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About The Role We’re hiring an Applied Research Manager to grow and lead a team of research scientists and machine learning engineers solving some of the hardest AI problems at Cleo.

You’ll be accountable for setting research direction, turning exploration into impact, and scaling research outcomes into product-ready solutions. This role sits at the intersection of long-term innovation and high-value product execution - taking ideas from prototype through to measurable value.

You’ll own the research roadmap for areas like large language models, AI agents, personalisation, and evaluation, leveraging Cleo's data from open banking, app interactions, and conversation transacripts. You’ll also build, coach, and develop a team that thrives on curiosity, technical excellence, and pushing boundaries.

You’ll partner closely with Product, Engineering, Design, and other cross-functional stakeholders to ensure research speaks directly to real user and business needs.

What you’ll be doing

Lead & Shape Research Strategy

• Define and own the applied research roadmap that delivers measurable impact
• Identify high-value research opportunities aligned to product and AI priorities
• Balance blue-sky investigation with focused execution and delivery

Manage & Develop Talent

• Hire, grow, and retain a high-performing research team (scientists + research engineers)
• Provide coaching, career development, and mentorship that elevates individual and team performance
• Set clear expectations, review work rigorously, and reinforce high standards

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work directly with Product and Engineering to prioritise research work that aligns to business impact
• Advocate for research needs, constraints, and timelines across teams
• Communicate priorities and results clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders

About You You have deep technical credibility

• You can dive into technical details when needed
• Advanced degree in Machine Learning, AI, Computer Science, or related quantitative field
• Strong foundation in ML fundamentals, research methods, and evaluation design
• First-principles thinker who can question assumptions and innovate beyond existing approaches

You are a leader of people and ideas

• Proven experience managing and developing research teams - scientifically curious, technically strong, and motivated
• Able to set direction, make decisions with imperfect information, and move a team confidently forward
• Skilled in mentoring, performance management, and fostering a psychologically safe culture
• You set the strategic context so the team doesn’t lose sight of business impact

You drive impact

• Experience turning research outcomes into concrete product value
• You know how to prioritise research problems that matter most to users
• Comfortable balancing long-term projects with shorter deliverables
• Strong communicator - can explain complex results to engineers, product partners, and leaders

Nice to haves

• Experience with generative AI, LLM evaluation & fine-tuning workflows
• Track record of published research or contributions to open science
• Practical experience with production ML systems and data infrastructure

The recruitment process

• Interview with a Recruiter (30 mins)
• Interview with the Hiring Manager (30 mins)
• Python Programming Interview (45 mins)
• White-boarding session (60 mins)
• Management Skills Interview (60 mins)

What do you get for all your hard work?

• A competitive compensation package (base + equity) with 3-yearly reviews, aligned to our termly OKR planning cycles.
• Work at one of the fastest-growing tech startups, backed by top VC firms, Balderton & EQT Ventures
• A clear progression plan. We want you to keep growing. That means trying new things, leading others, challenging the status quo and owning your impact. Always with our complete support.
• Flexibility. We can’t fight for the world’s financial health if we’re not healthy ourselves. We work with everyone to make sure they have the balance they need to do their best work.
• Work where you work best. We’re a globally distributed team. If you live in London we have a hybrid approach, we’d love you to spend one day a week or more in our beautiful office. If you’re outside of London, we’ll encourage you to spend a couple of days with us a few times per year. And we’ll cover your travel costs, naturally.
• Company-wide performance reviews every 4 months
• Generous pay increases for high-performing team members
• Equity top-ups for team members getting promoted
• 6% employer-matched pension in the UK
• 25 days annual leave a year + public holidays (+ an additional day for every year you spend at Cleo, up to 30 days)
• 1 month paid sabbatical after 4 years at Cleo
• We'll pay for your OpenAI subscription
• Private Medical Insurance via Vitality, dental cover, and life assurance
• Online mental health support via Spill
• Enhanced parental leave
• Workplace Nursery Scheme
• Regular socials and activities, online and in-person
• And many more!

We strongly encourage applications from people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, parents, carers, and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Compensation range

• United States: $300,000 - $350,000 gross annually*
• Other locations: Compensation will be discussed during the interview process
• Final compensation will be determined based on the candidate's qualifications, skills, and previous experience

By submitting this application, I confirm that all the information given by me in this application for employment and any additional documents attached hereto are true to the best of my knowledge and that I have not wilfully suppressed any material fact. I confirm I have disclosed if applicable any previous employment with Cleo AI. I accept that if any of the information given by me in this application is in any way false or incorrect, my application may be rejected, any offer of employment may be withdrawn or my employment with Cleo AI may be terminated summarily or I may be dismissed. By submitting this application, I agree that my personal data will be processed in accordance with Cleo AI's Candidate Privacy Notice