Principal AI Scientist (Canada, Remote)

About FreshBooks

FreshBooks is a leading cloud-based SaaS accounting software designed with one goal: to help small business owners grow. We reached unicorn status after raising our valuation to more than $1 billion and continue to scale our business to serve business owners, their clients, and accountants in more than 160 countries worldwide. FreshBookers are found all over the globe, and we know that different folks thrive in different working environments: Remote, onsite, and everything in between, you’ll find it with us.

The Opportunity - Principal AI Scientist

 About the Team: 

The Data team is responsible for driving the adoption of data driven decision making across FreshBooks - for both our internal users and our global customers of small business owners, bookkeepers and accountants (or whatever better describes our customers). We are the center of expertise for data strategy, data architecture, data modeling, machine learning, ethical data usage and artificial intelligence service design. We lead the effort to raise the data and AI literacy levels across FreshBooks and to embed our commitments to responsible data use into culture and practices across our fast-growing organization. Data strategy is an emerging specialist group, building global collaborations to define, communicate and drive a cohesive approach to data usage that combines commercialisation, consent, ethics and sustainability. They work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds to drive robust and mature decision making around using data as a commercial asset, aligned to our belief in the primacy of customer consent.

What you'll do:

• Lead a new team focussed on delivering end-to-end in-platform ML services
• Drive the selection, scoping and execution of the project targeted to solution of the most advanced problems under AI-as-a-Service scenarios, taking ownership of both technical implementation and product management lifecycle.
• Lead the efforts of data scientists, data engineers, software engineers, product managers, and domain experts in development of end-to-end ML/AI solutions and embedding new ML/AI capabilities into FreshBooks platform.
• Work closely with product management, technology core teams, architects, and other leads and project managers to ensure successful and timely delivery of quality products. 
• Facilitate interdepartmental meetings to set project milestones, define project tasks, establish policies and processes, and identify required resources.
• Roll-up and report regularly to senior management on key product development milestones, metrics, risks, risk mitigation plans, and resourcing status.
• Leverage a wide range of sophisticated Data Science/Machine Learning techniques and Big Data tools/technologies to uncover deep insights about our customers and content.
• Maintain expert knowledge in state-of-the-art AI, ML. Actively engage with the FreshBooks ML/AI community and a broader community in Academia and Industry.
• Identify new areas of exploration in applying AI to deliver the value to our customers, continuously pushing the bar for what’s possible.  
• Influence and contribute to our Data Science and Data Products strategy and roadmaps.
• Serve as a consultancy resource on ML/AI for the company leaders, other teams and individuals. 
• Keeping the team aware of high-value problems at the cutting edge of emerging trends. Build the team's profile both internally and externally, attending and presenting at conferences.

What you’ll bring:

• Masters or PhD in a quantitative discipline: Computer Science, Math, Electrical Engineering, Statistics, or relevant program with majors in AI or Machine Learning.
• 10+ years of overall experience with a track record of shipping high-impact R&D/AI/ML projects at a premier technology company.
• 5+ years of direct experience leading the development, deployment and adoption of AI/ML across product teams.  
• Self-starter. Ability to manage, influence, and set the direction of multi-faceted, multi-disciplined teams and programs independently with minimal supervision.
• Ability to articulate vision and influence decision-making and outcomes both within internal and with external teams through exceptional communication skills.
• Experience identifying data-driven opportunities and insights to drive product success outcomes.
• Recognized expertise in AI/ML applications as evidenced by relevant publications, conference proceedings or awards.
• Knowledge of microservice architectures.
• Familiarity with Cloud Platform (ex. GCP).
• Experience in building AI-based systems in the following preferred domains:
• Recommendation Systems
• Knowledge Graphs
• Natural Language Processing

Our Commitments to You

At FreshBooks each person knows their opinion is valued, and can see their impact on the lives of over 10 million small business owners around the world. Accelerate your career, work on projects you're passionate about, and work as a part of a collaborative team without ego! Here are some of the ways FreshBooks recognizes and rewards our employees:

• 🩺 Comprehensive Health and Wellness Benefits. Including retirement savings programs matched to your local office, stock options for every full time employee, generous time off, parental leave and new parent support, annual healthy living credit, comprehensive medical and dental benefits dependent on your region, and more.
• 📚 Perks that Matter. Including a Peer Recognition Program, an Employee Assistance Program, headphone credit, meaningful in-person gatherings to bring onsite and remote employees together, and more perks matched to your locale.

• 🌱Working Environments to Help You Thrive. Beautiful office spaces welcome you in Canada and Mexico, and remote FreshBookers receive a home office credit to set up your home office.
• 🤗 Supportive Peer Group, Mentors, and Leaders. We care about each other across the organisation and have programs to support this so everyone feels a strong sense of belonging, and believes in collective impact. 
• 🚀 Accelerated growth. 3 week dedicated company onboarding, career development through continuous coaching, training, and learning on the job, and a bi-annual review process.

Closing

Even if your experience doesn't meet every bullet on the above lists, we'd love to learn more about you and why you think FreshBooks is the next step in your career.

FreshBooks is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on gender, religion, race, mental disability, sexual orientation, age, or any other status. All applicants are considered based on their qualifications and merits. At FreshBooks, we inspire an environment of mutual respect and we believe diversity and inclusion are crucial to our success.

FreshBooks provides employment accommodation during the recruitment process. Should you require any accommodation, please indicate this on your application and we will work with you to meet your accessibility needs. For any questions, suggestions or required documents regarding accessibility in a different format, please contact us at phone 416-780-2700 and/or accessibility@freshbooks.com.

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