Senior Software Engineer, Machine Learning

Online identity is the foundation of how more and more businesses operate in a world where consumer behavior, privacy, and what constitutes an individual are constantly changing. We’re building the first universal and comprehensive identity infrastructure to help businesses of all sizes manage their customers, prevent fraud, and keep personal information protected.

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in San Francisco, Persona is backed by top VC firms, including Index Ventures, Coatue, and Founders Fund. We’re extremely proud of our team and the work we’ve collectively accomplished so far. The majority of this team operates remotely in the United States, but commits to visiting our San Francisco HQ once a quarter to work together in person.

About the role
We’re building both a product and a technology, and we always prioritize acting in a customer-centric way. In this role, you'll tackle challenging machine learning problems, as Persona's product needs are increasingly complex to balance the ever-changing compliance requirements of our customer base, ranging from small startups to Fortune 10 companies. You’ll develop and optimize machine learning models, contribute to cutting-edge research in generative AI and deepfake detection, and build seamless user experiences that will directly impact the long-term quality of the Persona product.

What you'll do at Persona

• Design, build, and deploy machine learning models for identity verification and fraud prevention
• Fine-tune large language models (LLMs) to enhance natural language processing capabilities
• Train and optimize vision models such as CLIP, YOLO and others for image recognition and processing tasks
• Conduct research in generative AI and deepfake technologies to stay ahead of emerging threats
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate ML solutions into our platform
• Work directly with customers to tailor ML-driven features to their needs
• Handle all different types of scale—from helping a new startup automate their manual processes to supporting enterprises with their Super Bowl Sunday scale

What you'll bring to Persona

• Product-thinker: You build machine learning solutions that maximize product value while minimizing complexity. You understand and can resolve tensions between product requirements and engineering design for large-scale ML projects.
• Innovative mindset: You go beyond implementing what is tasked and suggest new algorithms and models that help push our product forward. You are naturally curious and embrace change.
• Expertise in ML techniques: You have a strong foundation in machine learning algorithms, deep learning, and computer vision. You stay updated with the latest research and can apply it to solve real-world problems.
• Independent thinking: You learn from your mistakes quickly and know how to unblock yourself when needed. You take initiative to tackle new problems and drive them to impactful solutions.
• Collaborative spirit: Collaboration isn’t just a buzzword for you; it’s your secret to success. You leverage the diverse perspectives of your teammates and sometimes go out of your way to learn other functions to get the job done.

Nice to have

• 5+ years of experience as a machine learning engineer or in a related role
• Experience with large language models (LLMs) and natural language processing
• Proficiency in training and tuning vision models like YOLO or CLIP
• Familiarity with generative AI and deepfake detection technologies
• Experience with ML frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch
• Background in computer vision, natural language processing, or related fields
• Knowledge of cloud platforms and services related to machine learning deployments

Offer and benefits
For this role, the estimated base salary range is between $190,000 - $250,000. Base salaries are just one component of the total compensation package and are determined by a number of factors such as years of experience, expertise, qualifications and more. Salary ranges reflect regional market standards for our SF and NY office locations. In addition to base salary, we offer competitive equity packages that play a big part in recognizing you for the huge impact you will have on helping us achieve our mission. Please note, the salary range is a guideline that is subject to change without notice. We are proud to offer best-in-class benefits at Persona. From 401K matching and parental leave, to quarterly company-wide mental health days, unlimited PTO, family planning and wellness stipends, we constantly seek ways to continue embodying our value of People First.