Machine Learning Engineer, Core Engineering

Pinterest; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 138,905 - 285,982; Full time

Job summary

Pinterest is seeking a machine learning engineer in the United States (Palo Alto). You will build cutting-edge ML technology to personalize Pinterest experiences, including Homefeed, Ads, Growth, Shopping, and Search.

We value hands-on experience with data pipelines and large-scale ML systems, plus a Bachelor’s degree in CS or related fields. Relocation is not offered; salary ranges from $138,905 to $285,982 USD, with equity eligibility.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of industry experience applying ML methods (e.g., user modeling, personalization, recommender systems, search, ranking, NLP, RL, graph learning).
• End-to-end hands-on experience with data processing pipelines and large-scale ML systems (Hadoop/Spark).
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, machine learning, statistics, or related field or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Build cutting edge ML technology to personalize Pinterest across surfaces.
• Partner with teams across Pinterest to experiment and improve ML models.
• Use data-driven methods to improve candidate retrieval and model performance.

Skills

ML methods

Data pipelines

Big data

Recommender systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/related

MS/PhD in ML (nice to have)

Tools

Hadoop

Spark

Job description

About Pinterest

Millions of people around the world come to our platform to find creative ideas, dream about new possibilities and plan for memories that will last a lifetime. At Pinterest, we’re on a mission to bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love, and that starts with the people behind the product.

Through our interview process, what matters most is that you can always explain your approach, showing us not just what you know, but how you think.

At Pinterest Machine Learning engineers build personalized experiences to help Pinners create a life they love. With just over 3,000 global employees, our teams are small, mighty, and still growing.

What you’ll do

• Build cutting edge technology using the latest advances in deep learning and machine learning to personalize Pinterest.
• Partner closely with teams across Pinterest to experiment and improve ML models for various product surfaces (Homefeed, Ads, Growth, Shopping, and Search), while gaining knowledge of how ML works in different areas.
• Use data driven methods and leverage the unique properties of our data to improve candidate retrieval.
• Work in a high-impact environment with quick experimentation and product launches.
• Keep up with industry trends in recommendation systems.

What we’re looking for

2+ years of industry experience applying machine learning methods (e.g., user modeling, personalization, recommender systems, search, ranking, natural language processing, reinforcement learning, and graph representation learning).

End-to-end hands-on experience with building data processing pipelines, large-scale machine learning systems, and big data technologies (e.g., Hadoop/Spark).

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, machine learning, statistics, a related field or equivalent experience.

Nice to have

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Machine Learning or related areas.
• Publications at top ML conferences.
• Experience using Cursor, Copilot, Codex, or similar AI coding assistants for development, debugging, testing, and refactoring.
• Familiarity with LLM-powered productivity tools for documentation search, experiment analysis, SQL/data exploration, and engineering workflow acceleration.
• Expertise in scalable real-time systems that process stream data.
• Passion for applied ML and the Pinterest product.

Relocation

This position is not eligible for relocation assistance.

Salary

US based applicants only: $138,905—$285,982 USD.

Equal Opportunity Employer

At Pinterest we believe the workplace should be equitable, inclusive, and inspiring for every employee. In an effort to provide greater transparency, we are sharing the base salary range for this position. The position is also eligible for equity. Final salary is based on a number of factors including location, travel, relevant prior experience, or particular skills and expertise. Information regarding the culture at Pinterest and benefits available for this position can be found here. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you require a medical or religious accommodation during the job application process, please complete this form for support.

Pinterest is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. We want to have the best qualified people in every job. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, status as a protected veteran, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information or characteristics (or those of a family member) or any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state or local laws. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

By submitting this application, I certify that all information submitted in my application and throughout the hiring process is true, accurate, and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any false statement, omission, or misrepresentation may disqualify me from employment consideration or result in termination if discovered after hire.