Manager, Machine Learning Engineering, Web Ads Ranking

Jobtailor; California (MO); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Snap Inc. seeks a senior leader to head ML and ranking initiatives for Snapchat ads. You will guide a cross-functional team of ML and software engineers, defining architecture, metrics, and a clear product vision to maximize relevance and revenue.

You will champion responsible ML practices, mentor engineers, and drive rapid experimentation with Data Science and Product teams to shape the company’s machine learning strategy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's in a related technical field such as computer science or equivalent years of experience.
• 8+ years of post-Bachelor’s ML industry experience; or a Master’s degree + 7+ year ML experience; or a PhD + 4+ year ML experience.
• 1+ year leading ML teams focusing on ranking or recommendations.
• Deep understanding of ML approaches and their application to recommender, ads and search systems.
• Experience using large language models for keyword extraction, description generation, and semantic relevance judging.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of ML and software engineers to build large-scale indexing, retrieval, and ranking systems for Snapchat ads.
• Collaborate with product teams to define architecture and vision for the system and grow the team beyond the initial scope.
• Build the evaluation framework that enables rapid iteration and measurement of outcomes with Data Science and Product partners.
• Develop talent and shape Snap’s broader ML strategy and engineering excellence.

Skills

ML leadership

Communication

Mentorship

Stakeholder collaboration

Problem solving in ambiguity

Deep ML knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s in Computer Science or related field

Master’s degree in technical field

PhD in related technical field

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Lead a team of machine learning engineers and software engineers to build large-scale indexing, retrieval, and ranking systems that deliver the most relevant Snapchat ads and drive revenue
• Collaborate with broad product teams in Snap to define the architecture and vision of the system, and grow the team beyond the initial scope
• Build the evaluation framework that enables rapid iteration and high-quality decision-making, working closely with Data Science and Product partners to define success metrics and measure outcomes
• Build and grow a high-performing team by raising the bar for engineering and ML excellence, developing talent, and helping shape Snap’s broader machine learning strategy

Requirements

• Bachelor’s in a related technical field such as computer science or equivalent years of experience
• 8+ years of post-Bachelor’s ML industry experience; or a Master’s degree in a technical field + 7+ year of post-grad ML experience; or a PhD in a related technical field + 4+ years of post-grad ML experience
• 1+ year(s) of experience leading machine learning teams that focus on ranking or recommendations
• Deep understanding of machine learning approaches, algorithms and their application to recommender, ads and search system
• Experience on utilizing large language models for tasks like keyword extraction, description generation, and semantic relevance judging
• Strong management and mentorship skills, fostering a collaborative and innovative team culture
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with meticulous attention to detail
• Ability to effectively collaborate with stakeholders at all levels, both internally and externally
• Proficiency in managing and solving ambiguous problems