Senior Staff Machine Learning Engineer, Notifications

About the Role

The Senior Staff Machine Learning Engineer will work across multiple areas of the stack, partnering deeply with product, org leads, and other cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality, reliable systems. This includes responsibilities such as budget optimization, retrieval, ranking, features, measurement, and LLM-based answers, ensuring state-of-the-art models are deployed at scale.

Given the importance of notifications in user engagement, this role is not only about technical expertise but also about understanding user behavior and preferences. The ideal candidate will have a strong foundation in machine learning, experience with large-scale system development, and a keen interest in delivering personalized recommendations that enhance user experience.

What You Will Do

• Contribute to advancing Reddit's growth by designing and implementing content discovery algorithms that prioritize a seamless and highly personalized user experience.
• Deeply understand the Reddit Notifications product and drive the vision for the notifications relevance team, aligning technological advancements with product goals.
• Enhance core recommendation capabilities, including candidate retrieval, ranking models, and budgeting optimization, while designing and testing new pipeline components.
• Deploy ML models, integrate LLMs, and ensure robust monitoring and smooth product integration throughout the process, serving as the primary ML domain expert.
• Collaborate across disciplines and with ML, Product, Infrastructure, and DS teams at Reddit to find technical solutions to complex challenges, fostering a culture of innovation and cooperation.
• Mentor and guide senior and staff engineers in the team, promoting knowledge sharing and skill development.
• Partner closely with senior leadership and cross-functional org leads to shape long-term roadmaps, balancing immediate operational wins with strategic technical objectives.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, ensuring that all stakeholders have a clear understanding of system capabilities and limitations.
• Engage with the broader machine learning and engineering community, staying abreast of the latest developments and contributing to the advancement of the field.

What We Are Looking For

• 10+ years of industry experience with deep expertise in large-scale recommendation systems, with notifications experience being highly preferred.
• Proven ability to identify key opportunities, define roadmaps, and drive scalable improvement in notifications relevance.
• Strong experience in building and deploying large-scale ML models using frameworks such as PyTorch or Tensorflow.
• Experience working with LLM in production environments, with a focus on integration, performance optimization, and user experience enhancement.
• Strong understanding of software engineering principles, with the ability to design, develop, and maintain large-scale systems.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Experience with agile development methodologies and version control systems such as Git.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze complex problems and develop innovative solutions.
• Experience in mentoring and guiding junior engineers, with a passion for knowledge sharing and team growth.

Nice to Have

• Experience with cloud computing platforms such as AWS or GCP, with a focus on scalability, reliability, and cost optimization.
• Knowledge of containerization using Docker and orchestration using Kubernetes.
• Familiarity with DevOps practices, including continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD).
• Experience with data visualization tools, with the ability to communicate complex data insights effectively.
• Certification in machine learning or related fields, with a demonstrated commitment to ongoing learning and professional development.

Benefits and Perks

• Competitive salary and equity package, reflecting the company's commitment to attracting and retaining top talent.
• Comprehensive health insurance, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, ensuring the well-being of employees and their families.
• Generous PTO policy, recognizing the importance of work-life balance and employee satisfaction.
• Remote work stipend, supporting employees in creating a productive and comfortable work environment.
• Professional development opportunities, including training, conferences, and education assistance, fostering a culture of continuous learning.
• Access to cutting-edge technologies and tools, enabling employees to stay at the forefront of their fields.
• Collaborative and dynamic work environment, with a team of talented and passionate professionals.
• Opportunity to work on high-impact projects, contributing to the growth and success of Reddit's community.
• Flexible working hours, accommodating different schedules and time zones to ensure global collaboration and productivity.

• Highlight your experience with large-scale recommendation systems, especially those involving notifications, to stand out in a competitive pool of applicants.
• Prepare to discuss your approach to machine learning model deployment, including how you ensure scalability, reliability, and integration with existing systems.
• Emphasize your ability to collaborate across disciplines, including product, infrastructure, and data science teams, to demonstrate your capacity to drive projects forward in a complex environment.
• Showcase your understanding of user behavior and preferences, and how you incorporate this understanding into the development of personalized recommendation systems.
• Be ready to discuss your experience with agile development methodologies and version control systems, highlighting your ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
• Consider creating a portfolio or repository of your work, especially projects related to machine learning and system development, to provide tangible evidence of your skills and accomplishments.
• Don't underestimate the importance of soft skills, such as communication and teamwork, in a role that requires deep collaboration and influencing others without direct authority.