Machine Learning Engineer, Marketplace Optimization

DoorDash; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 137,100 - 201,600; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan with employer matching

16 weeks of paid parental leave

Wellness and commuter benefits

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

Paid time off and sick leave

Job summary

DoorDash is hiring a Machine Learning Engineer in Sunnyvale, California. This role involves designing, building, and optimizing large-scale ML systems within the Ads Delivery funnel. Candidates should have a strong background in machine learning and programming, as well as experience with ML frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch. The position offers competitive compensation, equity grants, and a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, paid parental leave, and a 401(k) plan. Join DoorDash to shape the future of the advertising marketplace.

Qualifications

• Experience in building or maintaining machine learning systems in production.
• Strong programming skills with proficiency in Python, Java, or C++.
• Solid understanding of machine learning fundamentals and statistics.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and deploy ML models for optimization.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Drive experimentation and analyze models’ impacts.

Skills

Machine Learning

Python

Collaboration

Data Modeling

Experimentation

Education

B.S., M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science or related field

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

XGBoost

Job description

About the Team

The mission of the Marketplace Optimization team is to ensure we maintain a healthy Ads Marketplace across all our verticals for both search (query context) and discovery experiences while fulfilling the requirements of all players in this marketplace.

Marketplace Optimization is a critical part of the Ads Delivery funnel with a broad charter responsible for Bidding, Auction Design, Budget Pacing, Forecasting, and Ads Experimentation. Our work directly shapes advertiser experience, consumer experience, and marketplace balance. We leverage artificial intelligence and advanced ML, deep learning techniques to power decision‑making in real time — from optimizing ad auctions to generating the most efficient bids and pacing budgets dynamically. These models sit at the heart of DoorDash’s ad delivery and play a pivotal role in improving the efficiency, fairness, and scalability of our marketplace. The opportunity is massive as DoorDash expands into new verticals like Grocery and Retail while building unique innovative ad products to leverage the closed‑loop marketplace.

About the Role

We’re looking for a Machine Learning Engineer to help design, build, optimize and scale large‑scale ML systems within the Ads Delivery funnel.

• Design, build, and deploy ML models and pipelines for pacing, bidding, auction and targeting optimization.
• Collaborate with Data Science and Product teams to develop and evaluate new algorithms through rigorous experimentation.
• Improve and scale existing ML infrastructure and data pipelines in partnership with Platform and Infra teams.
• Write high‑quality, maintainable code and participate in system design and peer reviews.
• Learn from senior engineers and contribute to technical discussions that shape the team’s roadmap.
• Partner with Data Science and Marketing to design and execute lift tests; collaborate with Platform teams on budget A/B testing and evaluation framework.

This is a high‑impact role for someone who enjoys combining economic intuition, large‑scale ML modeling, and applied engineering to solve complex real‑world optimization problems.

What You’ll Do

• Own impactful ML systems: Build and improve models that directly have a large impact on top and bottom line financials.
• Drive experimentation: Rapidly test hypotheses via robust sequential experiments; measure and explain your models’ impact on marketplace KPIs.
• Optimize at scale: Work with one of the largest delivery datasets, building optimization pipelines that consider budget, fairness, assignment rates, and more.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally: Partner with engineering, analytics, product, and operations to iterate quickly, moving models from prototype to production.
• Shape the future: We're one of the fastest growing ads platforms in the world and we're looking to take that even further!

Qualifications

• B.S., M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, or a related field.
• Industry experience building or maintaining machine learning systems in production.
• Solid understanding of machine learning fundamentals, statistics, and data modeling.
• Strong programming skills in Python, Java, or C++, and experience with ML frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, or XGBoost.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills — comfortable working with cross‑functional partners in Product, DS, and Engineering.
• Curiosity and a growth mindset — motivated to learn, iterate quickly, and take ownership of impactful projects.
• Familiarity with auction systems, bidding, forecasting, or budget optimization (or other experience in ads or marketplaces) is a plus.
• Familiarity with experimentation science, including experience designing lift tests; marketplace incrementality experience is a plus.

Compensation & Benefits

The successful candidate's starting pay will fall within the pay range listed below and is determined based on job‑related factors, including but not limited to, skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. Base salary is localized according to an employee’s work location. Ranges are market‑dependent and may be modified in the future.

In addition to base salary, the compensation for this role includes opportunities for equity grants. Talk to your recruiter for more information.

DoorDash offers a comprehensive benefits package to all regular employees, which includes a 401(k) plan with employer matching, 16 weeks of paid parental leave, wellness benefits, commuter benefits match, paid time off and paid sick leave in compliance with applicable laws (e.g., Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act). DoorDash also offers medical, dental, and vision benefits, 11 paid holidays, disability and basic life insurance, family‑forming assistance, and a mental health program.

• For salaried roles: flexible paid time off/vacation, plus 80 hours of paid sick time per year.
• For hourly roles: vacation accrued at about 1 hour for every 25.97 hours worked (e.g., about 6.7 hours/month if working 40 hours/week; about 3.4 hours/month if working 20 hours/week), and paid sick time accrued at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (e.g., about 5.8 hours/month if working 40 hours/week; about 2.9 hours/month if working 20 hours/week).

Pay ranges:

• I4: $137,100—$201,600 USD
• I5: $167,800—$246,800 USD
• I6: $203,500—$299,300 USD

Equal Opportunity

We’re committed to growing and empowering a more inclusive community within our company, industry, and cities. Whether blatant or hidden, barriers to success have no place at DoorDash. We value a diverse workforce – people who identify as women, non‑binary or gender‑non‑conforming, LGBTQIA+, American Indian or Native Alaskan, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, differently‑abled, caretakers and parents, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. In keeping with our beliefs and goals, no employee or applicant will face discrimination or harassment based on race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability status or veteran status. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and any other state or local hiring regulations, we will consider for employment any qualified applicant, including those with arrest and conviction records, in a manner consistent with applicable regulation.

Accommodations

If you need any accommodations, please inform your recruiting contact upon initial connection.