Lead Data Science and Machine Learning Engineer

Level: Staff / Lead

Type: Full-time

About the role

As a Lead Data Science and Machine Learning Engineer, you will be the technical anchor for applied ML across our AI-driven procurement intelligence products. You'll guide the design, development, and deployment of ML-powered features that turn vast, unique procurement datasets into real, user-facing capabilities.

You'll mentor mid-level engineers, lead design discussions, and ensure we make sound technical choices that scale. Your focus will be on delivering impactful ML solutions — from research and prototyping through to production deployment — with a particular emphasis on NLP, large language models (LLMs), and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).

What you'll do

• Provide technical leadership in applied machine learning, shaping architecture decisions and guiding ML best practices.
• Own the end-to-end delivery of ML features — from exploration and experimentation to production deployment and monitoring.
• Work closely with product and engineering teams to embed ML into user-facing features that solve real customer problems.
• Develop and refine model retraining strategies, evaluation frameworks, and quality metrics.
• Lead and participate in design reviews, ensuring solutions are scalable, maintainable, and measurable.
• Stay at the forefront of advancements in NLP, LLMs, and generative AI, bringing innovative ideas to our roadmap.
• Mentor and coach mid-level ML engineers, fostering technical growth and high-quality delivery.

What we're looking for

• Proven track record delivering applied ML systems in production environments.
• Deep expertise in NLP/LLM techniques, including model architecture design, fine-tuning, and inference scaling.
• Experience integrating ML into end-user applications and measuring real-world impact.
• Strong skills in Python and modern ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow).
• Solid understanding of cloud-based ML deployment (Azure preferred) and MLOps practices.
• Bonus: Experience with conversational AI and/or RAG systems.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to influence technical direction across teams.

Why you'll love this role

You'll be a central voice in shaping our AI capabilities, ensuring we can move fast without sacrificing quality. You'll have the autonomy to drive technical decisions while collaborating closely with product and engineering leaders to make measurable business impact.

What it's like working at Sievo

• One of the coolest offices in the heart of Helsinki – or if you prefer, a flexible hybrid working model. We also provide all essential tools to work remotely.
• Freedom and responsibility. We are looking for people who yearn for this freedom, can make the most out of it and are willing to take on the responsibility.
• International team members coming from over 40 nationalities.
• Awesome perks including extensive healthcare, phone plan, home internet connection, equity program, referral bonus, and many more!

We offer relocation support and a comprehensive package for exceptional candidates.

How to apply

Does this sound like your kind of role?

We are saving you a seat! Please send us your CV through our application system. Additionally any GitHub links, contribution to open-source projects, and displays of passions projects are all welcome.

We are continuously reviewing applications on an ongoing basis and offer flexible starting dates.

For any questions, reach out to edwin.samar@sievo.com (Engineering Manager).

Meet Sievo

We are Sievo – a fast-growing software-as-a-service company from Finland. Our unique superpower is called procurement analytics. We are the global leaders in our space and help our customers understand their own procurement data, make data-driven decisions, reduce emissions, drive supply chain resilience, and beyond!  Each year, we process over 2% of the world’s total spend. Pretty cool, right?

At Sievo, we’re powered by smart and kind people from all over the world. Our 400 Sievonians are based in Helsinki, Chicago and Bucharest.

At Sievo, we celebrate and support differences and strive to create a culture where everyone feels valued and included. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we do not discriminate against any individual in hiring or employment based on gender, gender identity or expression, age, ethnic or national origin, nationality, language, religion or belief, opinion, disability, state of health, sexual orientation, or other personal reasons.