Principal Engineer, YouTube, Visits Quality

Google Inc.; San Bruno (CA); On-site; USD 307,000 - 427,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Job summary

Google Inc. in California seeks a Principal Engineer for YouTube Visits Quality. You will lead AI/ML engineers to improve Shorts recommendations, focusing on retention and satisfaction, and shape the strategy for scalable discovery systems.

You will mentor engineers, collaborate with product and research, and design architectures that deliver high-value content across surfaces. The role emphasizes cross-functional innovation and technical excellence in a fast-paced, culture-driven environment.

Qualifications

• 15 years of engineering experience.
• 8 years of industry experience in AI/ML recommendations.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent practical experience.

Responsibilities

• Define technical strategy for enhancing YouTube Shorts discovery models and systems to accelerate viewer and creator growth while improving user satisfaction.
• Provide technical leadership on high-impact projects; design, develop, test, and deploy large-scale recommendation models, novel model architectures, and optimize ML infrastructure to drive the growth of the Shorts ecosystem.
• Partner with engineering, product, data-science, and research teams to convert business goals into scalable technical solutions that grow the Shorts ecosystem.
• Facilitate alignment and clarity across teams on goals, prioritization, outcomes, and timelines. Mentor and influence to uplevel junior engineers on the team.

Skills

AI/ML recommendations

Cross-functional collaboration

Leadership & mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent practical experience

Master’s degree or PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field

Job description

Principal Engineer, YouTube, Visits Quality

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent practical experience.
• 15 years of experience in engineering.
• 8 years of industry experience working on Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) recommendations.
• Experience with cross-functional technical innovation.

Preferred qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
• 15 years of industry experience in the recommendations technology domain.
• Experience with relevant domains such as optimizing user satisfaction and designing multi-task learning models for downstream tasks.

About the job

YouTube Shorts’ mission is to give everyone a voice and show them the world through short-form videos. For viewers, we aim to provide a high quality, entertaining, and engaging experience. As the "growth engine" of the product, our team is responsible for the AI/ML systems that power Shorts recommendations across the Infinite Playback, Home, WatchNext, Notifications, etc.

In this role, you will tech-lead a team of AI/ML software engineers to grow the YouTube Shorts ecosystem by recommending Shorts that are aligned with users’ dynamically changing interests. This role is focused on growing user retention and engaged visits via optimizing the feed and satisfaction of users on Shorts platform. This role involves defining technical strategies and designing large-scale recommendation systems that ensure every visit provides high-value content to the viewer.

At YouTube, we believe that everyone deserves to have a voice, and that the world is a better place when we listen, share, and build community through our stories. We work together to give everyone the power to share their story, explore what they love, and connect with one another in the process. Working at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and boundless creativity, we move at the speed of culture with a shared goal to show people the world. We explore new ideas, solve real problems, and have fun — and we do it all together.

Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

• Define technical strategy for enhancing YouTube Shorts discovery models and systems to accelerate viewer and creator growth while improving user satisfaction.
• Provide technical leadership on high-impact projects; design, develop, test, and deploy large-scale recommendation models, novel model architectures, and optimize ML infrastructure to drive the growth of the Shorts ecosystem.
• Partner with engineering, product, data-science, and research teams to convert business goals into scalable technical solutions that grow the Shorts ecosystem.
• Facilitate alignment and clarity across teams on goals, prioritization, outcomes, and timelines. Mentor and influence to uplevel junior engineers on the team.

US: $307000 - $427000 (USD) + 30% bonus target + equity + benefits

Google is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are committed to building a workforce that is representative of the users we serve, creating a culture of belonging, and providing an equal employment opportunity regardless of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding), expecting or parents-to-be, criminal histories consistent with legal requirements, or any other basis protected by law. See also Google's EEO Policy , Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal , Belonging at Google , and How we hire .

Google is a global company and, in order to facilitate efficient collaboration and communication globally, English proficiency is a requirement for all roles unless stated otherwise in the job posting.

Equity is granted exclusively and discretionarily by Alphabet Inc. on the basis of an agreement concluded between you and Alphabet Inc. Alphabet Inc. is your sole contractual partner with respect to equity grants. GSU grants are not guaranteed, are discretionary, are subject to approval by the Alphabet Inc. board of directors or its delegate, the terms of the relevant Alphabet Inc. stock plan, and your grant agreement. They have no impact on statutory payments. Current or past grants do not confer an acquired right.