Machine Learning Scientist - Bayesian ML Specialist

About us

Motorway is the UK’s fastest-growing used car marketplace – our award-winning, online-only platform connects private car sellers with thousands of verified dealers nationwide, ensuring everyone gets the best deal. Founded in 2017, our technology-led approach has redefined the experience of selling a car, generating thousands of monthly car sales and helping us to grow to a team of more than 450 people across our London and Brighton offices.

About the role

We’re looking for someone who can help take our vehicle pricing to the next level; in particular, we’re looking for a machine learning practitioner with a really strong background in bayesian statistics.

Motorway is a two-sided vehicle marketplace between car sellers and trusted car dealers, and vehicles at Motorway are valued according to our best estimate as to what a vehicle will achieve in auction. But we want to better understand how the price we display affects a vehicle’s ability to progress to a sale.

To succeed in this role, you’ll need a strong background in bayesian statistics and calibrated probabilistic machine learning methods (such as Gaussian Processes), and experience applying them at massive scale. You might have come from academia or from industry with proven demonstrable experience in a related field (such as two-sided marketplace optimisation, auction theory, unit pricing etc), but in any case, you should be as excited about the transformative potential of applied statistics in machine learning as we are, with a great appetite for learning, and a strong bias towards results-driven research and application.

Requirements

• Develop and enhance pricing models: Design advanced probabilistic models using Bayesian statistics and to optimise vehicle pricing strategies.

• Familiarity with bleeding-edge techniques: Stay abreast of the latest research in Bayesian methods and machine learning and implement these ideas.
• Analyse market dynamics: Investigate how displayed prices influence seller and buyer behavior, conversion rates, and overall marketplace elasticity.
• Scale machine learning solutions: Implement models that can handle large-scale data efficiently, ensuring real-time responsiveness in a dynamic market environment.
• Collaborate cross-functionally: Work closely with data engineers, data scientists, product managers, and business stakeholders to identify requirements and integrate models into our platform.

Qualifications:

We accept applications from all backgrounds, but successful applicants are likely to have:

• A Ph.D. or Masters degree in Statistics, Machine Learning, or a related field with a strong emphasis on Bayesian methods.
• Extensive experience with Bayesian optimisation and calibrated probabilistic modeling, such as Gaussian Processes.
• Experience validating and fine-tuning results with AB testing and/or causal inference.
• Strong programming skills in Python, and experience with machine learning libraries including PyTorch, pandas, scikit-learn, GPTorch, BOTorch and more.
• Proven ability to apply complex models at scale, handling large datasets efficiently.
• Experience in marketplaces, auction theory, or pricing optimisation is highly desirable.
• Excellent problem-solving abilities and a data-driven, result-first mindset.
• Ability to explain complex models and findings to non-technical stakeholders.

Benefits

• Stock options - we succeed and fail together as a team, so we want you to be included in our success
• Annual learning budget - you can choose how you like to learn and find the best learning experiences to support your progression.
• BUPA health insurance
• Discounted dental through BUPA
• Discounted gym membership through BUPA
• On-Hand volunteering membership + 1 volunteering day per year
• Hybrid working from home (approximately 1-2 days in the office a week)
• Pension scheme
• Motorway car leasing scheme - lease a zero-emissions electric vehicle at a significant discount
• Cycle to work scheme
• Enhanced maternity/paternity leave
• Regular social events

Equal opportunities statement

We are committed to equality of opportunity for all employees. We work to provide a supportive and inclusive environment where people can maximise their full potential. We believe our workforce should reflect a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives and experiences. Our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion is evident through our constant focus on recruiting, developing and advancing individuals based on their skills and talents.

We welcome applications from all individuals regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.

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