Latest AI JobsBrowse Jobs
Viant Technology logo

Director, Applied Science - Ad Optimization & ML Systems

Viant TechnologyIrvine, California, United States; Los Angeles, California, United States; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, Washington, United States; United StatesEngineering
Apply on company site
Salary
$230K - $260K USD
Job type
Full-time
Posted
16 Oct 2025
Status
Open · checked 7d ago

About this role

Role Overview

The Director, Applied Science position at Viant Technology is a hands-on leadership role based in Irvine, California, overseeing the machine learning systems that drive programmatic advertising. This professional will guide the technical domain from end to end, managing the models, production infrastructure, and the engineering team responsible for execution. It suits an experienced technical leader with a strong background in high-scale machine learning who thrives on solving complex mathematical and architectural challenges.

Key Responsibilities

Direct the end-to-end design, implementation, and overall performance of real-time prediction and bid-optimization platforms operating within tight latency limits.
Translate ambiguous business objectives in ad optimization into precise machine learning specifications, defining targets, training populations, loss functions, and metrics.
Provide strategic and technical guidance to applied scientists and machine learning engineers by reviewing system designs and coaching through production hurdles.
Manage operational challenges inherent to large-scale production machine learning, including delayed attribution, label imbalance, serving constraints, performance drift, and retraining schedules.
Refine auction bidding and adjustment systems to factor in business requirements, volume goals, and budget limits.
Partner with engineering and product leaders to ensure the technical vision aligns with corporate goals.
Advance the roadmap toward autonomous, multi-step decision-making frameworks.

Requirements

Ten or more years of professional experience building and deploying machine learning systems into production environments.
At least five years of hands-on technical leadership experience.
Practical background working with real-time, high-volume decisioning platforms such as ad tech, bidding, ranking, or recommendation engines.
Proven capability to convert ambiguous business challenges into rigorous machine learning formulations without depending on generic framework defaults.
Comprehensive understanding of production machine learning demands, covering latency trade-offs, monitoring, drift, and feedback loops.
Demonstrated history of reviewing and enhancing system designs created by other technical team members.
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline, with a Master's degree preferred.

Nice to Have

Specialized background in programmatic advertising, real-time bidding, or ad auctions.
Familiarity with cross-platform identity resolution and user matching techniques.
Exposure to multi-step or agentic autonomous decision architectures.
PhD in Machine Learning, Computer Science, or a related academic field.
Research publications or conference presentations in machine learning or related subjects.
Extended formal people-management history exceeding the baseline leadership requirement.

Skills and Tools

Applied Machine Learning
Real-Time Decision Systems
Production ML Operations
Predictive Modeling
Bid Optimization
Technical Leadership

Salary and Benefits

Annual base compensation ranging from $230,000 to $260,000, determined by prior education and relevant work experience.
Fully paid health insurance coverage.
Paid parental leave.
Unlimited paid time off (PTO).

About the Company

Viant Technology is a publicly traded, buy-side advertising software company specializing in Connected TV and powered by artificial intelligence. The organization integrates household identity resolution and content intelligence to link brands with real consumers across the open internet through autonomous advertising solutions. Recognized as a top workplace, Viant operates as an equal opportunity employer committed to merit-based employment decisions and workplace diversity.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit their application directly through the official Viant Technology careers page.

Questions candidates ask

What is the salary range for the Director, Applied Science role?

The annual base compensation estimate ranges between $230,000 and $260,000, depending on factors such as education and prior work experience.

Where is this position located?

The job is based in Irvine, California, with alternative listings referencing Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and generalized United States locations.

What level of experience is required?

Candidates must have at least 10 years of experience building and deploying production machine learning systems, including a minimum of 5 years in a hands-on technical leadership capacity.

What benefits are provided by Viant Technology?

Employee benefits include fully paid health insurance, paid parental leave, and unlimited paid time off.

How should I apply for this job?

Applicants should visit the official Viant Technology careers page to submit their application.

Ready to apply?

The application is on the official Viant Technology careers page.

Apply on company site