Senior ML / AI Engineer

About Choco

Choco is on a mission to make the global food system sustainable by optimizing how food is sold, ordered, distributed, and financed. Our AI-driven software connects distributors with customers to enable waste-free and efficient operations.

We take AI seriously—not just as a buzzword, but as a core driver of our business. In just 16 months, AI has grown from 0 to 100% of our new revenue. We have built an exceptional AI team, leveraging cutting-edge technology to drive innovation in the food industry.

Since our founding in 2018, Choco has raised $328.5 million, achieving unicorn status in 2022 with a valuation of $1.2 billion. Backed by world-class investors like Bessemer Venture Partners, Insight Partners, Coatue Management, and LeftLane Capital, we continue to scale rapidly across Europe and the US.

The Role: Senior ML / AI Engineer

We’re looking for a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to help shape the future of AI at Choco. This role requires deep expertise in LLMs, search and recommendation systems, and production-scale AI deployment. You’ll work closely with our world-class AI team, building solutions that directly impact the company’s core revenue.

If you’re an exceptional applied researcher and engineer, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and want to drive innovation in AI-driven commerce, we want to hear from you.

Your Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end development of AI and ML systems, including experimentation, deployment, optimization, and monitoring.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate sophisticated AI models into our production systems.
• Ensure AI systems are scalable, efficient, and high-performing.
• Research and implement state-of-the-art LLM applications, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and fine-tuning techniques.
• Develop innovative solutions for complex business challenges, optimizing personalized search and recommendation algorithms.
• Support the team through mentorship, tooling, documentation, and best practice implementation.

What Makes You a Great Fit

• Expertise in LLMs: Hands-on experience with GPT-4o and similar models, safely deploying them in production environments.
• Search & Recommendations: Strong background in personalized search, NLP (Named Entity Recognition, information retrieval), and recommendation engines.
• Engineering Excellence: Strong programming skills and experience in building and maintaining scalable AI systems.
• Startup Mindset: Ability to navigate ambiguity, work independently, and move fast to get things done.
• Clear Communication & Collaboration: Ability to translate complex AI concepts into practical solutions for cross-functional teams.

Our Tech Stack

• Infrastructure: AWS Serverless Stack, Kubernetes, Kafka, PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, Elastic Cloud
• AI/ML Tools: Databricks, MLflow, PySpark, dbt
• Programming: Python, SQL, and the latest LLMs from vendors like OpenAI

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: Competitive based on experience
• Equity: Meaningful ownership in a fast-growing AI-driven company
• Hybrid Work Setup: Berlin, Munich, or London locations with flexible office-based collaboration
• Rapid Growth & Impact: Be part of an AI team that is core to Choco’s success
• Opportunity to Work with World-Class AI Talent

Interview Process

1. Intro Call – Meet a founder or hiring manager to discuss logistics and mutual fit.
2. AI/ML Deep Dive – Discuss our approach to AI, review our current challenges, and explore potential contributions.
3. Technical Interview – Coding challenge and system design focused on production-scale AI deployment.
4. Final On-Site or Virtual Meeting – Work on a real-world AI problem with the team.
5. Decision & Offer – Join a fast-growing AI-first company with a direct impact on revenue.

At Choco, AI isn’t just an add-on—it’s at the core of our business. If you want to work on mission-critical AI systems in production, apply now and be part of the team driving the AI revolution in the food supply chain.