Principal Applied Scientist

About the role

In the capacity of , you will play a pivotal role in shaping and executing our applied AI strategy, particularly focusing on AI agents and Generative AI. This position is both hands-on and impactful, situated at the crossroads of research and practical application. Your responsibilities will include exploring, validating, and scaling innovative approaches that will directly influence our product offerings, covering aspects such as model evaluation, routing, agent behavior, memory, and context engineering. Additionally, you will establish metrics for measuring and enhancing these systems, ensuring they meet industry standards.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Lead and define initiatives in applied AI, focusing on agent systems, LLM evaluation, and model optimization.
• Take ownership of complex problem areas from conceptualization to execution, ensuring a measurable impact on production.
• Develop and implement evaluation and benchmarking frameworks, challenging existing industry standards and establishing new ones as necessary.
• Foster innovation in agentic systems, addressing key topics such as routing, memory, and context engineering.
• Create prototypes and validate new methodologies, including model combinations, fine-tuning strategies, and open-weight models.
• Collaborate closely with engineering teams to translate research findings into production-ready solutions.
• Serve as a technical authority, mentoring team members and establishing best practices within the organization.
• Establish and lead the Applied Science guild, promoting knowledge sharing and elevating standards across teams.
• Influence both product and technical strategies by identifying opportunities where applied science can deliver significant value.

Requirements

• A minimum of 12 years of experience in Applied Science or related fields, including at least 5 years of hands-on work in machine learning or artificial intelligence, with a successful track record of deploying systems in production.
• Experience with agent-based systems or multi-step workflows involving large language models (LLMs).
• Strong recent experience with LLMs and Generative AI systems, particularly in production settings.
• Proven ability to manage and drive complex problem spaces from inception to measurable outcomes.
• In-depth knowledge of evaluation methodologies, benchmarking, and model performance analysis, including human-in-the-loop approaches.
• Hands-on technical expertise, capable of prototyping, experimenting, and delivering solutions in collaboration with engineering teams.
• Experience with production systems, balancing the need for speed, quality, and scalability.
• Demonstrated technical leadership and influence, with experience in mentoring and driving cross-functional initiatives.
• Ability to operate at both strategic and tactical levels, linking long-term vision with everyday decision-making.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey ideas and influence both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Evidence of broader impact, such as published work, open-source contributions, or industry influence, is a plus.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with model routing, fine-tuning, or open-weight models.
• Background in human-in-the-loop evaluation or annotation systems.
• Contributions to public research, blogs, or open-source projects.

Skills & tools

• Proficiency in machine learning frameworks and programming languages relevant to AI and data science.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms and tools used for deploying AI solutions.
• Strong analytical skills and experience with data analysis tools.

Practical notes

• Parloa is committed to maintaining the highest standards of data protection for both client and employee information. All employees play a crucial role in ensuring compliance with GDPR and ISO standards, including ISO 27001, when handling sensitive data.
• Parloa is an E-Verify employer in the USA.

META

Company: Parloa

Title: Principal Applied Scientist

Listed

location: Berlin Office; Munich Office; Remotely in Germany

At Parloa, we are on the cusp of a transformative era in customer experience, where AI not only responds but also comprehends, reasons, and acts. Our mission is to develop agentic AI that enterprises can trust during critical customer interactions, turning what were once mere support tickets into defining experiences. We are dedicated to raising the standard of customer conversations, ensuring they are seamless, intelligent, and genuinely helpful. If you are passionate about influencing how businesses and customers engage on a large scale and want your contributions to have a real impact, this is the place for you.

Ownership is more than just a term at Parloa; it signifies accountability for results rather than just tasks. We thrive in a fast-evolving sector where the challenges are complex, and the expectations are high. We seek individuals who think in solutions, communicate effectively, and are committed to continuous improvement. Our team members are empowered to make decisions, take responsibility, and elevate standards for themselves and their colleagues.

Having moved beyond the initial startup phase, we maintain a culture of rapid execution, direct feedback, and a strong expectation of meaningful contributions from day one. With backing from prominent global investors such as General Catalyst, EQT Ventures, and Altimeter Capital, we are scaling with a clear ambition: to establish ourselves as the global leader in enterprise-grade conversational AI.

We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and experiences, as we believe that varied perspectives enrich our team and drive innovation. If you are excited about this opportunity and believe you can make a difference, we encourage you to apply.