Senior Staff Data Scientist, Etsy
$245-319k
+ Equity + Annual performance bonus
More information about location
eCommerce platform for handcrafted goods
Be an early applicant
eCommerce platform for handcrafted goods
1001+ employees
Be an early applicant
$245-319k
+ Equity + Annual performance bonus
More information about location
1001+ employees
Company mission
To keep human connection at the heart of commerce.
Role
Who you are
- Ph.D. or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field
- 8+ years of industry experience in Applied Machine Learning
- Proven experience designing and implementing personalized recommendation systems
- Deep understanding of ML algorithms, deep learning, reinforcement learning, ranking systems, and retrieval models
- Experience optimizing ranking models, reinforcement learning-based recommenders, or multi-objective optimization frameworks
- Strong software engineering skills, with proficiency in Python, Java, Scala, or similar languages
- Experience with distributed computing frameworks (e.g., Spark, Hadoop) and cloud-based ML platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure)
- Hands-on experience with ML tools and frameworks such as TensorFlow and PyTorch
- Strong leadership, communication, and collaboration skills, with the ability to work cross-functionally
- Experience working with large-scale datasets, experimentation platforms (e.g., A/B testing), and real-time inference architectures
- Track record of published research or contributions to the ML community
What the job involves
- We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Staff Applied Scientist to drive innovation and development in our Recommendations Initiative
- This role will focus on designing, building, and optimizing large-scale, buyer-facing machine learning (ML) systems that deliver highly personalized recommendations that can help buyers discover the best of Etsy, and match them to items that they love
- As a senior technical leader, you will shape the technical direction of our recommendation systems, mentor team members, and collaborate with cross-functional partners to deliver a transformative shopping experience for Etsy buyers
- This is a full-time position reporting to the Engineering Director
- Lead the design, development, and deployment of a personalized discovery experience that drives long-term customer engagement and business impact
- Apply state-of-the-art machine learning techniques to improve recommendations retrieval, ranking, and personalization methods
- Collaborate closely with product, design, ML, and software engineers to execute on recommendation strategies
- Drive research initiatives and stay ahead of emerging trends in Applied ML, deep learning, and recommendation algorithms
- Provide technical mentorship and leadership across teams, influencing best practices and strategic decisions
- Of course, this is just a sample of the kinds of work this role will require! You should assume that your role will encompass other tasks, too, and that your job duties and responsibilities may change from time to time at Etsy's discretion, or otherwise applicable with local law
Application process
- If you're interested in joining the team at Etsy, please share your resume with us and feel free to include a cover letter if you'd like
- As we hope you've seen already, Etsy is a place that values individuality and variety. We don't want you to be like everyone else -- we want you to be like you! So tell us what you're all about
Our take
Created as an alternative to more corporate eCommerce sites, Etsy is a peer-to-peer (P2P) website where users buy and sell handmade crafts, vintage items, art, and photography. The online marketplace works similarly to Amazon and eBay, only with an emphasis on unique items rather than mass-produced merchandise.
Since its IPO in 2015, it has managed to hold its own in an increasingly competitive eCommerce industry, including from Amazon's handmade section that launched in 2015. Further, by providing sellers with ownership over pricing and branding, the site is attractive for those wanting to set up a business on an established platform.
However, the seller-side of Etsy is not without problems. The recent hike in transaction fees and the introduction of mandatory marketing fees for artists with high turnovers has created significant discontent amongst sellers. Etsy must reconcile these issues to ensure artists continue to operate on the same scale within the platform. It plans to attract shoppers with its message of extraordinary, handmade and affordable products.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
8% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 6 rounds)
May 2012
$40m
LATE VC
Aug 2010
$20m
SERIES E
Total funding: $91.7m
Company benefits
- Equity (offers vary by country)
- Performance bonuses
- Paid gender neutral parental leave
- Adoption and family planning
- Back-up care
- Volunteer time off
- Donation matching
- Employee resource groups
- Global virtual events
- Employer paid health benefits
- Fitness benefits
- Wellness programming
- Mental health benefits
- 401K matching/Pension contributions
Company values
- We commit to our craft - Our work has the power to change lives. That’s why we strive to learn continuously and excel at what we do
- We minimize waste - Time, resources, and energy are precious, so we focus only on what will have the greatest impact
- We embrace differences - Diverse teams are stronger, and inclusive cultures are more resilient. When we seek out different perspectives, we make better decisions and build better products
- We dig deeper - The best solutions to meaningful challenges are rarely easy or obvious. We stay curious, balance our intuition with insights, and decide with confidence
- We lead with optimism - We believe in our mission, and we believe in each other. We see the world as it is, set ambitious goals, and inspire one another with generosity of spirit. Together, we reimagine what is possible
Company HQ
Downtown Brooklyn, NY
Articles
Leadership
Josh Silverman
(CEO)Previously senior executive at eBay, CEO of Shopping.com, CEO of Skype and President of Consumer Products & Services at American Express.
People progressing
Became the Director of International Strategy and Operations after a year and 2 months as a senior manager in the division. After nearly 5 years in that role, they became Director of Marketing and International Strategy & Operations, and six months after that was promoted to Senior Director in that same department.
Salary benchmarks
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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Etsy
- Diversity is a priority at Etsy, owned by everyone:
- A diverse workforce is critical to Etsy’s success—it makes us a stronger, better, more resilient and more relevant company. We have an inclusive culture and each of us actively creates opportunities for underrepresented groups to join, thrive and advance at Etsy
- We welcome all perspectives:
- As individuals, we invite a variety of viewpoints and experiences—especially when they conflict with our own. We encourage questions more than statements, and provide a safe environment in which all employees can surface and discuss concerns
- We measure and share openly:
- We contribute to broader progress by evaluating, iterating and transparently communicating our successes and failures internally and externally
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