← Back to All JDs

Senior Applied AI/ML Engineer

About the Role

DPDzero is looking for an experienced and motivated Senior Applied AI/ML Engineer to help design, build, and scale our conversational AI systems that power next-generation digital debt collections. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in fast-paced environments, is passionate about machine learning, and enjoys building intelligent systems that create real business value.

You’ll work closely with product, engineering, and data teams to build and integrate language models, NLP components, and dialogue systems into user-facing experiences. You’ll take full ownership of model performance, accuracy, and maintainability, while playing a key role in shaping how AI enhances customer interactions across our platform.

Responsibilities

  • Work with cross-functional teams to turn fuzzy product ideas into AI-powered conversational features
  • Design, train, fine-tune, and deploy NLP and LLM-based models for tasks such as intent detection, summarization, classification, and dialogue management
  • Build scalable, maintainable ML pipelines and model APIs that integrate seamlessly with production systems
  • Collaborate with software engineers to integrate AI/ML solutions into production systems
  • Own AI components end-to-end — from rapid prototyping and offline experimentation to deployment and live performance tracking
  • Develop evaluation frameworks and testing strategies (e.g., offline metrics, A/B tests, human-in-the-loop review) to ensure conversational quality and robustness
  • Mentor junior Applied AI/ML engineers through code reviews, design guidance, and feedback
  • Help set best practices for model development, experiment tracking, CI/CD for ML, and system observability

Qualifications

  • 5+ years of experience building and deploying production-grade machine learning or NLP systems
  • Strong programming skills in Python, with hands-on experience in frameworks like PyTorch and Transformers; exposure to orchestration tools (e.g., LangChain) and LLM APIs (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic)
  • Solid experience working with transformer-based models like BERT, T5, or GPT, including fine-tuning using methods such as LoRA, QLoRA, or full-parameter training
  • Solid understanding of modern NLP techniques (e.g., text classification, embeddings, summarization, dialogue systems)
  • Familiarity with engineering practices such as testing, monitoring, CI/CD, and scalable architecture in ML contexts
  • Proven track record of owning models or features end-to-end — from experimentation to deployment and iteration
  • Experience mentoring peers and contributing to team-wide engineering and modeling standards

Nice to have

  • Experience fine-tuning or integrating large language models into real-world product workflows
  • Knowledge of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), prompt engineering, and conversational UX design
  • Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and ML infrastructure tools (e.g., MLflow, Weights & Biases)
  • Experience working in a startup or fast-paced, product-focused environment

About DPDzero

Credit penetration in India faces significant challenges, necessitating focused attention. Without proper infrastructure, extending credit to unserved and underserved populations remains elusive.

DPDzero is on a mission to enhance credit penetration by enabling lenders to concentrate on acquiring new customers, while we handle delinquency management. We are an 18-month-old startup, collaborating with over 20 lending partners . We have secured $3.25 million in seed funding from Blume Ventures, India Quotient, Better Capital, etc.

Company Description:

DPDzero is a pioneering fintech company dedicated to extending formal credit access to the next billion individuals in India. Our cutting-edge platform leverages machine learning and a digital-first approach to transform the lending industry. By prioritizing compliance, data-driven decision-making, and a culture of experimentation, we aim to maximize value for lenders while delivering an unparalleled customer experience. Join us as we revolutionize the financial landscape and empower individuals with greater financial opportunities.

Customers:

At DPDzero, we work with a diverse range of ambitious lenders, both established players and emerging disruptors, who are reshaping the credit ecosystem in India. Some of our esteemed customers include Cashe, Ring, TATA Capital, IndusInd Bank, KreditBee, and more, with new additions each month.

Our Approach:

We partner with our lenders by taking charge of their collections portfolio, allowing them to focus on customer acquisition while we ensure efficient recovery from their customers. Our technology-driven platform leverages machine learning algorithms to optimize collections strategies and drive maximum recovery rates.