Source
r/datascience•
quantpsychguy

Career progression question - ML implementation

Career

Wanted to know group thoughts here.

Where I am, I do a big chunk of the ML implementation work, so think optimization models for customer pricing & targeting, stuff like that. Of course the modeling is not always the big problem - it's getting the data engineering to work and the business side to get along and the deployment to actually achieve the value that was estimated at the beginning. So not only the project management part but also KPI generation & scoping at the beginning and then going beyond the pilot to make sure it actually works and then on the glide path to success.

I want to get another gig where I am doing more of this. However I'm not sure what job titles to search for.

It's not project management because it's beyond that. It's not real ML Engineering because it's smaller scale than most ML Engineer gigs. It's not quite program management...it feels like I am searching for Director level functions that have ML deployments maybe in the text? Almost an internal consultant with ML maybe?

Hoping some other folks can help guide me here I to what I am searching for and how to find it.

Posted Sep 5, 2022, 5:07 PM UTC

14
Aggressive_Ad_3178•

I see many more big ML consultancies hiring "data strategists" these people usually have at least an (ML-focused) Analytics degree masters with others coming from CS/stats backgrounds. Sounds pretty much like what you'e describing, it gets pretty technical
but usually without writing code.

2
playawhile•

I have made a similar shift, and it feels like there are

  1. ML Engineering
  2. Data Engineers
  3. Analytics Engineers

Companies that don't have an analytics engineer, are basically hoping that a Data Analyst (in the business units) and effectively work with the Data Engineer, which often requires Project Management to facilitate cooperation and purpose.

2
quantpsychguyOP•

So you're saying that you had difficulty or that you managed to make it in as an AE?

I don't mind the project management side - it just seems that a project manager usually stops at getting the thing into production and not owning the portfolio after pilot and maintaining the glide path.

1
True-Jello2995•

Your looking for a technical program manager or tpm role. Coordinates between everyone, has domain knowledge, implements and manages the program. Project managers implement and leave program managers implement and iterate.

2