jobctl

Staff Machine Learning Engineer, Retrieval

Reddit - Remote - United States - original posting ->
Status
Open
Remote policy
Remote
Employment type
Not stated
Salary
230,000-322,000 USD / year
Categories
Ads Product & Engineering
Tech
remote-countrymlstaff
Source
reddit
First observed
2026-09-17 01:33 UTC
Last seen
2026-11-01 14:02 UTC
Source claims posted
2026-09-16 22:20 UTC
Consecutive misses
0 of 3

What the posting says

Reddit is a community of communities. It’s built on shared interests, passion, and trust, and is home to the most open and authentic conversations on the internet. Every day, Reddit users submit, vote, and comment on the topics they care most about. With 100,000+ active communities and approximately 130 million daily active unique visitors, Reddit is one of the internet’s largest sources of information. For more information, visit www.redditinc.com.

Team Description:

The Ads Retrieval ML team builds the machine learning systems that identify relevant advertising candidates for Reddit users. Retrieval sits at the heart of the ads delivery funnel: before downstream ranking and auction decisions, our models determine which campaigns and ads are eligible to compete. We work on large-scale retrieval across multiple objectives, placements, and geographies. Our work combines representation learning, candidate generation, nearest-neighbor search, behavioral and contextual signals, and rigorous offline and online experimentation.

Role Description:

We are looking for a Staff Machine Learning Engineer to provide technical leadership for the Retrieval ML team. You will lead the design and evolution of retrieval models and modeling practices that improve relevance, advertiser outcomes, and user experience at Reddit scale. This is an applied ML role centered on retrieval modeling and end-to-end product impact. You will be expected to stay close to the technical details—from data and objective design through model development, evaluation, experimentation, and launch—while setting direction for other engineers.

Responsibilities:

Define the technical direction and multi-year roadmap for ads retrieval modeling in partnership with engineering, product, data science, and ads stakeholders.

Design, develop, and launch candidate-generation and retrieval models for campaigns and ads across Reddit’s advertising surfaces.

Apply modern approaches such as two-tower architectures, representation learning, embeddings, sequence models, graph-based methods, and other deep learning techniques when they create meaningful product value.

Improve the retrieval stack across key modeling decisions, including objectives, labels, sampling strategies, hard-negative mining, feature design, embedding generation, candidate filtering, and retrieval depth.

Work with approximate nearest-neighbor and vector retrieval systems, reasoning about recall, relevance, freshness, diversity, coverage, latency, and cost trade-offs.

Establish strong evaluation practices that connect retrieval metrics—such as recall, precision, candidate coverage, calibration, and downstream lift—to ads and user outcomes.

Lead offline analysis and online experiments, interpret ambiguous results, and translate findings into the next modeling iteration.

Partner with downstream ranking, ads platform, auction, measurement, and product teams to ensure retrieval models integrate effectively into the full ads funnel.

Write design documents, review code and model changes, and raise the quality bar for modeling, testing, observability, and production ownership.

Mentor ML engineers and help grow the team’s expertise in retrieval, recommendation, and representation learning.

Required Qualifications:

7+ years of industry experience, including substantial experience building and shipping applied ML products.

Deep experience with information retrieval, candidate generation, recommender systems, ranking, or related relevance problems.

Strong understanding of retrieval modeling concepts, including DNN, embeddings, two-tower or dual-encoder models, approximate nearest-neighbor search, and multi-stage retrieval.

Deep experience training, evaluating, debugging, and deploying deep learning models using TensorFlow, PyTorch, or similar frameworks.

Demonstrated ownership of ML projects from problem framing and data preparation through offline evaluation, online experimentation, production launch, and iteration.

Strong command of experimental design and model evaluation, including how offline retrieval metrics relate to downstream business and user metrics.

Experience working with large-scale behavioral, contextual, or content datasets and complex feature pipelines.

Strong software engineering fundamentals and the ability to write clear, reliable, maintainable production code.

