Reddit, Inc.Remote
Machine Learning Engineer, Ads Optimization
United States of America
Full Time
3 hours ago
$217,000 - $303,000 USD
H1B Sponsor Likely
Key skills
Machine learning systems deploymentPython programmingJava programmingGo programmingSparkKafkaAirflowBigQueryRedisMathematicsOptimization algorithmsAuction designBidding strategiesBudget optimizationReal-time decision systemsFeature engineeringModel optimizationProduction monitoringPythonJavaGoMachine LearningMLPerformance Optimization
About this role
Reddit, Inc. is a community-driven platform that hosts open conversations on the internet. They are seeking a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to design and implement optimization algorithms for their ads marketplace, focusing on auction and bidding systems to improve advertiser performance and user experience.
Responsibilities:
- Design and implement models and policies that:
- Compute bids for different optimization objectives (e.g., CPC, CPA, ROAS-based strategies)
- Pace budgets smoothly over time across accounts, campaigns, and ad groups while preventing overspend or underspend
- Allocate spend and auction participation intelligently across segments, surfaces, and time zones
- Translate product and marketplace goals into concrete optimization problems and constraints (e.g., ROI, revenue, delivery smoothness, fairness, and user experience)
Requirements:
- 3–5+ years of experience building, deploying, and operating machine learning systems in production (for IC4, typically 5+ years)
- Strong programming skills in Python, Java, Go, or similar languages, with solid software engineering fundamentals
- Experience designing scalable data processing systems (e.g., Spark, Kafka, Airflow, BigQuery, Redis)
- Demonstrated ability to translate ambiguous product or business problems into solutions and to improve measurable metrics
- Evidence of stronger math and optimization skills than a generic MLE, such as: Degree or equivalent background in a quantitative field (math, physics, quantitative finance, economics, operations research, or similar)
- Work experience in optimization-heavy domains (e.g., bidding/auctions, pacing, pricing, logistics optimization, quantitative finance)
- Comfort reasoning about and implementing custom optimization logic (e.g., gradient-based methods, constraint handling), not just applying black-box tooling
- Experience with advertising/auction systems, online marketplaces, or search/ranking systems at scale, particularly in: Bidding, pacing, or budget optimization; Auction design, mechanism design, or marketplace quality; Campaign performance optimization (e.g., CTR/CVR, CPA, ROAS)
- Familiarity with large-scale, real-time decision systems and low-latency production environments
- Background in feature engineering, model optimization, and production monitoring for ML systems
- Experience collaborating with cross-functional partners (Product, DS, Eng) in Ads or marketplace contexts and leading projects from design through rollout
- Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Operations Research, Applied Math, or a related quantitative field