Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Instacart

Ads Quality

$196-263k

Actual salary is dependent on location. Offers equity

SQL
Python
Go
Tensorflow
Spark
Pandas
Boost
Senior and Expert level
Remote from US
Instacart

Online grocery marketplace & grocery tech platform

Be an early applicant

Instacart

Online grocery marketplace & grocery tech platform

1001+ employees

B2CB2BArtificial IntelligenceEnterpriseMarketplaceFoodAnalyticsComputer VisionSaaSMobileAdvertisingDelivery

Be an early applicant

$196-263k

Actual salary is dependent on location. Offers equity

SQL
Python
Go
Tensorflow
Spark
Pandas
Boost
Senior and Expert level
Remote from US

1001+ employees

B2CB2BArtificial IntelligenceEnterpriseMarketplaceFoodAnalyticsComputer VisionSaaSMobileAdvertisingDelivery

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

  • Have a graduate degree (masters or PhD) in artificial intelligence, machine learning, operations research or equivalent self study and experience
  • A deep understanding of machine learning algorithms and techniques, with fluency in modern research and literature
  • Strong programming skills in software engineering (e.g., Python, Go), along with expertise in data manipulation using tools (SQL, Spark, and Pandas), and ML frameworks (Torch, Tensorflow, XGBoost)
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written) and can collaborate with a diverse group of stakeholders across all levels
  • Demonstrated experience in using advanced algorithms or machine learning to deliver material business results

Desirable

  • Have 5+ years of industry experience using machine learning to solve real-world problems with large datasets
  • Experience in digital advertising platforms
  • Experience with sequential modeling, transformer architecture, and generative retrieval or building large scale online recommendation systems
  • Familiarity with LLM integrations, prompt engineering, and productivity tooling
  • Demonstrated experience in solving complex model training and serving efficiency challenges, including optimizing training pipelines, reducing model training times, and improving serving architectures to enhance operational efficiency and scalability

What the job involves

  • As a senior machine learning engineer in the Ads Quality team, you'll work with a team of software and machine learning engineers to build state-of-the-art systems that optimize ad performance throughout the ads serving funnel, from retrieval to pricing
  • Building on Instacart’s unique data and market position, these systems create value for advertising partners, improve consumer experience, and directly contribute to Instacart's overall revenue / business success
  • You'll have the unique opportunity to collaborate with a cross-functional team, turning diverse insights into powerful solutions that elevate advertising effectiveness
  • Your expertise will steer the development of sophisticated algorithms and machine learning models, driving performance gains across our advertising platform
  • Together, we'll build an ads ecosystem that not only serves millions but also excels in delivering value to users and advertisers alike
  • Instacart Ads is transforming the online grocery shopping experience by seamlessly integrating advanced advertising solutions into our platform
  • The Ads Quality team is dedicated to delivering outstanding advertising outcomes by driving innovation and precision in response prediction, advertiser optimization, and ads auction processes
  • Our mission is to ensure relevance, fairness, and performance for all participants in the ad ecosystem
  • By leveraging terabytes of data and sophisticated machine learning algorithms, we build advanced predictive models that enhance user experience, drive advertiser success, and sustain a thriving ad ecosystem
  • We're also at the forefront of integrating Large Language Models (LLMs), unlocking powerful new capabilities that are redefining how brands connect with consumers in the digital grocery space
  • Design, develop, and deploy machine learning solutions to tackle practical challenges in our complex marketplace while advancing the training and serving infrastructure
  • Collaborate closely with product managers, data scientists, and other engineers to deeply understand business needs and create impactful ML applications
  • Actively engage with diverse stakeholders to ensure that solutions are well-integrated and aligned with business goals
  • Push the envelope on our operational efficiency by continually refining and advancing our algorithms and models
  • Mentor junior engineers, set technical direction, and conduct thorough code reviews to ensure high code quality and maintainability. Lead by example in fostering a culture of continuous improvement and technical excellence

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Insights

Top investors

7% employee growth in 12 months

Company

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.

Funding (last 2 of 14 rounds)

Nov 2021

$232m

LATE VC

Mar 2021

$265m

LATE VC

Total funding: $2.9bn

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 headshot

Steph

Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle