Head of Applied AI, WHOOP
$200-300k
Offers equity
Wearable health and fitness devices
Be an early applicant
Wearable health and fitness devices
1001+ employees
Be an early applicant
$200-300k
Offers equity
1001+ employees
Company mission
To unlock human performance and Healthspan.
Role
Who you are
- 10+ years of experience in AI, machine learning, data science, software engineering including 5+ years in a leadership role
- Proven success building, leading, and scaling cross-functional AI teams in production environments
- Deep technical expertise in generative AI, large language models, and agentic systems, including both open-source and close-source models
- Strong experience with the full applied AI lifecycle—including prompt engineering, model experimentation, deployment (MLOps), and fine-tuning, and reinforcement learning
- Demonstrated ability to align AI initiatives with business strategy and create measurable value
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence across technical, executive, and cross-functional audiences
- Experience collaborating with Product, Engineering, and Research leaders to deliver integrated solutions
- Background in health tech, performance science, or high-complexity domains is a plus
- Strong commitment to embracing and leveraging AI tools in day-to-day tasks, ensuring AI-assisted work aligns with the same high-quality standards as personal contributions
What the job involves
- WHOOP is seeking a Head of Applied AI to lead the development and deployment of intelligent systems that power the next generation of the WHOOP experience
- This role reports to the SVP of Software
- This is a unique opportunity to shape how AI is used to drive health, recovery, and performance outcomes for millions of members globally
- In this role, you will define and execute the AI strategy across product, platform, and operations—bringing together cutting-edge models and real-world applications
- You’ll lead a multidisciplinary team of researchers, engineers, and data scientists, and serve as a key voice in how WHOOP approaches ethical, scalable, and impactful AI
- Define and execute WHOOP’s applied AI strategy, integrating internal and external models across features, services, and operations
- Lead end-to-end development of AI solutions and features—from early prototyping to deployment and ongoing optimization
- Own the roadmap for our generative AI and agentic platform, ensuring they deliver personalized coaching, insights, and experiences at scale
- Partner with Product, Software, Research, and Analytics to ensure AI initiatives align with strategic priorities and deliver measurable impact
- Build and develop a high-performing team of AI engineers, software engineers, and data scientists; foster a culture of technical rigor and ownership
- Guide architectural decisions, as well as model hosting, deployment, and tuning practices; stay hands-on when needed to drive technical excellence
- Ensure model quality, performance, privacy, and compliance with ethical AI principles
- Represent WHOOP in academic, industry, and partnership forums to elevate our innovation and attract top-tier AI talent
Our take
WHOOP develops wearable health-tracking devices designed to help athletes optimise their performance. Its technology continuously monitors recovery, sleep, and training hours to fine-tune both individual and team performance. Unlike competitors that primarily track exercise data, WHOOP's holistic approach includes metrics like heart rate variability, which can influence more effective and healthier exercise routines.
By focusing on a subscription model that includes the cost of the physical device, WHOOP differentiates itself from competitors that charge a higher one-time fee for their products. This model provides ongoing value and encourages users to stay engaged with their health data.
WHOOP's comprehensive monitoring of strain and recovery has given it a competitive edge, even as other brands like Fitbit have incorporated similar features. Beyond sports performance, WHOOP has conducted extensive research on predicting premature births, aiming to integrate these findings into their app. This commitment to broader health applications demonstrates WHOOP's dedication to advancing wearable health technology.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
1% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 8 rounds)
Aug 2021
$200m
SERIES F
Oct 2020
$100m
SERIES E
Total funding: $404.8m
Company benefits
- Flexible Vacation: WHOOP has a flexible vacation policy that allows you to unwind, laptop-free, when you need it most.
- Focus on Family: We offer 18 weeks paid parental leave, plus an additional 2 weeks to gradually return to work.
- Get Invested: In addition to a competitive base salary and 401k, you're eligible to receive stock options to share in the future of WHOOP.
- WHOOP +1: Everyone on the team gets a complimentary WHOOP membership—plus another membership to share with a loved one.
- Health Matters: Our competitive benefits package covers medical, dental, and vision, in addition to mental health services, life and disability insurance, and more.
- Find Your Fit: Full-time employees get $500 a year to spend on wellness in whatever way they see fit, from fitness classes and memberships, to recovery services.
- It Pays to Sleep: Our Sleep Performance Program incentivizes employees to get more sleep. Log an average sleep performance of 85% or higher for the month and get a $100 bonus.
- Location, Location, Location: You can’t beat the views from the rooftop of One Kenmore Square. Feel inspired daily as you work, enjoy free snacks and coffee, and collaborate in the heart of Boston.
Company HQ
West Fens, Boston, MA
Leadership
Will Ahmed
(Founder & CEO)After graduating from Harvard with a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Economics, Will went on to hold Summer Analyst roles at Allen & Company and Lindsay Goldberg before founding WHOOP in 2012.
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