Technical leadership experience: setting direction, leading complex projects, influencing partner teams, and mentoring other engineers.

Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to explain complex modeling choices to technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with ads retrieval, ad serving, recommendation, search relevance, or marketplace optimization

Experience modeling user, content, campaign, or ad interactions with sequential, graph, or multimodal signals

Experience connecting retrieval improvements to downstream ranking, auction, conversion, revenue, or user-experience outcomes

Experience in ads marketplaces at peer companies

Publications, patents, or industry contributions in applied ML or ranking systems

Experience with sequential modeling (e.g., RNNs, Transformers)

Benefits:

100% remote opportunity (we have 4 office locations for hybrid/onsite work preference in NY, SF, LA and Chicago)

Comprehensive Healthcare Benefits and Income Replacement Programs

401k with Employer Match

Global Benefit programs that fit your lifestyle, from workspace to professional development to caregiving support

Family Planning Support

Gender-Affirming Care

Mental Health & Coaching Benefits

Flexible Vacation & Paid Volunteer Time Off

Generous Paid Parental Leave

#LI-AJ1

Pay Transparency:

This job posting may span more than one career level.

In addition to base salary, this job is eligible to receive equity in the form of restricted stock units, and depending on the position offered, it may also be eligible to receive a commission. Additionally, Reddit offers a wide range of benefits to U.S.-based employees, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) program with employer match, generous time off for vacation, and parental leave. To learn more, please visit https://www.redditinc.com/careers/.

To provide greater transparency to candidates, we share base salary ranges for all US-based job postings regardless of state. We set standard base pay ranges for all roles based on function, level, and country location, benchmarked against similar stage growth companies. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including, skills, depth of work experience and relevant licenses/credentials, and may vary from the amounts listed below.

The base salary range for this position is:

$230,000—$322,000 USD

In select roles and locations, the interviews will be recorded, transcribed and summarized by artificial intelligence (AI). You will have the opportunity to opt out of recording, transcription and summarization prior to any scheduled interviews.

During the interview, we will collect the following categories of personal information: Identifiers, Professional and Employment-Related Information, Sensory Information (audio/video recording), and any other categories of personal information you choose to share with us. We will use this information to evaluate your application for employment or an independent contractor role, as applicable. We will not sell your personal information or disclose it to any third party for their marketing purposes. We will delete any recording of your interview promptly after making a hiring decision. For more information about how we will handle your personal information, including our retention of it, please refer to our Candidate Privacy Policy for Potential Employees and Contractors.

Reddit is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and is committed to building a workforce representative of the diverse communities we serve. Reddit is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If, due to a disability, you need an accommodation during the interview process, please let your recruiter know.

Quality

Completeness: 100%
Honesty: 100%

Based on 95 observation(s).

