VP of Machine Learning, Data & AI
San Francisco, CA
Engineering – Engineering /
Full-time /
On-site
About Quizlet:
At Quizlet, our mission is to help every learner achieve their outcomes in the most effective and delightful way. We’re a $1B+ learning platform used by two-thirds of U.S. high school students and half of college students, powering over 1 billion learning interactions each week.
We blend cognitive science with machine learning to personalize and enhance the learning experience for students, professionals, and lifelong learners alike. We’re energized by the potential to power more learners through multiple approaches and various tools.
Let’s Build the Future of Learning
Join us to design and deliver AI-powered learning tools that scale across the world and unlock human potential.
About the Role:
At Quizlet, our mission is to help every learner achieve their outcomes in the most effective and delightful way. We’re a $1B+ learning platform used by two-thirds of U.S. high school students and half of college students, powering over 1 billion learning interactions each week.
We blend cognitive science with machine learning to personalize and enhance the learning experience for students, professionals, and lifelong learners alike.
We’re seeking a visionary and hands-on leader to drive the next wave of innovation in learning. As VP of Machine Learning, Data & AI, you will set the strategic direction, scale high-performing teams, and deliver real product impact across millions of learners.
You’ll lead everything from ML infrastructure and personalization to generative AI, content understanding, and internal AI adoption. You’ll also oversee our data platforms, analytics, and data science functions — powering intelligent learning systems and organizational insights.
You'll be responsible for building and leading our ML infrastructure, applied AI development across Quizlet experiences, personalization systems, search and discovery capabilities, and guiding internal AI adoption. This technical leadership role will drive innovation in generative AI, natural language processing, LLMs, image generation, adaptive learning, and predictive modeling while establishing scalable data science practices throughout the organization.
In addition to leading a world-class team, you will influence business and technical strategies to solidify Quizlet's position as the leading learning platform powered by AI, as we continue our quest to revolutionize education worldwide.
We’re happy to share that this is an onsite position in our San Francisco office. To help foster team collaboration, we require that employees be in the office at a minimum of three days a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday and as needed by your manager or the company. We believe that this working environment facilitates increased work efficiency, team partnership, and supports growth as an employee and organization.
In this role, you will:
- Technical & Strategic Leadership: Drive ML/AI infrastructure development to ensure reliable, scalable systems that power Quizlet experiences
- Establish rigorous quality standards and evaluation frameworks for all AI systems
- Build comprehensive testing, monitoring, and validation processes to ensure AI system accuracy and reliability
- Set product and business strategy through AI innovation, representing learning science, data science, and machine learning at the executive level
- Lead the development of personalization engines, search systems, and recommendation algorithms that enhance learning outcomes
- Drive bold, high-impact decisions backed by data and experimentation
- Create a technical roadmap for AI adoption across the organization
- Build and develop high-performing teams across ML engineering, data science, and AI research
- Foster a builder culture that emphasizes execution excellence, lean innovation, and rapid development
- Guide internal AI education and adoption, creating systems for knowledge sharing and capability building
- Create collaborative partnerships with product, engineering, design, and business teams
- Establish frameworks for AI experimentation, evaluation, and deployment
- Lead applied AI initiatives that directly enhance user experiences across all Quizlet products
- Oversee development of next-generation learning features powered by generative AI and LLMs
- Implement systematic evaluation methods to measure AI system effectiveness and learning outcomes
- Establish quality benchmarks and performance standards for all AI-powered features
- Drive measurable improvements in core metrics through AI-powered experiences
- Balance existing capabilities with exploration of emerging AI technologies
- Guide ongoing product decisions to drive confidence in long-term AI investments
Team & Organization Building
Product Impact & Innovation
What you bring to the table:
- Technical Expertise: Deep technical background in applied machine learning and AI, spanning areas such as LLMs, generative AI, recommendation systems, and search algorithms
- Extensive experience building and scaling ML infrastructure to support production AI applications
- Expert in AI quality assurance, evaluation methodologies, and performance metrics
