners & Vendors
- Own relationships with key AI/ML technology vendors and service providers. Negotiate contracts, SLAs, and deliverables. Run proofs of value and ensure third-party contributions meet enterprise standards. Build strategic alliances with cloud providers, model vendors, and consultancies to accelerate delivery.
Talent & Culture
- Recruit, mentor, and retain ML engineers, data scientists, and MLOps specialists. Foster a culture of experimentation, transparency, and measurable impact.
Required Qualifications
7+ years in applied machine learning and AI leadership roles.
Proven record delivering enterprise-scale ML solutions tied to measurable outcomes.
Deep expertise in ML engineering, data science, and MLOps.
Hands-on experience with cloud AI/ML stacks (AWS, Azure, GCP), modern data platforms (Snowflake, dbt), and vector search/RAG.
Demonstrated ability to lead build vs. buy evaluations and present recommendations to executives.
Strong executive communication and stakeholder leadership.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in consumer goods, retail, or eCommerce optimization (e.g., Amazon marketplace, ad spend optimization).
Experience with Salesforce Cloud suite and customer data platforms.
Exposure to LLMOps frameworks, guardrail tooling, and prompt engineering.
Familiarity with regulatory compliance and data privacy in AI systems.
Our Culture At SharkNinja, we don’t just raise the bar—we push past it every single day.
Our Outrageously Extraordinary mindset
drives us to tackle the impossible, push boundaries, and deliver results that others only dream of. If you thrive on breaking out of your swim lane, you’ll be right at home.
What We Offer We offer competitive health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, employee stock purchase options, wellness programs, SharkNinja product discounts, and more.
We empower your personal and professional growth
with high impact Learning Programs featuring bold voices redefining what’s possible.
When you join, you’re not just part of a company—you’re part of an outrageously extraordinary community.
Together, we won’t just launch products—
we’ll disrupt entire markets.
At SharkNinja, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vital to our global success. Valuing each unique voice and blending all of our diverse skills strengthens SharkNinja’s innovation every day. We support ALL associates in bringing their authentic selves to work, making an impact, and having the opportunity for career acceleration. With help from our leadership, associates, and our community, we aim to have equity be a key component of the SharkNinja DNA.
We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other class protected by legislation, and local law. SharkNinja will consider reasonable accommodations consistent with legislation, and local law. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact SharkNinja People & Culture at accommodations@sharkninja.com
Apply for this job *
indicates a required field
First Name *
Last Name *
Email *
Phone
Location (City) *
Resume/CV
Enter manually
Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf
Enter manually
Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf
LinkedIn Profile
Website
Are you legally authorized to work in the United States? *
Will you now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B visa status)? *
Are you comfortable to be in the office specified on the job description, 3 days a week? *
What is your current company? *
Are you subject to any noncompete nondisclosure/confidentiality agreement? *
I would like to receive updates from a recruiter about this job via SMS. *
How did you hear about us? *
You can choose to receive recruitment marketing communications from us, including updates on job opportunities, career advice, and recruitment events. Select yes if you wish to receive email communications from our recruitment team. You can update your preferences or withdraw consent at any time. To learn more about how we handle your personal data including your rights, and how to opt out of marketing please visit ouhttps://sharkninja.com/candidate-privacy-notice/ *
U.S. Standard Demographic Questions At SharkNinja, we take pride in our uniqueness. Our innovation extends beyond our products to the way we work, embracing diversity as a cornerstone of our success. We recognize that our differences make us stronger, more creative, and better at what we do. Our workforce should reflect the diversity of our customer base, which is why our recruitment commitment is to truly be an exemplary, equal opportunity employer, fostering a welcoming and inclusive workplace.
We are looking for you as a valued candidate, to help us achieve our commitment by participating in this short questionnaire. You can choose if you want to complete the questions, if you do your answers will help us to ensure our hiring practices are inclusive, and in return we commit to treating the information you provide with respect by applying technical measures to your response to remove it from your candidate record.
How will we use the data?
None of the hiring team will have access to your responses, therefore the information you provide will NOT be used as part of your application process.
The data will be used to report on our recruitment process and its success in supporting Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion.
You can exercise your Data Subject Rights at any point during or after our recruitment process. For more information, please visit our Candidate Privacy Notice here
How would you describe your gender identity? (mark all that apply) Select...
How would you describe your racial/ethnic background? (mark all that apply) Select...
How would you describe your sexual orientation? (mark all that apply) Select...
Do you identify as transgender? Select...
Do you have a disability or chronic condition (physical, visual, auditory, cognitive, mental, emotional, or other) that substantially limits one or more of your major life activities, including mobility, communication (seeing, hearing, speaking), and learning? Select...
Are you a veteran or active member of the United States Armed Forces? Select...
#J-18808-Ljbffr