Timeline

  1. *
    #804749 2026-09-17 01:33 UTC
    Published
  2. ~
    #814065 2026-09-17 13:34 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-16T20:16:50-04:00->2026-09-17T08:26:32-04:00
  3. ~
    #824061 2026-09-18 01:44 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-17T08:26:32-04:00->2026-09-17T20:16:43-04:00
  4. ~
    #834961 2026-09-18 13:44 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-17T20:16:43-04:00->2026-09-18T08:33:28-04:00
  5. ~
    #854202 2026-09-19 01:45 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-18T08:33:28-04:00->2026-09-18T20:20:59-04:00
  6. ~
    #862156 2026-09-19 13:45 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-18T20:20:59-04:00->2026-09-19T08:20:59-04:00
  7. ~
    #869914 2026-09-20 01:50 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-19T08:20:59-04:00->2026-09-19T20:14:59-04:00
  8. ~
    #877655 2026-09-20 13:50 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-19T20:14:59-04:00->2026-09-20T08:19:46-04:00
  9. ~
    #883929 2026-09-21 01:50 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-20T08:19:46-04:00->2026-09-20T20:07:13-04:00
  10. ~
    #894244 2026-09-21 13:51 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-20T20:07:13-04:00->2026-09-21T08:16:17-04:00
  11. ~
    #912739 2026-09-22 01:53 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-21T08:16:17-04:00->2026-09-21T20:22:22-04:00
  12. ~
    #922419 2026-09-22 13:55 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-21T20:22:22-04:00->2026-09-22T08:28:17-04:00
  13. ~
    #934633 2026-09-23 01:56 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-22T08:28:17-04:00->2026-09-22T20:11:04-04:00
  14. ~
    #946247 2026-09-23 14:02 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-22T20:11:04-04:00->2026-09-23T08:21:04-04:00
  15. ~
    #960219 2026-09-24 02:03 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-23T08:21:04-04:00->2026-09-23T20:16:37-04:00
  16. ~
    #970916 2026-09-24 14:03 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-23T20:16:37-04:00->2026-09-24T08:23:25-04:00
  17. ~
    #987566 2026-09-25 02:06 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-24T08:23:25-04:00->2026-09-24T20:18:49-04:00
  18. ~
    #998236 2026-09-25 14:11 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-24T20:18:49-04:00->2026-09-25T08:16:18-04:00
  19. ~
    #1010586 2026-09-26 02:15 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-25T08:16:18-04:00->2026-09-25T20:21:38-04:00
  20. ~
    #1017814 2026-09-26 14:20 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-25T20:21:38-04:00->2026-09-26T08:15:06-04:00
  21. ~
    #1025407 2026-09-27 02:20 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-26T08:15:06-04:00->2026-09-26T20:32:50-04:00
  22. ~
    #1032169 2026-09-27 14:20 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-26T20:32:50-04:00->2026-09-27T08:38:18-04:00
  23. ~
    #1038885 2026-09-28 02:28 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-27T08:38:18-04:00->2026-09-27T20:21:25-04:00
  24. ~
    #1047002 2026-09-28 14:28 UTC
    Modified
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      2026-09-27T20:21:25-04:00->2026-09-28T08:16:36-04:00
  25. ~
    #1057190 2026-09-29 02:28 UTC
    Modified
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      2026-09-28T08:16:36-04:00->2026-09-28T20:29:00-04:00
  26. ~
    #1068438 2026-09-29 14:36 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-28T20:29:00-04:00->2026-09-29T08:21:46-04:00
  27. ~
    #1083364 2026-09-30 02:43 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-29T08:21:46-04:00->2026-09-29T20:12:34-04:00
  28. ~
    #1091975 2026-09-30 14:43 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-29T20:12:34-04:00->2026-09-30T08:21:32-04:00
  29. ~
    #1103112 2026-10-01 02:44 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-30T08:21:32-04:00->2026-09-30T20:19:14-04:00
  30. ~
    #1109607 2026-10-01 10:45 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-09-30T20:19:14-04:00->2026-10-01T03:25:10-04:00
  31. ~
    #1114630 2026-10-01 14:49 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-01T03:25:10-04:00->2026-10-01T08:08:30-04:00
  32. ~
    #1125956 2026-10-02 02:59 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-01T08:08:30-04:00->2026-10-01T20:20:52-04:00
