ML Director

About Climate X

Climate X is a purpose-driven climate-risk analytics company on a mission to revolutionise how the world manages assets, property, and infrastructure in the face of climate change.   We fuse peer-reviewed science with machine learning, earth observation, and advanced climate modelling to project the frequency and severity of physical hazards, floods, subsidence, storms, heat stress, and more, at property-level scale. Our SaaS platform, Spectra, is trusted by global banks, insurers, and real-estate firms to assess how assets and portfolios could be affected by extreme weather, quantify the potential financial and valuation impacts, and make climate-resilient lending and investment decisions. Alongside Spectra, Carta maps company assets (and those of their subsidiaries) without requiring precise client geolocation data, unlocking climate-risk insights at unprecedented scale.   Backed by GV (Google Ventures) after a successful Series A, we’re scaling fast to build the planet’s most accurate and actionable climate-risk platform.  

The Role — Director of AI & ML

We’re looking for a Director of AI & ML to lead our applied machine-learning function and define how Climate X delivers technical excellence at scale. This is a hands-on leadership post where you’ll set the ML strategy, steer the technical roadmap, and guide a talented team of five ML engineers (with future head-count growth tied to impact) as they bring models from prototype to production. You’ll work across generative AI, computer vision, geospatial data, and time-series forecasting, solving real-world problems that drive customer value. You’ll partner closely with our climate risk Science team to marry ML with physical-modelling approaches. As a member of the leadership team, you’ll shape how we build, scale, and operate—playing a critical role in innovation, delivery, and culture as we grow. You will also collaborate with fellow Directors to cultivate the systems, habits, and culture that enable Climate X to thrive.  

What You’ll Do

 

• Set direction. Own and continually refine the AI & ML strategy and technical roadmap, collaborating with the Product team to ensure AI&ML adds value to our product roadmap.
• Lead & grow the team. Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of ML engineers.
• Ship product impact. Drive GenAI development for Carta and future features, taking prototypes to production.
• Bridge Science & Engineering. Combine ML with physics-based risk models (flooding, tropical cyclones, wildfires) to deliver grounded, high-impact solutions.
• Raise the bar. Establish gold-standard practices for evaluation, deployment, observability, and maintainability in ML model development.
• Shape culture. Work shoulder-to-shoulder with other Directors to embed the rituals and behaviours that make teams exceptional.
• Scan the horizon. Evaluate emerging tools, methods, and regulations to keep us ahead of the curve.
• Translate value. Turn complex technical challenges into clear business outcomes for colleagues and customers.

   

What We’re Looking For

• 3 + years leading applied ML teams, following a strong hands-on IC career.
• Proven track record of shipping ML to production and driving real product impact.
• Fluency in Python and modern ML libraries (PyTorch, scikit-learn, etc.).
• Depth in one or more of: GenAI, computer vision, geospatial or time-series ML.
• Excellent judgement on trade-offs, risk, and delivery pace.
• Strong communication skills, able to partner effectively with Product, Engineering, Science, and Commercial teams.
• Start-up mindset, thrives in lean, high-growth teams and rolls up sleeves to own problems end-to-end.

 

Benefits

🌍 Contribute to a business making purposeful impact related to climate change

💡 Monthly training & conference budget to help you upskill and develop your career (£1,000 per year)

📈 6 monthly appraisals and 12 monthly pay reviews

💰 Pension contribution scheme

🏡 Flexible hours and hybrid working (3 days/week in office; core hours 10am-4pm)

🏥 Mental Health and Wellbeing support via Oliva

🏖 25 days holiday, plus Bank Holidays, annual 3-day Christmas-closure, and half day on your birthday (36.5 days total!)

🏏 Optional quarterly socials, dinners, and fun nights out

🥐 A fully stocked supply of snacks, fruit, and refreshments for the days when you are in the office

🚴 Cycle to work scheme via gogeta

🍼 Enhanced maternity and paternity

🐶 Pawternity

🐕 Dog friendly office (official residence of Alfie, Chief Mischief Officer)

 

Equal Opportunities

Climate X are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds