Chief Technology Officer

ABOUT DOCENT

Docent is an art-tech startup founded in 2020 by Helene Nguyen-Ban, a passionate collector and former gallery founder with a decade-long experience in luxury management at LVMH, and Mathieu Rosenbaum, an award-winning scientist and Professor in Applied Mathematics at École Polytechnique. Docent's team of 20 people harnesses the synergies between art and science, blending visionary research from leading scientists in artificial intelligence with the expertise of professionals deeply rooted in the contemporary art world.

Docent is backed by three early-stage venture funds: Polytechnique Ventures, BPIFrance Industries Créatives et Culturelles, and Point72, as well as renowned business angels. Our ecosystem is further nurtured by galleries, institutions, curators, and artists, actively engaging in the cultural discourse and pushing artistic boundaries and expression. These collaborations form the backbone of our network, helping us offer an authentic platform to connect users with the diverse and vibrant voices that shape our societies. Embracing Docent entails becoming part of a community that cherishes artistic authenticity, cultural importance, and transformative encounters.

Docent is committed to empowering existing collectors, nurturing a new generation of art enthusiasts, and boosting revenue for galleries and artists to support their creative endeavors:

• Experienced collectors value its top-notch art curation, while new users of the app can confidently make art acquisitions, assured that they are accessing works from the most sought-after artists.
• Top-tier galleries recognize Docent as their preferred partner in navigating the new frontier of digital commerce.

Docent’s ultimate goal is to drive the digital transformation of the contemporary art market through its high-end approach, bridging the gap between emerging and established artists on one hand, and collectors, art enthusiasts, and newcomers on the other.

ABOUT THE JOB:

Docent’s unique and proprietary tech strategy is strongly embedded in our machine learning, generative AI, and data science strategy applied to product development in the art world. Our development efforts are focused on the architecture and the data/ML engine that supports our front-end client, enabling innovative experiences.

We are seeking a visionary Tech leader to be the right hand of our co-founders (CEO & CSO). The candidate will have a primary background in machine learning and data, with a real passion for Gen-AI and how it will drive customer experiences at the application layer. Expertise in software engineering and back-end architecture is required to architect and develop our technical and data solution. In this role, you will oversee the ML, AI, and Tech Development team, requiring strong leadership and a hands-on approach to succeed.

Finally, as the company embarks on a new chapter of growth, you will be pivotal in the next fundraising and the key sponsor of an exclusive global partnership between Docent and one of Europe's leaders in AI.

Key Areas of Responsibilities:

Technology Strategy and Vision:

• Define the technology vision and roadmap that aligns with Docent's goals of leveraging machine learning for art-related applications.
• Stay updated on the latest advancements in AI and machine learning and related technologies to identify opportunities for innovation and competitive advantage.
• Evaluate and select the appropriate technical frameworks, tools, and infrastructure to build scalable and efficient solutions.

Machine Learning and AI Development:

• Lead the development of machine learning models and algorithms for various art-related applications. This includes:
• The development of machine learning algorithms for building Docent's personalized recommendation engine of artworks based on visual (artworks images or videos) as well as textual features (texts about artworks and artists).
• Implementation of Docent LLM to contextualize these recommendations in partnership with the European leader in AI.
• Oversee the collection, curation, and preprocessing of art data (images, metadata, etc.) required for training machine learning models.
• Collaborate with the product team to translate the product vision into technical requirements and specifications.
• Design and architect the overall system, integrating machine learning components with other necessary modules (e.g., user interfaces, databases, APIs).
• Implement agile development methodologies and continuous integration/deployment practices to iteratively improve and deliver the product.
• Ensure the scalability, reliability, and performance of the overall infrastructure and machine learning models as the product grows.
• Oversee the deployment and maintenance of machine learning models in production environments.

Team Leadership and Talent Management:

• Build and lead a high-performing engineering team with expertise in machine learning, computer vision, and related domains.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning within the team.
• Attract, retain, and mentor top technical talent by providing growth opportunities and recognizing their contributions.

Stakeholder Collaboration and Communication:

• Collaborate closely with the leadership team, product, commercial, and other stakeholders to align technology initiatives with business goals.
• Communicate complex technical concepts and decisions to non-technical stakeholders in a clear and understandable manner.
• Represent the technology team and advocate for their needs in executive-level discussions and decision-making processes.

ABOUT YOU:

• 7+ years of experience in international fast-paced businesses and roles, combining start-ups and scale-ups.
• Demonstrated and pragmatic approach to architecture (results-oriented, anchored in reality), with an agile mindset.
• Strong experience in application & technical architecture: software, data (reference data, BI/Big Data), integration (EAI, API, ESB), Cloud (GCP, Microsoft Azure, Aliyun), security, compliance, etc.
• Strong interest in Gen-AI!
• Higher education in engineering and developed managerial skills over time.
• Loving art is a plus!
• Systems Architecture/Integration
• AI/Machine Learning Solutions
• Data Science and Engineering Platforms
• Computer Vision, Gen AI, LLM
• Background: Computer Science/Software engineering

WHAT WE OFFER:

• An opportunity to be part of a pioneering team in the Art/AI space.
• A dynamic, inspiring, and creative work environment.
• Career growth and development opportunities.