  33. ~
    #1137169 2026-10-02 15:26 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-01T20:20:52-04:00->2026-10-02T08:26:03-04:00
  34. ~
    #1148748 2026-10-03 03:48 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-02T08:26:03-04:00->2026-10-02T20:07:42-04:00
  35. ~
    #1156606 2026-10-03 15:54 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-02T20:07:42-04:00->2026-10-03T08:09:17-04:00
  36. ~
    #1165439 2026-10-04 03:55 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-03T08:09:17-04:00->2026-10-03T20:08:52-04:00
  37. ~
    #1171640 2026-10-04 15:55 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-03T20:08:52-04:00->2026-10-04T08:27:25-04:00
  38. ~
    #1177885 2026-10-05 03:59 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-04T08:27:25-04:00->2026-10-04T20:10:19-04:00
  39. ~
    #1186459 2026-10-05 14:45 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-04T20:10:19-04:00->2026-10-05T08:24:36-04:00
  40. ~
    #1192663 2026-10-05 22:46 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-05T08:24:36-04:00->2026-10-05T16:12:43-04:00
  41. ~
    #1196414 2026-10-06 02:15 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-05T16:12:43-04:00->2026-10-05T20:12:14-04:00
  42. ~
    #1208137 2026-10-06 14:29 UTC
    Modified
    • categories
      Not stated->Not stated
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-05T20:12:14-04:00->2026-10-06T10:15:17-04:00
  43. ~
    #1214431 2026-10-06 18:29 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-06T10:15:17-04:00->2026-10-06T13:20:28-04:00
  44. ~
    #1224510 2026-10-07 02:42 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-06T13:20:28-04:00->2026-10-06T20:15:15-04:00
  45. ~
    #1227280 2026-10-07 06:42 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-06T20:15:15-04:00->2026-10-07T02:13:37-04:00
  46. ~
    #1234362 2026-10-07 14:48 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-07T02:13:37-04:00->2026-10-07T08:30:23-04:00
  47. ~
    #1246061 2026-10-08 02:49 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-07T08:30:23-04:00->2026-10-07T20:18:53-04:00
  48. ~
    #1256018 2026-10-08 15:01 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-07T20:18:53-04:00->2026-10-08T08:11:51-04:00
  49. ~
    #1267960 2026-10-09 03:07 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-08T08:11:51-04:00->2026-10-08T20:16:11-04:00
  50. ~
    #1275766 2026-10-09 12:27 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-08T20:16:11-04:00->2026-10-09T08:08:48-04:00
  51. ~
    #1288862 2026-10-10 03:58 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-09T08:08:48-04:00->2026-10-09T20:14:59-04:00
  52. ~
    #1295139 2026-10-12 13:22 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-09T20:14:59-04:00->2026-10-12T08:14:26-04:00
  53. ~
    #1311227 2026-10-13 01:08 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-12T08:14:26-04:00->2026-10-12T20:16:43-04:00
  54. ~
    #1319735 2026-10-13 13:09 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-12T20:16:43-04:00->2026-10-13T08:18:50-04:00
  55. ~
    #1334502 2026-10-14 01:10 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-13T08:18:50-04:00->2026-10-13T20:30:02-04:00
  56. ~
    #1343896 2026-10-14 13:52 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-13T20:30:02-04:00->2026-10-14T08:07:54-04:00
  57. ~
    #1346867 2026-10-14 17:52 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-14T08:07:54-04:00->2026-10-14T10:15:04-04:00
  58. ~
    #1352725 2026-10-15 01:53 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-14T10:15:04-04:00->2026-10-14T20:21:00-04:00
  59. ~
    #1361335 2026-10-15 13:53 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-14T20:21:00-04:00->2026-10-15T08:11:38-04:00
  60. ~
    #1364797 2026-10-15 17:53 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-15T08:11:38-04:00->2026-10-15T11:40:02-04:00
  61. ~
    #1371036 2026-10-16 01:53 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-15T11:40:02-04:00->2026-10-15T20:12:44-04:00
  62. ~
    #1378479 2026-10-16 13:54 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-15T20:12:44-04:00->2026-10-16T08:23:28-04:00
  63. ~
    #1387907 2026-10-17 01:54 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-16T08:23:28-04:00->2026-10-16T20:14:51-04:00
  64. ~
