Staff Machine Learning Engineer

Fdetimes; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 285,000; Full time

Job summary

Databricks is hiring GenAI Engineers to advance our GenAI features across products such as Databricks Assistant and AI/BI Genie. You will shape applied AI areas, interface with researchers and product teams, and build scalable backend systems for AI capabilities at scale.

The role covers data collection, fine-tuning, and evaluation of LLMs, with opportunities to influence product quality and user experiences across a high-growth tech environment.

Qualifications

• 2-8 years of machine learning engineering experience or equivalent academic research.
• Strong track record with language modeling technologies and GPT-style methods.
• Proficiency in Python and ML frameworks (TensorFlow/PyTorch).
• Ability to drive end-to-end model development from research to deployment.
• Experience with testing, code reviews, and deployment practices.

Responsibilities

• Shape direction of applied AI areas and intelligence features in Databricks products.
• Develop data collection, fine-tuning, and LL M technologies for task-specific performance.
• Design ML pipelines for preprocessing, feature engineering, training, tuning, and evaluation.
• Collaborate with researchers, ML engineers, and product teams to deliver AI solutions.
• Build scalable backend systems with robust logging, telemetry, and evaluation harnesses.

Skills

Python

ML engineering

End-to-end ML development

Analytical thinking

Software engineering basics

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Scalable ML architectures

Job description

The Applied AI team at Databricks sits at the forefront of advancing GenAI-powered products. Over the past years, we’ve launched Databricks Assistant, AI/BI Genie, and Agent Bricks working with product teams, and made significant strides in LLM quality for these products. These products are used by 100s of thousands of Databricks users every day. We are tackling challenging problems like code suggestion, error detection and correction, text-to-sql generation, automatic pipeline generation, knowledge QA and many others.

As our GenAI products continue to evolve, we are seeking multiple GenAI Engineers from junior levels to more senior levels to drive the next phase of development. In 2025, we will focus on enhancing LLM quality, expanding GenAI capabilities across Databricks products, and strengthening our platform architecture to enable seamless AI interactions at scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Shape the direction of our applied AI areas and intelligence features in our products. Drive the development and deployment of state-of-the-art AI models and systems that directly impact the capabilities and performance of Databricks' products and services (e.g., Databricks Assistant and AI/BI Genie).
• Develop novel data collection, fine-tuning, and LLM technologies that achieve optimal performance on specific tasks and domains.
• Design and implement ML pipelines for data preprocessing, feature engineering, model training, hyperparameter tuning, and model evaluation, enabling rapid experimentation and iteration.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams, including AI researchers, ML engineers, and product teams, to deliver impactful AI solutions that enhance user productivity and satisfaction.
• Build scalable, reusable backend systems to support GenAI products across the company. Develop robust logging, telemetry, and evaluation harnesses to ensure reliable model performance.

What We’re Looking For

• 2-8 years of machine learning engineering experience in high-velocity, high-growth companies. Alternatively, a strong background in relevant ML research in academia will be considered as an equivalent qualification.
• Strong track record of working with language modeling technologies. This could include the following: Developing generative and embedding techniques, modern model architectures, fine tuning / pre-training datasets, and evaluation benchmarks.
• Proficiency in Python, TensorFlow/PyTorch, and scalable ML architectures.
• Ability to drive end-to-end model development, from research and prototyping to deployment and monitoring.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a passion for improving AI-driven user experiences.
• Strong coding and software engineering skills, and familiarity with software engineering principles around testing, code reviews and deployment.
• Experience with LLM fine-tuning, prompt engineering, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) is a bonus.

Why Join Us?

At Databricks, we are building state-of-the-art AI solutions that redefine how users interact with data and our products. You’ll have the opportunity to shape the future of AI-driven products at Databricks, work with cutting-edge models, and collaborate with a world-class team of AI and ML experts.

If you're excited about pushing the boundaries of AI in real-world applications, we’d love to hear from you!

Please note we are open to employees working from our Mountain View, CA office for this position.

Pay Range Transparency

Databricks is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The pay range(s) for this role is listed below and represents the expected salary range for non-commissionable roles or on-target earnings for commissionable roles. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to job-related skills, depth of experience, relevant certifications and training, and specific work location. Based on the factors above, Databricks anticipates utilizing the full width of the range. The total compensation package for this position may also include eligibility for annual performance bonus, equity, and the benefits listed above. For more information regarding which range your location is in visit our page here.

Local Pay Range

$190,000—$285,000 USD

About Databricks

Databricks is the Data and AI company. More than 20,000 organizations worldwide — including adidas, AT&T, Bayer, Block, Mastercard, Rivian, Unilever, and 70% of the Fortune 500 — rely on the Databricks Data + AI Platform to build and scale data and AI apps, analytics and agents. Headquartered in San Francisco with 30+ offices around the globe, Databricks offers a unified platform that includes Genie, Lakebase, Agent Bricks, Lakeflow, Lakehouse, and Unity Catalog. To learn more, follow Databricks on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, and Instagram.

Benefits

At Databricks, we strive to provide comprehensive benefits and perks that meet the needs of all of our employees. For specific details on the benefits offered in your region click here.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At Databricks, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone can excel. We take great care to ensure that our hiring practices are inclusive and meet equal employment opportunity standards. Individuals looking for employment at Databricks are considered without regard to age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other protected characteristics.

Compliance

If access to export-controlled technology or source code is required for performance of job duties, it is within Employer's discretion whether to apply for a U.S. government license for such positions, and Employer may decline to proceed with an applicant on this basis alone.