# Zhen Dai > Machine Learning Software Engineer Location: New York, New York, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/zhendai ## Work Experience ### Software Engineer, Machine Learning @ Meta Jan 2024 – Present GenAI Ranking ### Senior Machine Learning Engineer @ Wayfair Jan 2020 – Jan 2024 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States • Managed the product recommendations team to develop personalized candidate generation and scoring models • Built a transformer-based large scale product recommendation model using state-of-the-art NLP techniques. • Researched, developed, AB tested, and deployed to product the Time Informed Calibration Python package, which uses time series models to improve the predictions of probabilistic and regression models. • Developed software, applications, and AB tests for the Share of Voice platform, which uses optimization algorithms to balance marketing spends between established and emerging product categories. • Led the integration of workflows between the SWE and DS teams to produce a model auto-retraining platform. • Collaborated with engineering and analytics teams to develop an application that identifies potential new customers using natural language processing, XGB, and neural network models • Supported team product discovery and software development efforts leveraging technologies including Google Cloud (including Google Bigquery), Hive, Spark, Airflow, Mamba ### Research Assistant @ Harvard University Jan 2015 – Jan 2020 | Cambridge, MA • Analyzed regional impacts of solar geoengineering using machine-learning and statistical methods to optimize design of aerosol injection strategies • Interviewed top climate scientists and policy makers in China and the US to compare views towards geoengineering. Analyzed interview scripts using natural language processing methods to identify beliefs. • Analyzed impacts of LEED standards on building energy use in 10 US cities using statistical and ML methods • Conducted lab studies and built box models on chemistry of solar geoengineering related to ozone loss ### Data Scientist @ Wayfair Jan 2019 – Jan 2019 | Greater Boston Area Collaborated with engineering and analytics teams to develop models that identify potential new customers Improved existing customer-needs model performance by developing features in Hadoop and Spark Developed machine learning models to evaluate the effectiveness of third-party dataset (billions or rows daily) to improve customer targeting in marketing campaigns ### Research Assistant @ Eden Group, UIUC Jan 2013 – Jan 2015 •Introduced reactive gas in microcavity plasma devices to generate chemical fuels •Characterized reaction products with mass spectrometry and IR spectrometry ### Process Engineer @ GLOBALFOUNDRIES Jan 2012 – Jan 2013 | Malta, NY •Developed an optical dopant measurement method for 14nm and 20nm EPI processes •Managed and developed measurement models for optical ellipsometry tools •Developed and managed lithography process window qualification projects •Managed SPC-coordinated sampling projects with one other colleague ### Team Leader @ Spilvenger Project Team Jan 2011 – Jan 2012 Led a team of 5 students to develop an oil spill cleanup machine. Simulated chemical and energy transfer schemes in SOFCs. Designed and constructed an on-board crude oil purification prototype. Organized meetings with industrial and faculty members for project consultation. ### Research Assistant @ Thompson Group&Hanrath Group, Cornell University Jan 2010 – Jan 2012 Conducted research on improving nanoparticle electron transfer efficiencies with transient pulsed laser annealing for solar cell applications in joint with Hanrath group Fabricated micro fluidic devices in CNF Cleanroom to test microliter scale of NIMs Constructed machinery for testing NIMs thermo conductivity with the3ω method Developed ZnO Electrophoresis deposition scheme to produce fully dense thin film with thickness of 50-100nm as thin film transistor substrate Calibrated CO2 laser power by measuring varying resistance of platinum thermistros Wrote programs in Genplot and Matlab to control CO2 laser and analyze calibration data Programmed and controlled CO2 laser system to test beam heating power ### Summer Intern, Research Assistant @ Pfizer Jan 2011 – Jan 2011 | Groton, Connecticut Researched and determined drug degradation rate as a function of dilution, particle size, time, and temperature by monitoring degradant concentrations with HPLC Developed computational model in Matlab to simulate drug-excipient surface interaction ### Fuel Cell Team Member @ ChemE Car Project Team Jan 2010 – Jan 2011 Investigated viability of fuel cells in the team’s old car Designed and manufactured fuel cells for a new car to enter competitions in 2010 and 2011 Calibrated car stopping positions to meet competition requirements Team won first place in 2011 national competition. ### Matlab Consultant @ Cornell University Jan 2010 – Jan 2010 Provided academic assistance to students in Matlab courses as a TA in section and as a Consultant in computer lab. Graded student homework and exams with department staff. ### Research Assistant @ Ober Group, Cornell University Jan 2009 – Jan 2010 Designed and implemented experiments on improving the ordering of block copolymers on thin films with solvent annealing for photolithographic use Operated AFM, x-ray diffraction and laser reflection tools to monitor ordering properties Generalized optimal annealing solvent composition as a function of solvent and polymer hydropholicity, copolymer composition, and block masses Researched graphoepitaxy and homopolymer mixing as alternative ordering methods ## Education ### Master's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ### Bachelor's in Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry Cornell University ### Doctor of Philosophy - PhD in Environmental Science Harvard University ### University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/zhen-dai-7bb78929 --- Source: https://flows.cv/zhendai JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/zhendai/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-05