Senior Principal Applied AI Scientist

We’ve just reached unicorn status with a $150M Series D, accelerating our vision to transform education through human-led, AI-enhanced learning. Today, 100,000+ tutors teach 90+ languages to learners in 180 countries - and we’re only getting started. As a category-defining company, we’re shaping what the future of learning looks like at global scale.

As a Senior Principal Applied AI Scientist, you will lead the development of AI-driven personalized learning solutions and shape Preply's scientific roadmap. Collaborating with a team of exceptional scientists and engineers, you will architect state-of-the-art models and systems that enhance the experiences of millions of learners worldwide. With a high level of autonomy and influence, you will report directly to the VP of Data and Applied AI, playing a pivotal role in setting the direction of our most ambitious AI initiatives.

What you’ll be doing:

• Innovative R&D: Leverage your extensive experience in Deep learning, NLP, Information Retrieval (IR), LLMs and multimodal AI to design and deploy scalable machine learning solutions for personalized learning and intelligent tutor systems.
• Scientific leadership: Develop long-term scientific roadmaps, aligning them with Preply’s product strategy and business goals. Act as a strategic advisor to senior leadership on investments, technology direction, and organizational planning.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Partner closely with applied science leaders, product managers, and engineering teams to deliver AI solutions that address user needs and unlock new business opportunities.
• Mentorship & knowledge sharing: Guide and mentor scientists and engineers, fostering a collaborative and innovative science community within Preply.
• Drive best practices: Establish and advocate for best practices in machine learning, including architecture design, research roadmaps, and deployment pipelines.

What you need to succeed:

• Academic and professional background:
• PhD in NLP, IR, Machine Learning, or related fields (or equivalent experience).
• 8+ years of industry experience, with a strong focus on deep learning-based NLP, LLM continuous pre-training, and IR methods.
• Scientific and technical expertise:
• Demonstrated expertise in retrieval models and extensive experience with ranking models.
• Strong understanding and experience with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and LLMs for real-world applications.
• Proficiency in deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch.
• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud).
• Leadership & impact:
• Proven ability to lead scientific roadmaps across multiple product areas, aligning them with business objectives while collaborating with Product and Engineering.
• Track record of solving real-world problems throughout the entire product lifecycle, from research to production.
• Visionary mindset:
• A passion for driving scientific innovation to enhance personalized learning experiences.
• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to work cross-functionally with diverse teams.

Why you’ll love it at Preply:

• An open, collaborative, dynamic and diverse culture;
• A generous monthly allowance for lessons on Preply.com, Learning & Development budget and time off for your self-development;
• A competitive financial package with equity, leave allowance and health insurance;
• Access to free mental health support platforms;
• The opportunity to shape the lives of learners and tutors through language learning and teaching in 175 countries (and counting!).