WHOOP

Technical Lead, ML Operations

WHOOP$150K — $215K *
Enterprise Technology
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or related field; equivalent practical experience acceptable.
  • 7+ years of experience in software engineering with a focus on ML infrastructure and cloud systems.
  • Proven experience in end-to-end system ownership and team execution.
  • Experience leading or mentoring engineers, with a focus on career development.
  • Strong technical expertise with AWS and distributed systems in scalable ML platforms.
  • Proficiency in programming languages such as Python or Java, and in building APIs and data pipelines.
  • Ability to balance technical contributions with team leadership.

Responsibilities

  • Own the technical vision and roadmap for WHOOP's ML platform component, aligning with product priorities.
  • Lead a small team of engineers by setting direction and prioritizing tasks.
  • Drive the end-to-end delivery process, ensuring high standards of reliability and scalability.
  • Contribute hands-on to system design while mentoring team members through regular feedback.
  • Design scalable ML infrastructure and CI/CD systems for efficient model deployment.
  • Collaborate across departments to convert ambiguous requirements into concrete solutions.
  • Establish best practices for architecture and operational excellence in ML systems.

Benefits

  • Generous equity package aligned with company performance and long-term success.
  • Diverse and inclusive work environment that values character and experience.
  • Opportunities for career growth and professional development.
  • Support for relocating to the Boston office if necessary.
Full Job Description
We are seeking a senior engineer to operate as a Technical Lead on the WHOOP MLOps team. This individual will own the strategy, roadmap, and execution for a critical component of our ML platform. This is a hybrid individual contributor and leadership role where you will set technical direction and lead a small team, while driving architectural decisions, and partnering closely with Data Science, AI, and Engineering teams to scale WHOOP's machine learning capabilities.

In this role, you will be responsible not only for building and optimizing ML infrastructure, but also for defining the long-term vision of your domain, aligning stakeholders, and ensuring successful delivery through both hands-on contributions and technical leadership.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Own the technical vision, roadmap, and delivery for a core component of WHOOP's ML platform, aligning with product and business priorities.
  • Lead and manage a small team of engineers by setting direction, prioritizing work, and ensuring high-quality execution against roadmap goals.
  • Drive end-to-end delivery of the team, including planning, unblocking, and maintaining a high bar for reliability, scalability, and performance.
  • Act as a player-coach by contributing hands-on to system design and critical components while mentoring engineers and supporting their growth through regular feedback and coaching.
  • Design and evolve scalable ML infrastructure and CI/CD systems, enabling efficient model deployment, monitoring, and lifecycle management.
  • Partner cross-functionally with Data Science, AI, Product, and Engineering to translate ambiguous requirements into robust platform solutions.
  • Establish and enforce best practices for architecture, observability, and operational excellence across ML systems.
  • Contribute to hiring and team building, helping to scale a high-performing ML platform team.

QUALIFICATIONS:
  • Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field; or equivalent practical experience.
  • 7+ years of software engineering experience, including deep experience in ML infrastructure and cloud-based systems, and prior experience leading or managing engineers.
  • Proven track record of owning and delivering complex systems end-to-end, including driving execution through a team.
  • Experience managing or formally leading engineers, including mentoring, performance feedback, and supporting career development.
  • Strong technical expertise in AWS and distributed systems, with experience building scalable, production-grade ML platforms.
  • Proficiency in programming (e.g., Python, Java) and experience building APIs, data pipelines, and real-time inference systems.
  • Demonstrated ability to balance hands-on technical work with team leadership responsibilities.
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills, with experience working across cross-functional stakeholders.

This role is based in the WHOOP office located in Boston, MA. The successful candidate must be prepared to relocate if necessary to work out of the Boston, MA office.

Interested in the role, but don't meet every qualification? We encourage you to still apply! At WHOOP, we believe there is much more to a candidate than what is written on paper, and we value character as much as experience. As we continue to build a diverse and inclusive environment, we encourage anyone who is interested in this role to apply.

The WHOOP compensation philosophy is designed to attract, motivate, and retain exceptional talent by offering competitive base salaries, meaningful equity, and consistent pay practices that reflect our mission and core values.

At WHOOP, we view total compensation as the combination of base salary, equity, and benefits, with equity serving as a key differentiator that aligns our employees with the long-term success of the company and allows every member of our corporate team to own part of WHOOP and share in the company's long-term growth and success.

The U.S. base salary range for this full-time position is $150,000 - $215,000. Salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within each range, individual pay is based on factors such as job-related skills, experience, performance, and relevant education or training. In addition to the base salary, the successful candidate will also receive benefits and a generous equity package. These ranges may be modified in the future to reflect evolving market conditions and organizational needs. While most offers will typically fall toward the starting point of the range, total compensation will depend on the candidate's specific qualifications, expertise, and alignment with the role's requirements.

About WHOOP

WHOOP is a wearable technology company that specializes in fitness tracking. The company was founded in 2012 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts. WHOOP's flagship product is a wristband that tracks various metrics related to fitness and health, such as heart rate variability, sleep quality, and recovery time. The company also offers a subscription service that provides personalized insights and recommendations based on the data collected by the wristband. WHOOP has raised over $200 million in funding and has partnerships with several professional sports leagues and teams.
Learn more about WHOOP
Size
500 employees
Industry
Founded
2011

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