- Strong understanding of experimentation, causal methods, statistics, optimization techniques, and machine learning at scale
- Experience implementing robust AI governance, validation processes, and bias mitigation
- Experience leading teams delivering consumer-facing AI products
- Ability to balance technical innovation with practical implementation and quality standards
- Proven track record leading engineering and data science teams to deliver complex AI systems
- Exceptional communication skills with both technical and business stakeholders
- Ability to translate complex AI concepts into clear strategies and actionable roadmaps
- Experience guiding cross-functional teams in AI adoption and implementation
- Strategic thinking at the executive level, with demonstrated business impact
- 8+ years of experience in machine learning, data science, or AI development
- 5+ years leading teams building ML/AI products at scale
- Demonstrated expertise in AI system evaluation, quality assurance, and performance optimization
- Experience developing comprehensive testing frameworks for complex AI systems
- Experience developing and deploying AI systems with direct user impact
- Track record of successful AI infrastructure development and scaling
- Experience with AI education and organizational capability building
Leadership & Communication
Required Experience
Bonus points if you have:
- Experience with educational technology or learning science applications of AI
- Background in natural language processing, particularly with applications to educational content
- Experience building personalization systems that improve over time
- Passion for making learning more effective and accessible through technology
- Completion of advanced study or research in relevant fields combining AI and learning
Compensation, Benefits & Perks:
- Quizlet is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Salary transparency helps to mitigate unfair hiring practices when it comes to discrimination and pay gaps. Total compensation for this role is market competitive, including a starting base salary of $260,000 - $350,000, depending on location and experience, as well as company stock options
- This role is eligible for a bonus
- Collaborate with your manager and team to create a healthy work-life balance
- 20 vacation days (and we expect you to take them!)
- Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance (100% employee and 75% dependent PPO, Dental, VSP Choice)
- Employer-sponsored 401k plan with company match
- Access to LinkedIn Learning and other resources to support professional growth
- Paid Family Leave, FSA, HSA, Commuter benefits, and Wellness benefits
- 40 hours of annual paid time off to participate in volunteer programs of choice
Why Join Quizlet?
🌎 Massive reach: 60M+ users, 1B+ interactions per week
🧠 Cutting-edge tech: Generative AI, adaptive learning, cognitive science
📈 Strong momentum: Top-tier investors, sustainable business, real traction
🎯 Mission-first: Work that makes a difference in people’s lives
🤝 Inclusive culture: Committed to equity, diversity, and belonging
Let’s Build the Future of Learning
Join us to design and deliver AI-powered learning tools that scale across the world and unlock human potential.
📩 Apply now or reach out to our team to learn more.
Why Join Quizlet?
🌎 Massive reach: 60M+ users, 1B+ interactions per week
🧠 Cutting-edge tech: Generative AI, adaptive learning, cognitive science
📈 Strong momentum: Top-tier investors, sustainable business, real traction
🎯 Mission-first: Work that makes a difference in people’s lives
🤝 Inclusive culture: Committed to equity, diversity, and belonging
We strive to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome!
We work to create a holistic interview process, where both Quizlet and candidates have an opportunity to view what it would be like to work together, in exploring a mutually beneficial partnership.
We provide a transparent setting that gives a comprehensive view of who we are!
In Closing:
At Quizlet, we’re excited about passionate people joining our team—even if you don’t check every box on the requirements list. We value unique perspectives and believe everyone has something meaningful to contribute. Our culture is all about taking initiative, learning through challenges, and striving for high-quality work while staying curious and open to new ideas. We believe in honest, respectful communication, thoughtful collaboration, and creating a supportive space where everyone can grow and succeed together.”
Quizlet’s success as an online learning community depends on a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
As an equal opportunity employer and a tech company committed to societal change, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds. Women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. Come join us!
To All Recruiters and Placement Agencies:
At this time, Quizlet does not accept unsolicited agency resumes and/or profiles.
Please do not forward unsolicited agency resumes to our website or to any Quizlet employee. Quizlet will not pay fees to any third-party agency or firm nor will it be responsible for any agency fees associated with unsolicited resumes. All unsolicited resumes received will be considered the property of Quizlet.
