Principal Machine Learning Engineer

Disney Entertainment; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 221,000 - 296,000; Full time

Job summary

Disney Entertainment in Seattle seeks a Principal Machine Learning Engineer to lead scalable ML/AI initiatives across ad platforms. You will mentor teams, architect ML/GenAI solutions, and collaborate with product and engineering to deliver high-impact, data-driven models and pipelines.

You will apply state-of-the-art AI/ML techniques, drive model development from training to production, and ensure observability and performance in a fast-paced, data-driven environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field.
• 10+ years of working experience on large scale machine learning.
• Strong knowledge of AI/ML technologies and applying statistical concepts.
• Proficient in Java, Python, Scala and ML/DL platforms.
• Able to lead projects across cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Apply state-of-the-art AI/ML to Ad Experiences for Disney platforms.
• Leverage backend/ML/AI solutions for complex ad-serving challenges.
• Drive design and implementation of LLM/GenAI applications for scalable data analysis.
• Provide Prompt Engineering support to multiple teams.
• Identify and experiment models from training to production rollout.
• Collaborate with engineering, product and program managers to productionalize solutions.
• Mentor team members and support their technical growth.
• Use observability tools to monitor AI/ML performance and reliability.
• Support on-call activities in rotation.

Skills

AI/ML technologies

Large-scale ML

Team leadership

Ad business understanding

Cross-functional collaboration

GenAI/Large Language Models

Python/Java/Scala

Observability of AI systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field

Tools

scikit-learn

Spark MLLib

pytorch

LangGraph

Crew AI

strands sdk

Job description

Job Requirements

Technology is at the heart of Disney’s past, present, and future. Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology is a global organization of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, data scientists, and more – all working to build and advance the technological backbone for Disney’s media business globally.

The team marries technology with creativity to build world‑class products, enhance storytelling, and drive velocity, innovation, and scalability for our businesses. We are Storytellers and Innovators. Creators and Builders. Entertainers and Engineers. We work with every part of The Walt Disney Company’s media portfolio to advance the technological foundation and consumer media touch points serving millions of people around the world.

Here are a few reasons why we think you’d love working here:

• Building the future of Disney’s media: Our Technologists are designing and building the products and platforms that will power our media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come.




• Reach, Scale & Impact: More than ever, Disney’s technology and products serve as a signature doorway for fans' connections with the company’s brands and stories. Disney+. Hulu. ESPN. ABC. ABC News…and many more. These products and brands – and the unmatched stories, storytellers, and events they carry – matter to millions of people globally.




• Innovation: We develop and implement groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms, and solve complex and distinctive technical problems.

Ad Platforms is responsible for Disney’s industry‑leading ad technology and products – driving advertising performance, innovation, and value in Disney’s sports, news, and entertainment content, across all media platforms.

One of the goals for the Ad Platforms is to transform advertising and Disney's Ad platform with AI and data science. We build solutions to measure and optimize every aspect of the advertising life cycle. Our tenant is a strong cross‑domain team to deliver E2E solutions for machine learning and data science.

Our team is seeking a principal machine learning engineer who will be an outstanding addition and leading development for prediction or optimization engines for addressable ad platforms. The right person for this role should be experienced in crafting implementation for either machine learning technologies or data‑driven algorithms. If you are someone who is proactive, inquisitive, and innovative in these domains, this is a phenomenal role for you!

Job Summary:

As our team's Principal Machine Learning Engineer, you will apply your battle-tested experience, deep technical knowledge of software and systems including Machine Learning and AI technologies, and leadership skills to unblock and guide our ML , Research and functional teams to create scalable, performant, maintainable, and testable models and pipelines.

Responsibilities and Duties of the Role:

• Apply state of the art AI/ML to the Innovation and Creative Platforms for Ad Experiences.




• Leverage novel backend and/or ML/AI solutions for complex ad serving challenges with fast turnaround.




• Drive design and implementation of LLM and GenAI related applications ensuring scalable and efficient approaches for large scale data analysis and model development.




• Provide Prompt Engineering support to different functional team




• Identify and experiment models from training, testing, production rollout to continuous optimization. Lead the ad algorithm architecture design and iterations for models




• Collaborate with engineering teams, product managers, and program managers in an open and creative environment to design, implement and productionalize solutions.




• Mentor team members and support their technical growth.




• Leverage observability tools to provide visibility into performance of AI/ML and other backend solutions




• Support oncall activities on a rotational basis

Required Education, Experience/Skills/Training:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science or equivalent experience




• At least 10 years of working experience on large scale machine learning




• Strong knowledge of and experience implementing AI/ML technologies and applying mathematical and statistical concepts.




• Proficient in Java, Python, Scala, large scale ML/DL platforms and processing tech stack.




• Ability to collaborate with and lead projects across cross‑functional teams such as Product Management, Architecture, and other Engineering teams




• Passionate about understanding the ad business, applying advanced research to relevant business scenarios, and seeking innovation opportunities to enhance business effectiveness.




• Passionate about technology, open to interdisciplinary collaborations, and experienced in building data‑driven services and applications.




• A proven track record of thriving in a fast‑paced, data‑driven, and collaborative work environment is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in large scale machine learning using tools such as scikit-learn, Spark MLLib, pytorch




• Experience with LLM-based application development, using LLM‑as‑a‑service providers such as AWS Bedrock, Azure Cognitive Services, or Google's Vertex AI




• Experience using frameworks such as LangGraph, Crew AI, and strands sdk for developing agents




• Experience with vector databases and retrieval‑augmented generation




• Experience with best practices in agentic development such as LLM guardrails, tool calling, and consistent APIs such as MCP and A2A




• Experience with designing and implementing agentic architectures in multiple modalities such as text, image, video, and audio.




• Experience in the advertising, digital video advertising, or digital marketing domain

Required Education:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Systems or related equivalent experience.

Preferred Education:

• Master’s degree or PhD in computer science, Information Systems or related equivalent experience.

#TECHATDISNEY

Disclaimer

PAY TRANSPARENCY

The hiring range for this position in Seattle, WA is $220,600 to $295,900 per year and in Glendale, CA is $210,500 to $282,300 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long‑term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

This position is with Disney Entertainment & Sports LLC, which is part of a business we call Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology.

To learn more about Disney's guidelines on the use of AI for candidates, click here. (https://www.disneycareers.com/en/ai-usage)

Disney Entertainment & Sports LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Disney champions a business environment where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a constantly evolving world.

DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION FOR EMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS

The Walt Disney Company and its Affiliated Companies are Equal Employment Opportunity employers and welcome all job seekers including individuals with disabilities and veterans with disabilities. If you have a disability and believe you need a reasonable accommodation in order to search for a job opening or apply for a position, visit the Disney candidate disability accommodations FAQs (https://support.disneycareers.com/hc/en-us/sections/32131060143380-Candidate-Disability-Accommodations-FAQs). We will only respond to those requests that are related to the accessibility of the online application system due to a disability.

Having technical issues? View the FAQs for help. (https://support.disneycareers.com/hc/en-us)

The Walt Disney Company is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Disney fosters a business culture where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a rapidly changing world.