Director of AI & Machine Learning

Join the future of news

We’re on a mission to deliver riveting storytelling for all of America. At The Washington Post, you’ll help reinvent news. Our work is driven by a deep investigative spirit and enhanced by innovation to bring audiences closer to the stories that matter most.

About Our Team

The Washington Post is powered by the passion and talent of our people. It takes all of us to reinvent news. Beyond our award-winning Newsroom and Opinions teams, we work across many departments, including Brand & Events, Communications, Customer Care, Engineering & Product, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Marketing & Advertising, Print Operations, and Sales.

Why This Role Matters

 

The Washington Post is seeking a Director of AI & Machine Learning to lead the development and deployment of next-generation AI systems that amplify journalistic impact, enhance reader engagement, and optimize operational efficiency. Reporting to the Chief AI Officer, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of digital journalism by overseeing the design, delivery, and scaling of intelligent, ethical, and secure machine learning (ML) platforms and generative AI (GenAI) applications.

As a key leader within our technology organization, you will unify vision and execution—partnering across newsroom, product, engineering, and business domains to ensure that AI capabilities not only solve today’s challenges but also enable tomorrow’s possibilities.

What Motivates You

• You believe deeply in the mission of journalism and are inspired to create systems that support its evolution in the age of AI.
• You are energized by turning cutting-edge AI trends into practical, scalable tools that empower creators and inform the public.
• You thrive in multidisciplinary environments where technology, ethics, and storytelling converge.
• You are committed to inclusive leadership and building a team culture grounded in trust, curiosity, and continuous learning.
• You are excited to coach and grow highly skilled teams, enabling them to lead in an ever-changing AI landscape.

How You’ll Support the Mission

• Define and drive the strategic roadmap for enterprise-wide machine learning and generative AI initiatives to align with The Post’s editorial, product, and commercial goals.
• Lead and scale inclusive, cross-functional teams of ML scientists, engineers, and technical managers to deliver high-impact AI solutions.
• Architect robust, secure, and scalable ML and GenAI systems, including large language model (LLM) infrastructure, that support experimentation and production use cases.
• Oversee the end-to-end ML lifecycle—from research and prototyping to deployment and monitoring—with an emphasis on reliability, reproducibility, and performance.
• Establish best practices for model development, validation, and integration while ensuring responsible AI use and compliance with data governance standards.
• Collaborate with senior leaders in editorial, technology, and business functions to identify high-value opportunities for AI integration.
• Develop sustainable processes for talent development, cross-functional collaboration, and technical knowledge-sharing across AI and ML domains.
• Represent The Post’s AI strategy externally with credibility and integrity, contributing thought leadership in the broader tech and journalism communities.

The Skills and Experience You Bring

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in machine learning, applied AI, or data science, including a proven record of deploying ML systems in complex production environments.
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing technical teams, including recruiting, mentoring, and performance development of ML professionals.
• Demonstrated expertise in scaling ML infrastructure on modern cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure) and with ML/LLMOps tools (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker, CI/CD workflows).
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills, with an ability to translate technical vision into organizational outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or a related quantitative discipline.
• Experience working in media, economics, or finance domains with an ability to align AI initiatives to editorial and business strategies.
• A portfolio of successfully led cross-functional AI initiatives demonstrating innovation, ethical considerations, and measurable impact.

Collaboration makes us stronger. That’s why our offices are designed with open layouts, modern technology, and easy access to transportation. With certain exceptions for newsgathering and business travel, we work on-site five days a week.

Compensation and Benefits

Wherever you are in your life or career, The Washington Post offers comprehensive and inclusive benefits for every step of your journey:

• Competitive medical, dental and vision coverage

• Company-paid pension and 401(k) match

• Three weeks of vacation and up to three weeks of paid sick leave

• Nine paid holidays and two personal days

• 20 weeks paid parental leave for any new parent

• Robust mental health resources

• Backup care and caregiver concierge services

• Gender affirming services

• Pet insurance

• Free Post digital subscription

• Leadership and career development programs

Benefits may vary based on the job, full-time or part-time schedule, location, and collectively bargained status.

The salary range for this position is:

$211,700 - $352,900 Annual

The actual salary within this range will depend on individual skills, experience, and qualifications as they relate to specific job requirements. This position may be eligible for a bonus or incentive program, and a member of the Talent Acquisition team will discuss bonus payment terms and conditions during the interview process.

Your story awaits. Apply today!

Learn more about The Post at careers.washingtonpost.com.