Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Zillow is a leading real estate platform that aims to create a seamless digital marketplace. As an Applied Scientist, you will drive the development of AI systems that enhance the home-shopping experience by researching and deploying innovative machine learning models.
Responsibilities
- Research, design, and prototype new machine learning models for Zillow’s consumer products, including search, ranking, recommendations, and notifications
- Lead the full model lifecycle: from ideation and offline experimentation on large datasets to online deployment, A/B testing, and ongoing performance monitoring
- Develop and test novel modeling approaches, such as deep learning architectures and large language models (LLMs), to improve the home-shopping experience
- Apply cutting-edge AI techniques, including LLM-based retrieval and RAG-style systems, to create more natural and conversational property search experiences
- Optimize how and when homes are displayed to users, ensuring relevance and context in every interaction
- Collaborate with engineers, product managers, and designers to define, execute, and iterate on impactful projects
- Partner with data engineering and infrastructure teams to leverage large-scale distributed data systems for feature engineering and model training
Skills
- Experienced in designing, training, and analyzing machine learning models to solve real-world business problems, not just academic benchmarks
- Proficient in Python and familiar with common ML libraries (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, CatBoost, scikit-learn, Hugging Face) and distributed data systems (e.g., Spark, Hive, Databricks, Airflow)
- Skilled in the scientific lifecycle: hypothesis formation, experiment design, result analysis, and clear communication to technical and non-technical partners
- Demonstrated experience in at least one of the following: search/information retrieval, personalized ranking/recommender systems, or generative AI/LLM-based systems
- Holds a PhD or Master's degree in a relevant field (Computer Science, AI, Data Science, or related), or equivalent industry experience (typically 3-4+ years with a Master's, or 1+ year with a PhD)
- Comfortable working near production systems and collaborating closely with engineers and cross-functional partners
- Brings curiosity and excitement for applying generative AI and LLMs to transform the home-shopping experience
- Approaches challenges with ownership, scientific rigor, and a growth mindset
Benefits
- In addition to a competitive base salary this position is also eligible for equity awards based on factors such as experience, performance and location. Actual amounts will vary depending on experience, performance and location.
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