Staff Machine Learning Engineer

Shipt; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 137,000 - 239,000; Full time

Job summary

Shipt is seeking a Staff Machine Learning Engineer on the Personalization Platform team to drive AI initiatives and collaborate with Data Scientists on personalized recommendations that boost user engagement.

You will architect and implement scalable ML infrastructure, design data pipelines for training and serving models, and lead the team to deliver low-latency, real-time or batch recommendations with robust APIs and services.

Qualifications

• PhD or MS in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics or equivalent real-world experience.
• 5+ years in machine learning and backend software engineering.
• Proficiency in Python and at least one backend language (Go/Java).
• Experience with user modeling, embeddings, similarity search and ranking models.
• Strong understanding of serving architectures and model servers.
• Experience with ML pipeline tools (MLflow, Kubeflow, Airflow).
• Knowledge of distributed systems, microservices, and system design.
• Experience with SQL and NoSQL on large-scale data.
• Exposure to experimentation platforms and online A/B testing.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement and deploy intelligent, personalized recommendation models to drive user engagement.
• Build and maintain scalable ML infrastructure and production systems.
• Collaborate with Data Scientists to architect data pipelines for training and serving ML models.
• Lead the team to deliver real-time or batch recommendations with low latency and fault tolerance.
• Develop robust APIs and services to support AI-driven features.

Skills

Backend development

Python

Go

Java

Distributed systems

REST/gRPC APIs

ML infrastructure

Education

PhD/MS in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics or equivalent

Tools

MLflow

Kubeflow

Airflow

Job description

As a Staff Machine Learning Engineer on Shipt's Personalization Platform team you will drive key AI initiatives. In this role, you’ll collaborate with Data Scientists to design and deploy intelligent, personalized recommendation models to drive user engagement across Shipt. You will be a hands-on senior technical contributor in the Membership organization and your work will consist of contribution to architecture, design, and implementation to deliver high quality AI driven solutions in a rapidly evolving marketplace environment.

As a Staff Machine Learning Engineer on Shipt's Personalization Platform team you will drive key AI initiatives. In this role, you’ll collaborate with Data Scientists to design and deploy intelligent, personalized recommendation models to drive user engagement across Shipt. You will be a hands-on senior technical contributor in the Membership organization and your work will consist of contribution to architecture, design, and implementation to deliver high quality AI driven solutions in a rapidly evolving marketplace environment. In this role you will design, build and maintain scalable ML infrastructure and production systems as well as closely collaborate with Data Scientists to architect data pipelines for serving and training ML models for Shipt's Personalization Platform. You will also be responsible for leading the team to build scalable, low-latency, and fault-tolerant systems to serve real-time recommendations at scale and developing robust APIs and services to deliver real-time or batch recommendations (using Python, Go). This is a hands-on, cross-functional role ideal for someone who thrives at the intersection of Machine Learning, AI Engineering, and Business Impact.

What You’ll Need to Be Successful

• PhD/MS in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics or equivalent work experience
• 5+ years of experience in machine learning and backend software engineering
• Proficiency in at least one backend programming language (e.g., Go, Java) and Python
• Deep understanding of user modeling, embeddings, similarity search and ranking models
• Strong experience with serving architectures (e.g., REST/gRPC APIs, model servers)
• Experience with ML pipeline tools (e.g., MLflow, Kubeflow, Airflow)
• Strong grasp of distributed systems, microservices, and system design
• Experience with SQL and NoSQL databases and working with large-scale datasets
• Exposure to experimentation platforms and online A/B testing.

Pay Range: $137,400- $239,000 Please note that the salary range above is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies, and work location.

Skills & Education

This list includes key skills used in this job but is not inclusive of all skills needed for the role. Please see any required education below.

Back-End Development, Machine Learning (ML), Python (Programming Language), Structured ProgrammingBachelor's Degree or equivalent experience| Required

Work Arrangement

To foster connection while offering continued flexibility, hybrid team members have the following in-office expectations: Hybrid roles in Birmingham, AL typically work in-office at least 2 days per week, with core in-office days on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Hybrid roles in Minneapolis, MN typically work in-office at least 1 day per week on either Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Hybrid roles in San Francisco, CA typically work in-office at least 1 day per week between Monday and Thursday. Certain roles may require in-office presence on a full-time basis. Please work with your recruiter to learn more about the classification of this role.

About Shipt

Shipt is a retail tech company that connects people to reliable, high-quality delivery with a personal touch. Shipt connects customers to the things they want from the stores they love, retail businesses to more satisfied customers, and workers to new earning opportunities. At Shipt, we aim to put our team first to boost a sense of belonging, spark opportunities for growth, provide unique benefits and commit to giving back to our communities in ways that make life better, both personally and professionally. We understand that our service, our culture, and our connection to our communities are only made better by every single person who shows up to work here every day. Learn More. Shipt is an independently operated, wholly owned subsidiary of Target Corporation and available in more than 5,000 U.S. cities. Shipt was founded and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. For more information, please visit Shipt’s company site at Shipt.com.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion or religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, military or veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. Please inform your recruiting contact upon initial connection if you need a reasonable accommodation. If you need assistance filling out a job application, please complete this form. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Employees (and eligible family members) are covered by medical, dental, vision and more. Employees may enroll in our company’s 401k plan. Employees will also be eligible to receive discretionary vacation for exempt team members, paid holidays throughout the calendar year and paid sick leave. Other compensation includes eligibility for an annual bonus and the potential for restricted stock units based on role.