    #1394056 2026-10-17 13:54 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-16T20:14:51-04:00->2026-10-17T08:26:36-04:00
  65. ~
    #1399321 2026-10-18 01:55 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-17T08:26:36-04:00->2026-10-17T20:10:57-04:00
  66. ~
    #1405144 2026-10-18 13:55 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-17T20:10:57-04:00->2026-10-18T08:13:39-04:00
  67. ~
    #1413326 2026-10-19 01:56 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-18T08:13:39-04:00->2026-10-18T20:30:56-04:00
  68. ~
    #1419866 2026-10-19 13:57 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-18T20:30:56-04:00->2026-10-19T08:15:01-04:00
  69. ~
    #1431248 2026-10-20 01:59 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-19T08:15:01-04:00->2026-10-19T20:20:09-04:00
  70. ~
    #1439465 2026-10-20 14:00 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-19T20:20:09-04:00->2026-10-20T08:19:11-04:00
  71. ~
    #1450347 2026-10-21 02:00 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-20T08:19:11-04:00->2026-10-20T20:14:10-04:00
  72. ~
    #1458547 2026-10-21 14:00 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-20T20:14:10-04:00->2026-10-21T08:14:52-04:00
  73. ~
    #1471391 2026-10-22 02:00 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-21T08:14:52-04:00->2026-10-21T20:17:05-04:00
  74. ~
    #1483777 2026-10-22 14:00 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-21T20:17:05-04:00->2026-10-22T08:15:37-04:00
  75. ~
    #1495325 2026-10-23 02:00 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-22T08:15:37-04:00->2026-10-22T20:10:29-04:00
  76. ~
    #1503429 2026-10-23 14:00 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-22T20:10:29-04:00->2026-10-23T08:18:05-04:00
  77. ~
    #1507536 2026-10-23 18:00 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-23T08:18:05-04:00->2026-10-23T10:06:06-04:00
  78. ~
    #1515967 2026-10-24 02:00 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-23T10:06:06-04:00->2026-10-23T20:22:44-04:00
  79. ~
    #1524849 2026-10-24 14:01 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-23T20:22:44-04:00->2026-10-24T08:18:54-04:00
  80. ~
    #1530885 2026-10-25 02:01 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-24T08:18:54-04:00->2026-10-24T20:14:10-04:00
  81. ~
    #1536690 2026-10-25 14:01 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-24T20:14:10-04:00->2026-10-25T08:13:32-04:00
  82. ~
    #1541856 2026-10-26 02:01 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-25T08:13:32-04:00->2026-10-25T20:15:09-04:00
  83. ~
    #1548053 2026-10-26 14:01 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-25T20:15:09-04:00->2026-10-26T08:19:59-04:00
  84. ~
    #1559982 2026-10-27 02:01 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-26T08:19:59-04:00->2026-10-26T20:10:37-04:00
  85. ~
    #1566043 2026-10-27 14:01 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-26T20:10:37-04:00->2026-10-27T08:17:52-04:00
  86. ~
    #1581714 2026-10-28 02:01 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-27T08:17:52-04:00->2026-10-27T20:12:45-04:00
  87. ~
    #1589972 2026-10-28 14:01 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-27T20:12:45-04:00->2026-10-28T08:12:23-04:00
  88. ~
    #1600686 2026-10-29 02:01 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-28T08:12:23-04:00->2026-10-28T20:13:06-04:00
  89. ~
    #1609698 2026-10-29 14:01 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-28T20:13:06-04:00->2026-10-29T08:18:01-04:00
  90. ~
    #1625778 2026-10-30 02:02 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-29T08:18:01-04:00->2026-10-29T20:10:01-04:00
  91. ~
    #1637148 2026-10-30 14:02 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-29T20:10:01-04:00->2026-10-30T08:08:42-04:00
  92. ~
    #1653909 2026-10-31 02:02 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-30T08:08:42-04:00->2026-10-30T20:07:25-04:00
  93. ~
    #1662608 2026-10-31 14:02 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-30T20:07:25-04:00->2026-10-31T08:16:09-04:00
  94. ~
    #1668039 2026-11-01 02:02 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-31T08:16:09-04:00->2026-10-31T20:17:22-04:00
  95. ~
    #1673061 2026-11-01 14:02 UTC
    Modified
    • source_updated_at
      2026-10-31T20:17:22-04:00->2026-11-01T07:16:00-05:00