Director, Machine Learning Engineering – Growth

Pinterest is a platform that inspires creativity and helps users plan memorable experiences. They are seeking a Director of Machine Learning to lead the ML function for the Growth organization, focusing on user and engagement growth through innovative strategies and technical excellence.

Responsibilities:

• Own the ML strategy for Growth
• Define and communicate a clear multi‑year ML vision, technical strategy and investment roadmap for the Growth organization
• Identify and prioritize the most impactful Growth opportunities where ML can transform user acquisition, activation, engagement depth and retention
• Establish success metrics and frameworks for measuring the impact and quality of Growth ML systems
• Lead and grow high‑performing ML teams
• Manage and develop managers and senior/principal ML engineers; grow and scale multiple ML teams supporting different Growth charters
• Build an inclusive, high‑accountability culture focused on impact, learning and technical excellence
• Scale your leadership through org‑wide best practices, processes, training and tools for ML development, deployment and experimentation
• Drive execution on critical Growth initiatives
• Champion and lead large‑scale, cross‑functional initiatives that grow user visitation, activation and engagement depth, from ideation through execution
• Ensure solid technical plans are in place for major Growth initiatives, including architecture, data strategy, measurement and risk management
• Partner closely with Product, Engineering, Data Science, Marketing and Sales to align roadmaps and deliver cohesive, end‑to‑end Growth experiences
• Shape our ML platforms and architecture
• Define a unified ML architecture for Growth, in partnership with central platform teams, that supports rapid experimentation and reliable, scalable production systems
• Guide investments in foundational capabilities (feature platforms, training/serving infrastructure, experimentation, monitoring) that unlock leverage for all Growth teams
• Ensure Growth ML systems follow best practices around reliability, performance, privacy and responsible AI
• Influence across Pinterest
• Act as the primary ML point of contact for Growth with executive leadership and cross‑functional partners for a 125+ member org (and growing)
• Represent Growth ML needs and priorities in company‑wide planning, resource allocation and technical forums
• Evangelize responsible and quality‑first discovery surfaces that drive user visitations while upholding Pinterest’s values

Requirements:

• Deep expertise building and operating large‑scale ML systems in production, using modern frameworks (e.g., deep learning, recommendation/ranking systems, reinforcement learning, generative AI)
• Demonstrated success driving Growth or adjacent problem spaces (e.g., activation funnels, notifications, lifecycle marketing, SEO, paid acquisition, or large‑scale consumer engagement)
• Proven track record of leading multiple ML teams or organizations, including managing managers and setting strategy across a broad portfolio of projects
• Experience defining and executing multi‑year technical strategies and roadmaps, and delivering large, cross‑functional initiatives across multiple organizations
• Strong product sense and ability to translate ambiguous business questions into well‑structured ML problems and experiments
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to influence senior leaders and collaborate cross‑functionally
• Commitment to building responsible, user‑centric ML systems with high quality, fairness and safety standards
• Degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
• 12+ years of professional experience as a hands‑on engineer and technical leader, including 5+ years in people leadership roles (managing managers and senior ICs)