Lead Machine Learning Engineer - Personalization

The Walt Disney Company (Germany) GmbH; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company is seeking a Lead Machine Learning Engineer to enhance personalization for their digital products. This role involves developing advanced algorithms, collaborating with teams, and driving innovation in recommendation systems. The ideal candidate has extensive experience in machine learning and effective communication skills, ensuring impactful solutions for millions of users worldwide.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in scalable machine learning product development.
• Experience with cloud services, especially AWS.

Responsibilities

• Develop and prototype Deep Neural Net algorithms for recommendation systems.
• Implement solutions at scale for global user services.
• Drive data-driven business decisions.

Skills

Deep Learning

Communication

Python

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science

MS or PhD in a related field

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

AWS

Job description

Lead Machine Learning Engineer - Personalization

Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology

Technology is at the heart of Disney’s past, present, and future. Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology is a global organization of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, data scientists, and more – all working to build and advance the technological backbone for Disney’s media business globally.

The team marries technology with creativity to build world-class products, enhance storytelling, and drive velocity, innovation, and scalability for our businesses. We are Storytellers and Innovators. Creators and Builders. Entertainers and Engineers. We work with every part of The Walt Disney Company’s media portfolio to advance the technological foundation and consumer media touch points serving millions of people around the world.

Here are a few reasons why you’d love working here:

1. Building the future of Disney’s media: Our Technologists are designing and building the products and platforms that will power our media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come.

2. Reach, Scale & Impact: Disney’s technology and products serve as a signature doorway for fans' connections with the company’s brands and stories, including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, ABC, and ABC News. These products matter to millions globally.

3. Innovation: We develop groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms and solve complex technical problems.

Job Summary:

Product Engineering is responsible for Disney Entertainment & ESPN digital and streaming products, including personalization, media engineering, quality assurance, and more. Our team maintains state-of-the-art recommendation and personalization algorithms serving hundreds of millions of users. You will collaborate with Engineering, Product, and Data teams to apply advanced machine learning techniques for personalization initiatives. This role focuses on content recommendations, leading research, development, deployment, and optimization of algorithms, and aligning solutions with stakeholder needs. You will also shape the roadmap for algorithmic innovation.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and prototype Deep Neural Net algorithms for recommendation systems.
• Implement solutions at scale for global user services.
• Learn and understand our complex streaming recommendation systems and architecture.
• Identify opportunities to improve business KPIs and develop practical solutions.
• Drive data-driven business decisions.
• Communicate effectively with technical and non-technical audiences.
• Guide and collaborate with engineering peers to meet goals and deadlines.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Proficiency in deep learning frameworks like TensorFlow or PyTorch.
• Experience building and deploying full-stack ML pipelines.
• Proven track record in designing and deploying recommendation systems.
• Experience with cloud services, especially AWS.
• Understanding of statistical concepts.
• Ability to communicate model behavior to diverse audiences.
• MS or PhD in a related field.
• Experience with scalable recommendation algorithms, metadata management, and data governance.
• Deep understanding of personalization challenges and effective solutions.

Experience:

• 7+ years in scalable machine learning product development.
• 7+ years coding in Python at a production level.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related fields, or equivalent experience.

#DISNEYTECH

The salary range varies by location, with specific figures provided for NY, Seattle, SF, and LA. Compensation may include bonuses and benefits, adjusted for region and experience.