---
title: 'Senior Applied AI Scientist (AI Marketplace) at Preply'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-applied-ai-scientist-ai-marketplace-preply-barcelona-bykk8f1m37pz'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-16'
---

# Senior Applied AI Scientist (AI Marketplace) at Preply

- **Company:** [Preply](https://feeny.ai/companies/preply)
- **Location:** Barcelona, Spain
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-03-11
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-16
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/preply/e51600bd-c014-4b1b-8d52-14a8ee6bb58f/application

**Skills:** PyTorch, TensorFlow, Deep Learning, NLP, Cloud Platforms, AWS, Google Cloud, Machine Learning, Multimodal Neural Search, Ranking Architectures

> Design and deploy intelligent systems for an AI marketplace, focusing on multimodal neural search, ranking, and ranking architectures. Partner with cross-functional teams to bring state-of-the-art deep learning models to production, ensuring safety, trustworthiness, and scalability for global learners and tutors.

## Job description

We power people’s progress. At Preply, we’re all about creating life-changing learning experiences. We help people discover the magic of the perfect tutor, craft a personalised learning journey, and stay motivated to keep growing. Our approach is human-led, tech-enabled - and it’s creating real impact. We’ve just reached unicorn status with a $150M Series D, accelerating our vision to transform education through human-led, AI-enhanced learning. Today, 100,000+ tutors teach 90+ languages to learners in 180 countries - and we’re only getting started. As a category-defining company, we’re shaping what the future of learning looks like at global scale. Every Preply lesson sparks change, fuels ambition, and drives progress that matters. Joining Preply means helping define the future of education at global scale, and building something that truly matters for millions of people, every day. Meet the team! At Preply, AI isn't a feature — it's foundational. It powers how we connect millions of learners and tutors, personalise every interaction, and build a marketplace where meaningful learning thrives at global scale. The Applied AI team sits at the centre of this ecosystem. We design and deploy intelligent systems that drive real-time tutor–learner matchmaking across millions of sessions worldwide. Over time, we've evolved from traditional machine learning approaches into a modern AI-native marketplace — leveraging deep learning, advanced ranking and re-ranking architectures, and proprietary multimodal data including audio, video, and transcripts to deliver smarter recommendations and measurable learning outcomes. Our scope extends far beyond recommendations. We build and operate the intelligence layer that ensures the marketplace is not only high-performing, but also safe and trustworthy. From neural ranking models in PyTorch to large-scale experimentation infrastructure and full-spectrum Trust & Safety systems, including fraud prevention, abuse detection, and marketplace integrity, we tackle some of the most complex and high-impact challenges in the business. As part of Applied AI, you'll partner closely with product, engineering, and data leadership to bring cutting-edge research into production at scale. This is where state-of-the-art modelling meets real-world constraints, and where every incremental model improvement translates into better matches, stronger trust, and real progress for learners and tutors around the world.

What you’ll be doing:

- AI Research & Development: Apply state-of-the-art, multimodal neural search & Ranking models to build and optimize scalable machine learning solutions for personalized learning and AI tutors.
- Applied Science Execution: Work on cutting-edge AI models, contributing to research, prototyping, and deployment in production environments.
- Cross-functional Collaboration: Partner with scientists, engineers, and product teams to deliver AI-driven solutions that improve learning experiences and business outcomes.
- Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing: Support and mentor junior scientists and engineers, fostering an environment of learning and innovation.
- Best Practices in ML: Contribute to machine learning best practices, including model architecture, research methodologies, and deployment pipelines.

What you need to succeed:

- PhD in Information Retrieval (IR), NLP, Machine Learning, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
- 4+ years of industry experience, focusing on deep learning-based NLP and IR applications.
- Strong proficiency in deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.
- Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud).
- Ability to drive AI initiatives from research to production in a collaborative environment.
- Strong problem-solving skills and a track record of building impactful AI solutions.
- Passion for advancing AI-driven personalized learning experiences.
- Eagerness to work in a fast-paced, cross-functional setting to bring AI research into real-world applications.

Why you’ll love it at Preply:

- An open, collaborative, dynamic and diverse culture;
- A generous monthly allowance for lessons onhttp://preply.com/[Preply.com](http://Preply.com), Learning & Development budget and time off for your self-development;
- A competitive financial package with equity, leave allowance and health insurance;
- Access to free mental health support platforms;
- The opportunity to shape the lives of learners and tutors through language learning and teaching in 175 countries (and counting!).

