Senior Applied Science [Search, Ranking, and Matching]

A home is the biggest investment most people make, and yet, it doesn’t come with a manual. That's why we’re building the only app homeowners need to effortlessly manage their homes — knowing what to do, when to do it, and who to hire. With Thumbtack, millions of people care for what matters most, and pros earn billions of dollars through our platform. And as one of the fastest-growing companies in a $600B+ industry — we must be doing something right.

We are driven by a common goal and the deep satisfaction that comes from knowing our work supports local economies, helps small businesses grow, and brings homeowners peace of mind. We’re seeking people who continually put our purpose first: advocating for pros and customers, embracing change, and choosing teamwork every day.

At Thumbtack, we're creating a new era of home care. If making an impact and the chance to do good inspires you, join us. Imagine what we’ll build together.

Thumbtack by the Numbers

• Available nationwide in every U.S. county
• 80 million projects started on Thumbtack
• 10 million 5-star reviews and counting
• Pros earn billions on our platform
• 1000+ employees
• $3.2 billion valuation (June, 2021)

About the Applied Science Team

We're looking for applied scientists with deep expertise in machine learning, optimization, building data products, and/or statistics. As part of a small product team you will have full ownership over your domain, so you should be a person who dreams big, then executes well.

At Thumbtack, the Applied Science team is responsible for a wide variety of problems spanning machine learning, statistics, and computer science:

• Improve customer and service provider matching. Matching and optimization algorithms are fundamental to Thumbtack’s product: we now service millions of matches per week. Identifying better matches between customers and service providers has an incredible impact on the experience of customers and professionals transacting on our platform.
• Model complex relationships in the presence of many confounding factors. Predictive modeling problems are everywhere across our product. Our team works to scope, design and implement machine learning models to support Thumbtack’s product and marketing.
• Characterize marketplace dynamics. Thumbtack’s marketplaces consist of thousands of active markets across our service categories and U.S. cities. Via exploratory data analysis and experimental design, our team works to understand trends and behaviors within these markets.
• Build a healthy marketplace. We evolve and manage the monetization mechanics of our marketplace, including defining the parameters that affect the prices we charge.

Challenge

We are looking for someone with deep expertise in applying scientific techniques to consumer products. This person will work on our next generation search experience, our ranking and matching algorithms, and the end-to-end hiring experience for users of our marketplace. We need to bring homeowners and service professionals together in matches that work for both sides, where the skills of professionals match with the project needs of homeowners, and where scheduling and pricing align to make these successful jobs done. We need to make the most of all the information we know about projects and professionals in a seamless user experience that guides and informs homeowners.

Responsibilities

• Initiate and drive applied science initiatives to completion, with a focus on the business impact of those projects
• Architect and deploy machine learning systems and algorithms to production
• Design and execute experiments, collect and analyze data to characterize our product and marketing
• Analyze a wide variety of data: structured and unstructured, observational and experimental
• Collaborate with engineers, data scientists, and economists to use sound statistical practices
• Maintain the right balance between speed of execution and scientific rigor when designing solutions
• Technical mentorship of other applied scientists

What you'll need

If you don't think you meet all of the criteria below but still are interested in the job, please apply. Nobody checks every box, and we're looking for someone excited to join the team.

• Expert knowledge of machine learning techniques, particularly as applied to search, ranking, and matching problems
• Experience with NLP techniques, including familiarity with modern LLM designs and tools
• Ability to effectively read, write, and debug code in programming languages such as Python
• Good knowledge of probability and statistics, including experimental design, optimization, and causal inference
• Experience with technical mentorship of other applied scientists
• Demonstrated ability to create and drive technical and impactful roadmaps for the business, and lead seamless execution
• Ability to break down complex problems rigorously and understand the tradeoffs necessary to deliver impactful projects
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively to cross functional partners of various technical levels

Bonus points if you have

• Expert knowledge of probability and statistics, including experimental design, predictive modeling, optimization, and causal inference
• Experience with large-scale distributed systems
• Ph.D. in a relevant field

Thumbtack is a virtual-first company, meaning you can live and work from any one of our approved locations across the United States, Canada or the Philippines.* Learn more about our virtual-first working model here.

• Virtual-first working model coupled with in-person events
• 20 company-wide holidays including a week-long end-of-year company shutdown
• Libraries (optional use collaboration & connection hubs)in San Francisco and Salt Lake City
• WiFi reimbursements
• Cell phone reimbursements (North America)
• Employee Assistance Program for mental health and well-being

Learn More About Us

• Life @ Thumbtack Blog
• How Thumbtack is embracing virtual work
• Follow us on LinkedIn
• Meet the pros who inspire us

Thumbtack embraces diversity. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and do not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, age, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, military or veteran status, genetic information, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, provincial, state, or local law. We also will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, consistent with applicable law.

Thumbtack is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation for a medical condition or disability during any part of the application process, please contact: [email protected].

If you are a California resident, please review information regarding your rights under California privacy laws contained in Thumbtack’s Privacy policy available at https://www.thumbtack.com/privacy/ .