Machine Learning Engineer, Instacart
Search ML
CA$131-145k
+ Equity
Online grocery marketplace & grocery tech platform
Open for applications
Online grocery marketplace & grocery tech platform
1001+ employees
Open for applications
CA$131-145k
+ Equity
1001+ employees
Company mission
To create a world where everyone has access to the food they love and have more time to enjoy it together.
Role
Who you are
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or related fields
- Strong programming skills in Python and fluency in data manipulation (SQL, Spark, Pandas) and machine learning (Pytorch, Tensorflow) tools
- Strong analytical skills and problem-solving ability
- Strong communicator who can collaborate with diverse stakeholders across all levels
Desirable
- 3+ years of experience building and deploying machine learning models in production environments
- PhD in Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or related fields
- Previous experience working on search or recommendation systems at scale
- Strong publication track record in top-tier AI/ML conferences
- Familiarity with A/B testing and experimentation methodologies for search relevance improvement
What the job involves
- We are seeking a highly motivated Machine Learning Engineer to join our Search ML team
- In this role, you’ll work alongside world-class engineers, data scientists, and product managers to shape the future of search technology at Instacart
- You will collaborate on building models that enhance search relevance, ranking, and personalization, delivering highly relevant results to users across the Instacart ecosystem
- This is a role where your contributions will not only drive immediate impact but also present exciting opportunities to showcase your work through publications and conferences (recent publications 1, 2, 3)
- As part of the Search ML team, you'll work on one of the most critical aspects of the business, helping customers connect with the right products
- Develop and optimize machine learning models to enhance search relevance, ranking, and personalization for millions of users
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including data scientists and engineers, to build scalable and efficient search solutions
- Work on real-time search systems, improving the discoverability of products across multiple retailers
- Contribute to research and thought leadership, with opportunities to publish papers in leading AI and ML conferences
- Take ownership of your projects, from research and prototyping to production deployment, in a fast-paced environment
Our take
Instacart is an online grocery marketplace that operates a pick-up and delivery system in the US and Canada. Unlike standard grocery shopping, Instacart sends a “personal shopper” to your local store to buy your products, who then delivers them straight to your door on the same day via their own car. The company also supplies the Instacart Platform, with services for stores encompassing eCommerce, fulfilment, in-store, ads, and insights.
The increased modernization of society has meant more than ever that consumers are looking to buy their groceries online, making space for apps like Instacart to become daily life staples for years to come. Although the company must compete with other grocery store delivery services, such as Walmart’s own, it has expanded to cover large percentages of US and Canadian households, and is now aligned with over 900 retail banners across more than 75,000 locations.
Instacart's software offerings signify the company's focus on tech, designed to move it away from its dependence on the gig economy. To this end, the company has acquired FoodStorm, an order management system that powers end-to-end order-ahead and catering, integrating its technology into its enterprise suite. Despite an IPO in September 2023, market downturns have necessitated a 7% workforce cut in 2024, focused on middle management and creating a flatter organisational structure. With a new streamlined workforce, here's to hoping Instacart can maintain its momentum.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
7% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 14 rounds)
Nov 2021
$232m
LATE VC
Mar 2021
$265m
LATE VC
Total funding: $2.9bn
Company benefits
- Wellness Tailored to You: Medical, dental, vision, retirement, life & disability coverage right alongside physical & mental wellness programs, memberships and stipends to keep you and your family feeling your best.
- Family Building Benefits: No matter where you are in your family journey, we support you. Our plans cover modern family planning for all. We offer leave for all parents, flexible working schedules and an active Parents@ community.
- Work From Home Stipend: We help outfit your WFH setup and offer reimbursements so you can be your most productive while at home.
- Flexible Time Off: We all recharge differently. Take the time you need with our flexible time off policy and company-wide Self-Checkouts where we encourage everyone to sign off.
- Learning & Development: Whether you're just starting your career or leading teams, we provide customized L&D programs to help you grow and an annual allowance to pursue your development.
- Future Planning: We have you covered as you plan for your future. 401(k) matching in the US and RRSP in Canada, student loan assistance through Peanut Butter, free Rocket Lawyer membership, SoFi & First Republic financial planning and more.
- Four Year Fill-Up: We encourage our tenured employees to take longer breaks and truly unplug by doing something they love – typically four consecutive weeks around the four year mark.
- Community Connection: Support the communities you care about with volunteer weeks and get involved with our social impact program, Instacart Serves.
- Instacart Express Membership: We help keep your fridge stocked. Unlock grocery discounts with our Instacart Beta app while testing our latest features.
Company HQ
The East Cut, San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Apoorva Mehta
(Co-Founder & Chairman)Studied Electrical Engineering at University of Waterloo. Worked in Fulfillment Optimisation SDE at Amazon.com before going on to co-found Instacart.
Brandon Leonardo
(Co-Founder)Interned at Cisco Systems as an IT Engineer. Later became a Senior Web Developer at Webs and then a Venture Hacker at Angel List.
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