## #LI-AG1

Our Principles

- Care to change the world - We are passionate about our work and care deeply about its impact to be life changing.
- We do it for learners - For both Preply and tutors, learners are why we do what we do. Every day we focus on empowering tutors to deliver an exceptional learning experience.
- Keep perfecting - To create an outstanding customer experience, we focus on simplicity, smoothness, and enjoyment, continually perfecting it as every detail matters.
- Now is the time - In a fast-paced world, it matters how quickly we act. Now is the time to make great things happen.
- Disciplined execution - What makes us disciplined is the excellence in our execution. We set clear goals, focus on what matters, and utilize our resources efficiently.
- Dive deep - We leverage business acumen and curiosity to investigate disparities between numbers and stories, unlocking meaningful insights to guide our decisions.
- Growth mindset - We proactively seek growth opportunities and believe today's best performance becomes tomorrow's starting point. We humbly embrace feedback and learn from setbacks.
- Raise the bar - We raise our performance standards continuously, alongside each new hire and promotion. We build diverse and high-performing teams that can make a real difference.
- Challenge, disagree and commit - We value open and candid communication, even when we don’t fully agree. We speak our minds, challenge when necessary, and fully commit to decisions once made.
- One Preply - We prioritize collaboration, inclusion, and the success of our team over personal ambitions. Together, we support and celebrate each other's progress.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion [Preply.com](http://Preply.com) is committed to creating an inclusive environment where people of diverse backgrounds can thrive. We believe that the presence of different opinions and viewpoints is a key ingredient for our success as a multicultural Ed-Tech company. That means that Preply will consider all applications for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age or veteran status.

## About Preply

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Preply is a human-led, AI-enabled online language learning marketplace that connects over 100,000 tutors with millions of learners worldwide for personalized 1-on-1 lessons.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series D – unicorn, $1.2B valuation as of January 2026)
- **Headquarters**: Brookline, Massachusetts, United States (with global hubs in Barcelona, London, Kyiv, and New York)
- **Founded**: 2012
- **Founders**: Kirill Bigai (CEO) and Dmytro Voloshyn (CTO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Language learning / EdTech
- **Target customers**: B2C (individual learners) and B2B (corporate language training via Preply Business); primarily B2C but growing enterprise segment.
- **Mission or purpose statement**: "Power people’s progress" – combining the flexibility of online learning with personalized lessons from expert tutors to create life‑changing experiences.

## Products & Services
- **Preply Marketplace**: A platform where learners book 1‑on‑1 live lessons with tutors teaching 90+ languages and 120+ subjects. Tutors manage scheduling, payments, and an integrated video classroom.
- **Preply Business**: Corporate language training solution for companies to upskill employees, offering tailored programs and reporting.
- **AI‑Powered Tools**: New‑generation AI‑enhanced tutoring features (including AI‑generated content and adaptive learning tools) designed to supplement human‑led instruction. The company also provides enterprise OpenAI licenses to employees.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: $1.2 billion (post‑money after January 2026 Series D) – becoming a unicorn.
- **Key Metric**: Over $100K total funding? Actually total disclosed funding is ~$150M+ (Series A, B, C) plus the $150M Series D. Annual revenue is not publicly available (private company). Key growth metric: 100,000+ tutors across 180 countries.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: WestCap (led Series D), Owl Ventures, Horizon Capital, Hoxton Ventures, Full In Partners, Diligent Capital Partners, Point Nine Capital (led Seed round).
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Unicorn status reached in Jan 2026.
  - B2B segment “Preply Business” growing.
  - Completed first employee tender offer in May 2026 to provide early liquidity.
  - CEO Kirill Bigai named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2026 New England Finalist.
  - 700+ employees globally; 62+ nationalities represented.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Network effects**: Large two‑sided marketplace with 100K+ tutors and millions of learners creates a strong moat in the $115B global language learning market.
- **Human‑led + AI‑enabled**: Differentiates from purely self‑study apps (e.g., Duolingo) by combining live human interaction with AI‑powered personalization.
- **Global reach**: Tutors from 180 countries teaching 90+ languages, enabling learners to find native speakers for almost any language.
- **Trust & quality**: Focus on tutor quality and learner progress, with internal engagement surveys showing 86% of employees proud to work at Preply.

## Strategic Focus
- **AI integration**: Deepen AI capabilities to enhance tutoring (content generation, adaptive learning paths) while keeping human interaction central.
- **B2B expansion**: Grow Preply Business as a key revenue driver for corporate language training.
- **Global hub growth**: Strengthen presence in existing hubs (Barcelona, London, Kyiv, New York) and expand into new markets.
- **Talent & culture**: Continue building a people‑first culture with employee liquidity events and strong engagement scores.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Guided by five “Preply principles” (Ambition, Keep Perfecting, Care to Change the World, etc.). 86% of employees are proud to work at Preply (2025 survey); 84% would recommend it as a great place to work.
- **Work model**: Hybrid working model (flexible remote/in‑office). Main office in Barcelona with hubs in New York, London, and Kyiv.
- **Perks**: Competitive salaries, stock options, L&D days, monthly Preply platform allowance, wellness benefit, health insurance, flexible compensation program, after‑work gatherings, offsite events, enterprise OpenAI licenses.
- **Hiring process**: 4 stages – TA chat, interviews with hiring team (may include tech test), a final task (case study / peer programming / deep technical discussion), and a Culture Champion interview.
- **Global team**: 62+ nationalities and 700+ employees, offering a diverse, collaborative environment.

## Sources
1. [Preply Careers](https://preply.com/en/careers)
2. [Preply About Us](https://preply.com/en/about-us)
3. [Preply Homepage](https://preply.com/)
4. [CB Insights Company Profile](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/preply)
5. [Preply LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/preply)

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