At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the Search & Recommendations team to enhance customer experiences with AI-driven solutions.
- Company: Join ASOS, a global fashion retailer that celebrates individuality and creativity.
- Benefits: Enjoy employee discounts, flexible benefits, 25 days leave, and private medical care.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on millions of customers while leading innovative tech projects.
- Qualifications: Experience in leading engineering teams and scaling consumer-facing systems.
- Other info: Collaborative office culture with opportunities for personal growth and development.
The predicted salary is between 48000 - 72000 ÂŁ per year.
We’re ASOS, the online retailer for fashion lovers all around the world. We exist to give our customers the confidence to be whoever they want to be, and that goes for our people too. At ASOS, you’re free to be your true self without judgement, and channel your creativity into a platform used by millions.
We are looking for a Head of ML Engineering to lead our Search & Recommendations team, a mission‑critical function at the heart of our customer experience. You will set the vision, define the technical strategy, and inspire product development teams to deliver world‑class discovery experiences. Focused on consumer mobile and web e-commerce, this role operates at huge scale – over 2.5 billion visits a year, 23 million active customers, and 50 million unique visitors per month.
You’ll partner with Product, Data Science, and Design to build systems that are fast, relevant, and reliable, guiding the evolution of our discovery and customer experience platforms.
- Define the technology vision and roadmap across Search, Recommendations, Category Navigation, Product Catalogue, AI Stylist, and Customer Care Experience.
- Build, grow, and inspire 6 product development teams and a team of 60, fostering a culture of innovation, delivery, and technical excellence.
- Collaborate with senior product and business leaders to align technology priorities with company strategy and customer needs.
- Lead the design and scaling of search and recommendations platforms, ensuring speed, relevance, and personalisation.
- Oversee category navigation and product catalogue systems to ensure customers can easily browse and find products at scale.
- Partner with Data Science to embed AI‑driven experiences (e.g. AI Stylist) into the shopping journey.
We believe being together in person helps us move faster, connect more deeply, and achieve more as a team. That’s why our approach to working together includes spending at least 3 days a week in the office. It’s a rhythm that speeds up decision‑making, helps ASOSers learn from each other more quickly, and builds the kind of culture where people can grow, create, and succeed.
Qualifications About You
- Significant experience leading engineering teams in fast‑moving digital businesses.
- Proven track record scaling search, recommendations, ranking or discovery systems in consumer‑facing products.
- Deep knowledge of distributed systems, large‑scale data pipelines, information retrieval, and applied ML.
- Strong technical leadership with the ability to balance strategic vision with hands‑on problem solving.
- Excellent communicator and influencer, able to build trusted relationships across Product, Data, and Design.
- Passion for building diverse, inclusive, and high‑performing teams.
Additional Information
- Employee discount (hello ASOS discount!)
- Employee sample sales
- 25 days paid annual leave + an extra celebration day for a special moment
- Discretionary bonus scheme
- Private medical care scheme
- Flexible benefits allowance – which you can take as extra cash, or use towards other benefits
- Opportunity for personalised learning and in‑the‑moment experiences that enable you to thrive and excel in your role.
Head of Machine Learning (Recommendations, AI Stylist & Search) employer: ASOS.com
Contact Detail:
ASOS.com Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Machine Learning (Recommendations, AI Stylist & Search)
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, especially those at ASOS. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insider info about the company culture and what they’re really looking for.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by diving deep into ASOS’s products and tech stack. Show us you know your stuff about search and recommendations systems, and be ready to discuss how you can make an impact on our customer experience.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t just talk about your past experiences; share specific examples of how you’ve led teams to success. We want to hear about your journey in building diverse and high-performing teams that thrive on innovation.
✨Tip Number 4
Finally, apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows us you’re genuinely interested in being part of the ASOS family.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Machine Learning (Recommendations, AI Stylist & Search)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Be Yourself: At StudySmarter, we want to see the real you! Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through in your application. Show us what makes you unique and how you can contribute to our vibrant culture.
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Head of Machine Learning role. Highlight your experience with search and recommendations systems, and how your skills align with our mission at ASOS.
Showcase Your Achievements: We love to see results! Include specific examples of your past successes in leading engineering teams and scaling systems. Numbers and metrics can really make your application stand out.
Apply Through Our Website: For the best chance of success, apply directly through our website. It’s the easiest way for us to review your application and get you on the path to joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at ASOS.com
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of machine learning, especially in the context of search and recommendations. Be ready to discuss your experience with distributed systems and large-scale data pipelines, as well as any hands-on problem-solving you've done in previous roles.
✨Show Your Leadership Skills
Since this role involves leading multiple product development teams, be prepared to share examples of how you've inspired and grown teams in the past. Highlight your ability to foster a culture of innovation and technical excellence, and how you've successfully aligned technology priorities with business strategies.
✨Communicate Effectively
ASOS values excellent communication, so practice articulating your ideas clearly and confidently. Think about how you can build trusted relationships across different departments like Product, Data Science, and Design, and be ready to discuss how you've done this in your previous roles.
✨Embrace Inclusivity
ASOS is committed to diversity and inclusion, so be sure to express your passion for building diverse teams. Share any experiences you have in creating inclusive environments and how you plan to continue fostering this culture within the team you'll lead.