Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Ads Research

Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Ads Research

On any given day at Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology, we’re reimagining ways to create magical viewing experiences for the world’s most beloved stories while also transforming Disney’s media business for the future. Every day is a moment to make a difference to partners and to hundreds of millions of people around the world.

• Drive innovation and apply state‑of‑the‑art AI and ML across advertising domains, including inventory forecasting, ad experience, ad pacing, pricing, targeting, and efficient ad delivery.
• Invent and iterate on novel solutions to complex advertising challenges with rapid prototyping and deployment cycles.
• Design, build, and scale robust ML systems that power core ad platform capabilities.
• Champion engineering excellence through best practices in code quality, system design, and operational reliability.
• Mentor and support junior engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and technical growth.

• Bachelor's in computer science or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 5 years of hands‑on experience developing and deploying large‑scale machine learning systems.
• Strong knowledge of AI/ML technologies, mathematics and statistics.
• Excellent communication, collaboration skills, and a strong teamwork ethic with both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Strong foundations in algorithms, data structures, and numerical optimization with experience in Python (primary), Java, and SQL.
• Familiarity with tools and frameworks such as Tensor Flow, PyTorch, Hugging Face libraries, etc.
• Proven proficiency in deep learning methodologies, including recurrent and sequence‑based models.
• Hands‑on experience with transformer architectures (e.g., BERT, GPT, ViT) for natural language and vision tasks.
• Strong understanding of multimodal embedding techniques for integrating text, image, audio, and structured data.
• Experience with LLM models such as GPT, Claude, Gemini, Llama, etc., and experience with RAG architectures.
• A proven track record of thriving in a fast‑paced, data‑driven, and collaborative work environment.

• Experience with forecasting models.
• Experience in digital video advertising or digital marketing domain.
• MS or PhD (preferred) in computer science or equivalent experience.

Seattle / Santa Monica

The hiring range for this position in the Los Angeles, CA area is $141,900 to $190,300 per year and in Seattle, WA is $148,700 – $199,400 per year. Base pay, bonus, and long‑term incentives are provided as part of the full compensation package.

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