Senior Applied Machine Learning Engineer - Search & Recommendations at Upwork

This role is for an experienced ML specialist with a strong academic background (Masters or PhD) and a proven track record in research and large-scale system implementation. You should be deeply familiar with the architecture of search and recommendation engines, particularly where they intersect with modern Generative AI like LLMs and RAG. A standout aspect of this position is the chance to work at the intersection of classical ML and "Agentic AI" within a high-traffic global marketplace. While this role is full-time on-site in Toronto, it begins under a partner organization as the local hub is established. This offers a unique "ground floor" opportunity to help build a major tech company's presence in Canada while accessing global resources. **You might be a good fit if you...** * Have a Masters/PhD and have published research in top-tier conferences like NeurIPS, ACL, or KDD. * Excel at building low-latency, deep-learning models using Python, PyTorch, or TensorFlow. * Are passionate about semantically improving search relevance and personalization using LLMs and transformers. * Enjoy collaborating across departments to turn complex data insights into business-shaping strategies.