Principal AI/ML Engineer - AdTech

Zeta Global; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 300,000 - 400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited PTO

Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage

Employee equity

Employee discounts

Virtual wellness classes

Pet insurance

Job summary

Zeta Global is seeking a Principal AI/ML Engineer in San Francisco, California, to drive the development of machine-learning models for their advertising platform. The role involves designing and implementing scalable solutions and collaborating with cross-functional teams to optimize campaigns.

The ideal candidate has over 10 years of experience in software engineering and deep knowledge of AdTech, along with proficiency in backend development and cloud deployment.

The position offers a salary range of $300,000 to $400,000, accompanied by benefits such as unlimited PTO and excellent medical coverage.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in software engineering or data science, with 3-5 years in a principal engineer or lead ML role.
• Proven experience designing high-throughput, low-latency distributed systems or data pipelines.
• Deep expertise in programmatic advertising including DSPs, RTB, SSPs, and ad exchanges.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of scalable, high-performance ML solutions.
• Build end-to-end machine-learning pipelines for bidding, targeting, and optimization.
• Define the technical roadmap for AI/ML, evaluate new tools, and make strategic decisions.

Skills

Software engineering

Data science

Machine learning

AdTech knowledge

Backend services (Java, Go, Python)

Experience with PyTorch or TensorFlow

Big-data frameworks (Spark, Kafka)

Cloud platforms (AWS)

SQL and NoSQL databases

Docker and Kubernetes

Job description

About the Role

Principal AI/ML Engineer – AdTech

Drive the development of advanced machine‑learning models and AI‑driven features for Zeta’s advertising platform. Design, build, and deploy scalable, low‑latency ML solutions for campaign optimization, user personalization, creative content generation, and new capabilities using large language models and intelligent agents.

Key Responsibilities

• Machine Learning Leadership: Lead the design and implementation of scalable, high‑performance, resilient ML solutions for AdTech use cases, setting technical direction for integrating AI/ML into the Demand‑Side Platform and broader ad‑tech stack.
• System Architecture: Build end‑to‑end machine‑learning pipelines—from data ingestion and training to real‑time inference—for bidding, targeting, and optimization, ensuring seamless integration with ad‑serving architecture.
• Strategic Road‑mapping: Define the technical roadmap and vision for AI/ML, evaluate new tools, and make build‑vs‑buy decisions to keep the platform at the cutting edge.
• Agentic & LLM Applications: Develop AI agents and LLM‑powered workflows to automate campaign processes such as audience segmentation, bid adjustments, and creative generation.
• Collaboration: Partner with engineering, product, and data‑science teams to translate marketing objectives into ML‑driven solutions.
• Performance & Reliability: Optimize algorithms and infrastructure for speed and scalability, implement monitoring to maintain model performance and uptime.
• Mentorship: Provide technical guidance, review code and models, and champion best practices across teams.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years in software engineering or data science, with 3‑5 years in a principal engineer or lead ML role (preferably in AdTech/MarTech).
• Proven experience designing high‑throughput, low‑latency distributed systems or data pipelines for large‑scale applications.
• Deep expertise in programmatic advertising, including DSPs, RTB, SSPs, and ad exchanges.
• Proficiency in Java, Go, and Python for backend services and ML tools.
• Hands‑on experience with PyTorch or TensorFlow for model development and training.
• Strong background with big‑data and streaming frameworks such as Spark, Kafka, Hadoop.
• Expertise with cloud platforms, preferably AWS, for scalable ML deployment and data storage.
• Familiarity with SQL and NoSQL databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Cassandra, DynamoDB, Redis).
• Experience with Docker and Kubernetes for service deployment.
• Excellent communication skills for explaining complex ML concepts to technical and non‑technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Large Language Models (LLMs) and generative AI for ad copy, creative content, or messaging personalization.
• Experience designing agentic workflows for autonomous, real‑time optimization in marketing campaigns.
• Experience with real‑time inference performance optimization.
• Familiarity with modern data lake formats such as Iceberg or Hudi.
• Knowledge of microservices architecture and event‑driven patterns.
• Contribution to open‑source projects or industry speaking engagements in AI/ML.

Benefits & Perks

• Unlimited PTO
• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Employee equity
• Employee discounts, virtual wellness classes, and pet insurance

Salary

The salary range for this role is $300,000 – $400,000, depending on location and experience.

EEO Statement

Zeta considers applicants for employment without regard to, and does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or national or ethnic origin; nor does Zeta discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression.