Machine Learning Engineer II, Core Engineering

Pinterest; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 120,343 - 155,564; Full time

Job summary

Pinterest is searching for a Machine Learning Engineer based in California, United States. The role involves building cutting-edge technologies utilizing deep learning and machine learning to personalize the Pinterest experience. You'll work closely with teams to improve ML models across various product surfaces while engaging in quick experimentation and product launches.

Ideal candidates should have at least 2 years of industry experience and a Master’s or PhD in Machine Learning or related fields, with a passion for applied ML and relevant technologies like Hadoop or Spark. The position offers a salary range of $170,840 to $220,840 CAD.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of industry experience with machine learning.
• Hands-on experience with large-scale ML systems.
• Passion for applied ML and the Pinterest product.

Responsibilities

• Build technology using deep learning and machine learning.
• Experiment and improve ML models across Pinterest products.
• Utilize data-driven methods for candidate retrieval.
• Engage in a high-impact environment with rapid product launches.
• Stay updated on trends in recommendation systems.

Skills

Machine learning methods

Personalization and recommender systems

Data processing pipelines

Big data technologies

Real-time systems

Education

M.S. or PhD in Machine Learning or related areas

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.

Discover a career where you ignite innovation for millions, transform passion into growth opportunities, celebrate each other’s unique experiences and embrace the flexibility to do your best work. Creating a career you love? It’s Possible.

At Pinterest, AI isn’t just a feature, it’s a powerful partner that augments our creativity and amplifies our impact, and we’re looking for candidates who are excited to be a part of that. To get a complete picture of your experience and abilities, we’ll explore your foundational skills and how you collaborate with AI.

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. You can read more about our AI interview philosophy and how we use AI in our recruiting process here.

With more than 500 million users around the world and 300 billion ideas saved, Pinterest Machine Learning engineers build personalized experiences to help Pinners create a life they love. With just over 4,000 global employees, our teams are small, mighty, and still growing. At Pinterest, you’ll experience hands‑on access to an incredible vault of data and contribute large‑scale recommendation systems in ways you won’t find anywhere else.

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
• Keeping 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)
• M.S. or PhD in Machine Learning or related areas
• Expertise in scalable real‑time systems that process stream data
• Passion for applied ML and the Pinterest product

Nice To Have

• 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.

This job posting is for an open vacancy. Please note that the company utilizes artificial intelligence to screen applicants for the positions.

Relocation Statement

• This position is not eligible for relocation assistance. Visit our PinFlex page to learn more about our working model.

In‑Office Requirement Statement

• We let the type of work you do guide the collaboration style. That means we’re not always working in an office, but we continue to gather for key moments of collaboration and connection.
• This role will need to be in the office for in‑person collaboration 1‑2 times per quarter and therefore needs to be in a commutable distance from the Toronto office (85 Richmond St. W).

#LI-REMOTE

Our Commitment to Inclusion

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 or 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. If you require a medical or religious accommodation during the job application process, please complete this form for support.

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.

Canada based applicants only

$170,840 — $220,840 CAD