Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Ad Serving

Roku
New York, NY
On-siteCareer-pivot friendly

Who this role is best for

Aimed at senior machine learning engineers who thrive in revenue-critical, large-scale distributed systems and have deep expertise in advertising optimization.

Best fit for

  • Staff-level ML engineers with 10+ years of industry experience in mission-critical systems.
    — “10+ years of industry experience applying machine learning and data science to solve complex, mission-critical real-world problems
  • Technologists who can lead cross-functional teams and drive ML strategy.
    — “Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams and initiatives
  • Researchers comfortable translating business problems into actionable ML strategies.
    — “Translate ambiguous business problems into clear hypotheses, measurable objectives, and actionable strategies

Things to consider

  • Hybrid work requires in-office presence Monday through Thursday.
    — “teams work in the office Monday through Thursday
  • Role involves building production-grade ML systems for low-latency environments.
    — “Build production-grade ML systems that operate reliably in large-scale, low-latency ad serving environments

How to stand out

  • Highlight specific examples of ML models you've deployed in production.
    — “Hands-on experience building and deploying ML models in production
  • Demonstrate expertise in optimization techniques for advertising.
    — “Expertise in advertising is a plus
  • Showcase publications in peer-reviewed conferences or journals.
    — “Publications in leading peer-reviewed conferences or academic journals are a plus
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · CompanyLevel · Senior

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • Optimized pricing and allocation in ad serving
  • Improved ad marketplace efficiency
  • Built and deployed ML models in production
  • Led technical mentorship and best practices
Typical background
Machine Learning EngineerData ScientistResearch Scientist

Skills & requirements

Required

Machine LearningData ScienceAdvanced AnalyticsExperimentationModel DeploymentFeature EngineeringModel ServingMonitoringContinuous ImprovementPythonSQLJava/scalaStatisticsOptimization TechniquesTechnical LeadershipMentorship

Preferred

Ad ServingReal-time AdvertisingLarge-scale Distributed SystemsCloud InfrastructureAWSKubernetesDockerCI/CDNetwork SecurityHigh-growth Company Experience

Stack & domain

Machine LearningData SciencePythonSQLJava/scalaCommunicationCollaborationMentorshipAd ServingMarketplace IntelligenceDemand Optimization

About the role

Original posting from Roku

Teamwork makes the stream work.

Roku is changing how the world watches TV

Roku is the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and we've set our sights on powering every television in the world. Roku pioneered streaming to the TV. Our mission is to be the TV streaming platform that connects the entire TV ecosystem. We connect consumers to the content they love, enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences, and provide advertisers unique capabilities to engage consumers.

From your first day at Roku, you'll make a valuable - and valued - contribution. We're a fast-growing public company where no one is a bystander. We offer you the opportunity to delight millions of TV streamers around the world while gaining meaningful experience across a variety of disciplines.

About the Team

A highly scalable and highly available real-time advertising platform is crucial for supporting and growing Roku's advertising business. The mission of the Ad Engineering Team is to build this platform. The Ad Serving team designs, builds, deploys, and operates Roku’s Supply-Side, Ad Mediation, and Demand-Side platforms, which sit at the core of Roku’s ad monetization and are critical to the business. We are looking for a staff-level machine learning engineer with deep research and data science expertise to lead marketplace intelligence and demand optimization initiatives. 

About the Role 

This role will drive improvements in Roku Exchange efficiency by applying advanced data analytics and machine learning techniques to optimize pricing, allocation, and auction across the marketplace.

For New York Only - The estimated annual salary for this position is between $195,000 - $408,000 annually. Compensation packages are based on factors unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, certifications, and specific geographical location. This role is eligible for health insurance, equity awards, life insurance, disability benefits, parental leave, wellness benefits, and paid time off.

What You'll Be Doing

Translate ambiguous business problems into clear hypotheses, measurable objectives, and actionable strategies

Develop advanced ML models and research-driven methodologies to drive product innovation and improve business outcomes

Design and run live experiments to prototype improvements and validate their effectiveness

Build production-grade ML systems that operate reliably in large-scale, low-latency ad serving environments

Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to define, plan, and drive the ML strategy for Ad Serving

Provide technical leadership and mentorship in machine learning, experimentation frameworks, and applied research best practices

We're Excited If You Have

10+ years of industry experience applying machine learning and data science to solve complex, mission-critical real-world problems

Deep expertise in statistics, machine learning, and optimization techniques

Perform as a staff+ technologist on complex, revenue-critical, large-scale distributed ML systems

Hands-on experience building and deploying ML models in production, including feature engineering, model serving, monitoring, and continuous improvement

Solid software engineering skills in languages such as Python, SQL, and Java/Scala

Strong CS fundamentals with the ability to translate ideas into clean, efficient code with ease

Excellent written and verbal communication and collaboration skills

Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams and initiatives

Publications in leading peer-reviewed conferences or academic journals are a plus

Expertise in advertising is a plus

#LI-SSC 

Our Hybrid Work Approach

Roku fosters an inclusive and collaborative environment where teams work in the office Monday through Thursday. Fridays are flexible for remote work except for employees whose roles are required to be in the office five days a week or employees who are in offices with a five day in office policy.

Benefits

Roku is committed to offering a diverse range of benefits as part of our compensation package to support our employees and their families. Our comprehensive benefits include global access to mental health and financial wellness support and resources. Local benefits include statutory and voluntary benefits which may include healthcare (medical, dental, and vision), life, accident, disability, commuter, and retirement options (401(k)/pension). Employees are supported in taking time off, in accordance with local leave policies and other personal needs to support their evolving work and life needs. It's important to note that not every benefit is available in all locations or for every role. For details specific to your location, please consult with your recruiter.

Accommodations

Roku welcomes applicants of all backgrounds and provides reasonable accommodations and adjustments in accordance with applicable law. If you require reasonable accommodation at any point in the hiring process, please direct your inquiries to EmployeeRelations@Roku.com.

The Roku Culture

Roku is a great place for people who want to work in a fast-paced environment where everyone is focused on the company's success rather than their own. We try to surround ourselves with people who are great at their jobs, who are easy to work with, and who keep their egos in check. We appreciate a sense of humor. We believe a fewer number of very talented folks can do more for less cost than a larger number of less talented teams. We're independent thinkers with big ideas who act boldly, move fast and accomplish extraordinary things through collaboration and trust. In short, at Roku you'll be part of a company that's changing how the world watches TV. 

We have a unique culture that we are proud of. We think of ourselves primarily as problem-solvers, which itself is a two-part idea. We come up with the solution, but the solution isn't real until it is built and delivered to the customer. That penchant for action gives us a pragmatic approach to innovation, one that has served us well since 2002. 

To learn more about Roku, our global footprint, and how we've grown, visit https://www.weareroku.com/factsheet.

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Source: Roku careers

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