VP, AI Research Lab

Workato transforms technology complexity into business opportunity. As the leader in enterprise orchestration, Workato helps businesses globally streamline operations by connecting data, processes, applications, and experiences. Its AI-powered platform enables teams to navigate complex workflows in real-time, driving efficiency and agility.

Trusted by a community of 400,000 global customers, Workato empowers organizations of every size to unlock new value and lead in today’s fast-changing world. Learn how Workato helps businesses of all sizes achieve more at workato.com.

Ultimately, Workato believes in fostering a flexible, trust-oriented culture that empowers everyone to take full ownership of their roles. We are driven by innovation and looking for team players who want to actively build our company. 

But, we also believe in balancing productivity with self-care. That’s why we offer all of our employees a vibrant and dynamic work environment along with a multitude of benefits they can enjoy inside and outside of their work lives. 

If this sounds right up your alley, please submit an application. We look forward to getting to know you!

Also, feel free to check out why:

• Business Insider named us an “enterprise startup to bet your career on”

• Forbes’ Cloud 100 recognized us as one of the top 100 private cloud companies in the world

• Deloitte Tech Fast 500 ranked us as the 17th fastest growing tech company in the Bay Area, and 96th in North America

• Quartz ranked us the #1 best company for remote workers

We are looking for an exceptional VP, AI Research Lab to join our growing team. In this role, you will be responsible to:

• Define a 24‑month research roadmap focused on deterministic planners, self‑healing automations, retrieval‑augmented workflow graphs, and agent‑evaluation harnesses.

• Hire, coach, and inspire a team of 10 + applied researchers and interns; foster a publication‑quality bar and culture of open science.

• Publish peer‑reviewed papers and secure patents that differentiate Workato in enterprise AI.

• Partner with Product & Engineering to productionise prototypes within six months of proof‑of‑concept.

• Engage lighthouse customers to validate research and convert learnings into reference architectures.

Qualifications / Experience / Technical Skills

• PhD (or equivalent) in ML/NLP and 8 + years leading applied‑research teams.

• Demonstrated track record of shipping research to production in large‑scale systems, and publishing in the top three ML venues — NeurIPS, ICML, and ICLR.

• Deep expertise across structured and unstructured enterprise data modalities.

• Strong publication and patent portfolio.

Soft Skills / Personal Characteristics

• Inspirational leader who attracts and retains top talent.

• Clear communicator able to translate complex research into business value.

• Comfortable making decisions in a fast‑moving, on‑site lab environment.

• Collaborative mindset; thrives at the intersection of research and product.

(REQ ID: 2122)