Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Scribd, Inc. is on a mission to advance human understanding. Our four products — Scribd®, Slideshare®, Everand™, and Fable — help billions of people across the globe move beyond access and into insight, application, and expertise.
Culture at Scribd, Inc.
We support a culture where our employees can be real and be bold; where we debate and commit as we embrace plot twists; and where every employee is empowered to take action as we prioritize the customer.
We believe the best work happens when individual flexibility is balanced with meaningful community connection. Scribd Flex empowers employees to choose the workstyle and location that support their best performance, while committing to intentional in-person moments that strengthen collaboration and culture. Occasional in-person attendance is required for all Scribd, Inc. employees, regardless of location.
So what are we looking for in new team members? At Scribd, Inc., we hire for “GRIT.” Traditionally defined as the intersection of passion and perseverance toward long-term goals, GRIT reflects the mindset we expect from every employee. For us, it also serves as a practical framework for how we work: setting and achieving Goals, delivering Results within your role, contributing Innovative ideas and solutions, and strengthening the broader Team through collaboration and attitude.
This posting reflects an approved, open position within the organization.
About The Team
Our Machine Learning team builds both the platform and product applications that power personalized discovery, recommendations, and generative AI features across Scribd, Slideshare, and Everand. ML teams works on the Orion ML Platform – providing core ML infrastructure, including a feature store, model registry, model inference systems, and embedding-based retrieval (EBR). MLE team also works closely with Product team – delivering zero-to-one integrations of ML into user-facing features like recommendations, near real-time personalization, and AskAI LLM-powered experiences
Role Overview
We are seeking a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to lead the design, architecture, and optimization of high-impact ML systems that serve millions of users in near real time. In this role, you will:

Drive technical direction for both platform and product-facing ML initiatives.
Lead complex, cross-team projects from conception to production deployment.
Mentor other engineers and establish best practices for building scalable, reliable ML systems.
Influence the roadmap and architecture of our ML Platform.
Tech Stack
Our Machine Learning team uses a range of technologies to build and operate large-scale ML systems. Our regular toolkit includes:

Languages: Python, Golang, Scala, Ruby on Rails
Orchestration & Pipelines: Airflow, Databricks, Spark
ML & AI: AWS Sagemaker, embedding-based retrieval (Weaviate), feature store, model registry, model serving platforms, LLM providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, etc.
APIs & Integration: HTTP APIs, gRPC
Infrastructure & Cloud: AWS (Lambda, ECS, EKS, SQS, ElastiCache, CloudWatch), Datadog, Terraform
Key Responsibilities

Lead the design and architecture of ML pipelines, from data ingestion and feature engineering to model training, deployment, and monitoring.
Own the technical direction of core ML Platform components such as the feature store, model registry, and embedding-based retrieval systems.
Collaborate with product software engineers to deliver ML models that enhance recommendations, personalization, and generative AI features.
Guide experimentation strategy, A/B testing design, and performance analysis to inform production decisions.
Optimize systems for performance, scalability, and reliability across massive datasets and high-throughput services.
Establish and uphold engineering best practices, including code quality, system design reviews, and operational excellence.
Mentor and coach ML engineers, fostering technical growth and collaboration across the team.
Work with leadership to align technical initiatives with long-term ML strategy.
Requirements
Must Have

6+ years of experience as a professional ML or software engineer, with a proven track record of delivering production ML systems at scale.
Proficiency in at least one key programming language (preferably Python or Golang; Scala or Ruby also considered).
Expertise in designing and architecting large-scale ML pipelines and distributed systems.
Deep experience with distributed data processing frameworks (Spark, Databricks, or similar).
Strong cloud expertise (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and experience with deployment platforms (ECS, EKS, Lambda).
Proven ability to optimize system performance and make informed trade-offs in ML model and system design.
Experience leading technical projects and mentoring engineers.
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent professional experience.
Nice to Have

Experience with embedding-based retrieval, large language models, advanced recommendation or ranking systems.
Experience building or leading development of feature stores, model serving & monitoring platforms, and experimentation systems.
Expertise in experimentation design, causal inference, or ML evaluation methodologies.
Contributions to open-source ML/AI tooling or infrastructure.
Why Join Us
As a Senior ML Engineer at Scribd, you will shape the future of our ML systems, from foundational platform capabilities to cutting-edge AI applications. You’ll work with rich multimodal data (text, audio, images), state-of-the-art retrieval and recommendation technologies, and partner with a talented, cross-functional team to deliver personalized, impactful experiences for millions of users.
At Scribd, Inc., your base pay is one part of your total compensation package and is determined within a range. Our pay ranges are based on the local cost of labor benchmarks for each specific role, level, and geographic location. San Francisco is our highest geographic market in the United States.
In the state of California, the reasonably expected salary range is between $157,500 [minimum salary in our lowest geographic market within California] to $230,000 [maximum salary in our highest geographic market within California].
In the United States, outside of California, the reasonably expected salary range is between $129,500 [minimum salary in our lowest US geographic market outside of California] to $220,000 [maximum salary in our highest US geographic market outside of California].
In Canada, the reasonably expected salary range is between $165,000 CAD[minimum salary in our lowest geographic market] to $218,000 CAD[maximum salary in our highest geographic market].
We carefully consider a wide range of factors when determining compensation, including but not limited to experience; job-related skill sets; relevant education or training; and other business and organizational needs. The salary range listed is for the level at which this job has been scoped. In the event that you are considered for a different level, a higher or lower pay range would apply. This position is also eligible for a competitive equity ownership, and a comprehensive and generous benefits package.
Working at Scribd, Inc.
Are you currently based in a location where Scribd, Inc. can employ you?
Employees must have their primary residence in or near one of the following cities. This includes surrounding metro areas or locations within a typical commuting distance:
United States
Atlanta | Austin | Boston | Dallas | Denver | Chicago | Houston | Jacksonville | Los Angeles | Miami | New York City | Phoenix | Portland | Sacramento | Salt Lake City | San Diego | San Francisco | Seattle | Washington D.C.
Canada
Ottawa | Toronto | Vancouver
Mexico
Mexico City
Benefits At Scribd, Inc.

Scribd Flex (flexible work model)
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
Mental health support and disability coverage
Generous paid time off, including vacation, sick time, holidays, winter break, volunteer time, and sabbaticals
Paid parental leave and family support benefits
Retirement matching and employee equity
Learning and development programs and professional growth opportunities
Wellness and home office stipends
Complimentary access to the Scribd, Inc. suite of products
Enterprise access to leading AI tools
Get to Know Scribd, Inc.
About Scribd, Inc.
Life at Scribd, Inc.
We want our interview process to be accessible to everyone. You can inform us of any reasonable adjustments we can make to better accommodate your needs by emailing accommodations@scribd.com about the need for adjustments at any point in the interview process.
Scribd, Inc. is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply, and believe that a diversity of perspectives and experiences create a foundation for the best ideas. Come join us in building something meaningful.