Director, Machine Learning & AI

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. Key Responsibilities Strategy & Vision - Define and own the ML/AI strategy aligned with enterprise objectives, balancing near-term value and long-term scalability. ML Engineering & Delivery- Lead development of production-grade ML systems (predictive models, recommendation engines, generative AI apps). ML Ops & Platform Standards - Establish enterprise MLOps practices (CI/CD, automated testing, monitoring, retraining). Build vs. Buy Lead technical due diligence and financial modeling for AI/ML investments. Cross-Functional Integration- Partner with Platform, Data Engineering, and Enterprise MDM to ensure AI solutions are built on trusted, standardized data. Partners & Vendors- Own relationships with key AI/ML technology vendors and service providers. Talent & Culture - Recruit, mentor, and retain ML engineers, data scientists, and MLOps specialists. 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. 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 are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all qualified candidates. 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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