Sr. Machine Learning Engineer, Monetization Engineering

Pinterest; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 332,000; Full time

Job summary

Pinterest is seeking a Machine Learning Engineer to help evolve our Ads ML stack and improve personalization across surfaces. You will work with teams across Pinterest to experiment with models, train on big data, and push the boundaries of recommender systems.

We value hands-on experience with large-scale ML, data pipelines, and cutting-edge AI tooling. US-based applicants will find a collaborative environment that emphasizes impact and learning through rapid experimentation.

Qualifications

• Degree in computer science, statistics, or related field; or equivalent experience.
• Hands-on experience building data processing pipelines and large-scale ML systems.
• Knowledge of recommender systems, ads ranking, and big data technologies (Hadoop/Spark).

Responsibilities

• Build ML models to personalize Pinterest experiences across surfaces.
• Experiment with ML models and data to improve candidate retrieval and ranking.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and leverage AI tools for development.

Skills

Machine learning applications

Recommender systems

NLP/LLMs

Data pipelines

Big data processing

Education

CS/Stats degree or equivalent

MS/PhD in ML (nice to have)

Tools

Hadoop/Spark

AI coding assistants

SQL

Job description

About Pinterest:

Millions of people around the world come to our platform to find creative ideas, dream about new possibilities and plan for memories that will last a lifetime. At Pinterest, we're on a mission to bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love, and that starts with the people behind the product.

Discover a career where you ignite innovation for millions, transform passion into growth opportunities, celebrate each other's unique experiences and embrace the flexibility to do your best work. Creating a career you love? It's Possible.

At Pinterest, AI isn't just a feature, it's a powerful partner that augments our creativity and amplifies our impact, and we're looking for candidates who are excited to be a part of that. To get a complete picture of your experience and abilities, we'll explore your foundational skills and how you collaborate with AI.

Through our interview process, what matters most is that you can always explain your approach, showing us not just what you know, but how you think. You can read more about our AI interview philosophy and how we use AI in our recruiting process here.

With more than 500 million users around the world and 300 billion ideas saved, Pinterest Machine Learning engineers build personalized experiences to help Pinners create a life they love. With just over 4,000 global employees, our teams are small, mighty, and still growing. At Pinterest, you'll experience hands-on access to an incredible vault of data and contribute large-scale recommendation systems in ways you won't find anywhere else.

Within the Monetization ML Engineering team, we try to connect the dots between the aspirations of Pinners and the products offered by our partners. In this role, you will be responsible for developing and executing a vision for the evolution of the machine learning technology stack within Ads.

What you'll do:

• Build cutting edge technology using the latest advances in deep learning and machine learning to personalize Pinterest
• Partner closely with teams across Pinterest to experiment and improve ML models for various product surfaces (Homefeed, Ads, Growth, Shopping, and Search), while gaining knowledge of how ML works in different areas
• Use data driven methods and leverage the unique properties of our data to improve candidates retrieval
• Work in a high-impact environment with quick experimentation and product launches
• Keep up with industry trends in recommendation systems
• Leverage LLMs to enhance content understanding

What we're looking for:

• 2+ years of industry experience applying machine learning methods (e.g., user modeling, personalization, recommender systems, search, ranking, natural language processing, reinforcement learning, and graph representation learning)
• Degree in computer science, statistics, or related field; or equivalent experience
• End-to-end hands-on experience with building data processing pipelines, large scale machine learning systems, and big data technologies (e.g., Hadoop/Spark)
• Practical knowledge of large scale recommender systems, or modern ads ranking, retrieval, targeting, marketplace systems
• Nice to have:
• M.S. or PhD in Machine Learning or related areas
• Publications at top ML conferences
• Experience using Cursor, Copilot, Codex, or similar AI coding assistants for development, debugging, testing, and refactoring
• Familiarity with LLM-powered productivity tools for documentation search, experiment analysis, SQL/data exploration, and engineering workflow acceleration
• Expertise in scalable realtime systems that process stream data
• Passion for applied ML and the Pinterest product
• Background in computational advertising

Relocation Statement:

• This position is not eligible for relocation assistance. Visit our PinFlex page to learn more about our working model.

Our Commitment to Inclusion:

Pinterest is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. We want to have the best qualified people in every job. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, status as a protected veteran, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information or characteristics (or those of a family member) or any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state or local laws. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you require a medical or religious accommodation during the job application process, please completethis form for support.

Information regarding the culture at Pinterest and benefits available for this position can be found here.

US based applicants only

$189,721 — $332,012 USD

By submitting this application, I certify that all information submitted in my application and throughout the hiring process is true, accurate, and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any false statement, omission, or misrepresentation may disqualify me from employment consideration or result in termination if discovered after hire.

At Pinterest we believe the workplace should be equitable, inclusive, and inspiring for every employee. In an effort to provide greater transparency, we are sharing the base salary range for this position. The position is also eligible for equity. Final salary is based on a number of factors including location, travel, relevant prior experience, or particular skills and expertise.