Staff Applied Scientist, Etsy
Growth
$218-257k
+ Equity and an annual performance bonus
More information about location
1-2 days a week in office (Brooklyn, NY)
eCommerce platform for handcrafted goods
Open for applications
eCommerce platform for handcrafted goods
1001+ employees
Open for applications
$218-257k
+ Equity and an annual performance bonus
More information about location
1-2 days a week in office (Brooklyn, NY)
1001+ employees
Company mission
To keep human connection at the heart of commerce.
Role
Who you are
- Proven track record in ML: You have 8+ years of experience building and deploying ML solutions. You’re familiar with modern ML frameworks (such as TensorFlow or Torch), distributed computing, and cloud environments
- Strong coding skills: You write robust, production-quality code (Python, Scala, Java, or equivalent). You’re experienced with tools like Spark, GCP, and Airflow
- Hands-on experience across the pipeline: From data extraction and preprocessing to training, evaluating, and deploying models in production environments. Bigquery and Scala experience is a plus
- Comfort in ambiguity: You excel in situations where the scope is not fully defined, proactively finding clarity and driving forward
- Experience in search or recommender systems: Preferred but not required. This could include ranking algorithms, personalized recommendations, or large-scale search optimization
- Advanced degree in ML or related field: Preferred but not required. We recognize relevant industry experience can be just as valuable
- Collaboration and communication: You can articulate complex concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences and enjoy working on cross-functional teams
- If you’re excited about using machine learning to propel growth, enjoy taking on new and ambiguous challenges, and want to drive real impact, we’d love to hear from you!
- You genuinely enjoy solving hard problems, improving real user experiences, and using modern tools to build smart—not needlessly complex—solutions
What the job involves
- We’re looking for a Staff Applied Scientist I to join our Machine Learning Team for Growth
- In this role, you’ll lead initiatives focused on leveraging machine learning to drive business growth across multiple channels—think messaging notifications, SEO, and paid advertising – anything in the realm of growing Etsy
- You’ll be pioneering new solutions from the ground up, staying abreast of the latest research, and owning the end-to-end ML lifecycle—from data extraction to production deployment
- This is a full-time position reporting to the Senior Engineering Manager, Growth ML
- Take solutions from 0 to 1: You’ll be comfortable working in ambiguous problem spaces, experimenting, and driving projects from an initial idea to a fully operational ML product. You are comfortable proving out ideas quickly as well as establishing long term solutions
- Leverage existing ML infrastructure and partnerships with platform teams to build scalable and modular ML systems
- Track cutting-edge ML research and bring back ideas we can actually use to build smarter, faster, and more impactful solutions. GenAI, Advanced RecSys, GraphML – all of it is on the table
- Productionize ML solutions: Develop robust systems for training, deploying, and monitoring ML models at scale
- Collaborate cross-functionally: Work closely with other disciplines like Data Engineers, Product Managers, Marketing, and other stakeholders to align projects with broader product goals
- ETL and data analysis: Build critical data pipelines, perform exploratory analysis, and ensure data quality and reliability – especially for model training data
- Experimentation and measurement: Design and execute A/B tests to measure the effectiveness of ML-driven features, iterating quickly based on findings
- 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
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. A hike in transaction fees and the introduction of mandatory marketing fees for artists with high turnovers created significant discontent amongst sellers. Despite this, Etsy continues to connect artists and consumers, attracting 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 HQ
Downtown Brooklyn, NY
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.
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