Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Economist

Instacart

United States

Remote

Who this role is best for

Strong fit for economists with machine learning expertise who collaborate across functions and work remotely.

Best fit for

Economists with production ML experience and a background in causal inference and econometrics
— “Experience applying causal inference methodologies to both observational and experimental datasets”
Candidates with a PhD in Economics and experience in uplift modeling or contextual bandits
— “Experience with uplift modeling, contextual bandits, and/or heterogeneous treatment effect estimation”
Professionals who can operate in a horizontal team and contribute to diverse economic problems
— “Working in a horizontal team, you will have the opportunity to collaborate closely with partners across multiple functions”

Things to consider

Compensation varies significantly by U.S. state, affecting total package value
— “the base pay ranges for a successful candidate are listed below”
Candidates must be based in the U.S. to qualify for the stated base pay ranges
— “For US based candidates, the base pay ranges for a successful candidate are listed below”

How to stand out

Demonstrate experience with deploying models in production environments
— “Experience putting machine learning models into production environments”
Highlight fluency in Python, SQL, and ML tools like scikit-learn or XGBoost
— “Strong programming skills (Python) and fluency in data manipulation (SQL, Pandas) and machine learning tools”
Showcase ability to communicate complex findings effectively to non-technical stakeholders
— “Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written)”
Emphasize prior work on multi-sided marketplace challenges or pricing strategies
— “from aligning the incentives in our multi-sided marketplace to analyzing the role of prices and product placement”
Demonstrate experience with cloud computing and ML infrastructure tools
— “Experience with cloud computing and related ML infrastructure”

Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Company

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

What success looks like

Designed and deployed machine learning solutions
Collaborated with product managers and data scientists
Continually refined algorithms and models

Typical background

Graduate degree in Economics or related field

Skills & requirements

Required

Machine LearningEconomic TheoryApplied EconometricsCausal InferencePython ProgrammingSQLPandasscikit-learnXgboost

Preferred

Post-phd Industry Experience

Stack & domain

Machine LearningEconometricsPythonSQLPandasscikit-learnXgboostCommunicationProblem-solvingCollaborationTeamworkEconomicsData ScienceAlgorithm Development

About the role

Original posting from Instacart

We're transforming the grocery industry
At Instacart, we invite the world to share love through food because we believe everyone should have access to the food they love and more time to enjoy it together. Where others see a simple need for grocery delivery, we see exciting complexity and endless opportunity to serve the varied needs of our community. We work to deliver an essential service that customers rely on to get their groceries and household goods, while also offering safe and flexible earnings opportunities to Instacart Personal Shoppers.
Instacart has become a lifeline for millions of people, and we’re building the team to help push our shopping cart forward. If you’re ready to do the best work of your life, come join our table.
Instacart is a Flex First team
There’s no one-size fits all approach to how we do our best work. Our employees have the flexibility to choose where they do their best work—whether it’s from home, an office, or your favorite coffee shop—while staying connected and building community through regular in-person events. Learn more about our flexible approach to where we work.
Overview
As a machine learning engineer in the Economics team, you will build state-of-the-art systems that blend rigorous economic thought with sophisticated machine learning algorithms to tackle some of the company's most challenging problems. Working in a horizontal team, you will have the opportunity to collaborate closely with partners across multiple functions to operate on a highly diverse set of problems, contributing both economic and engineering expertise in a fast-paced environment filled with exciting opportunities for technically-minded economists.
The Economics team at Instacart works on a range of interesting and challenging problems across our platform, from aligning the incentives in our multi-sided marketplace to analyzing the role of prices and product placement in our customers' decision-making. Some of the core areas of focus for our team include matching and logistics, online advertising, uplift and long-term value modeling, and general causal inference. Check out this blog post to learn more.
About the Job
Design, develop, and deploy machine learning solutions to tackle the many economic challenges in our complex marketplace.
Collaborate closely with product managers, data scientists, and other engineers to deeply understand business needs and create impactful solutions.
Push the envelope on our operational efficiency by continually refining and advancing our algorithms and models.
Be an active member of the Economics team, sharing learnings, best practices, and research across domains while refining and advancing our algorithms.
About You
We are open to hiring either a Machine Learning Engineer II, Economist (fresh PhD graduate) or a Senior Machine Learning Engineer I, Economist (post-PhD industry experience).
Minimum Qualifications
Graduate Degree (Masters or PhD) in Economics or a closely related field
A blend of economic theory, applied econometrics, and business skills that let you jump into a fast-paced environment and contribute from day one.
Experience applying causal inference methodologies to both observational and experimental datasets.
An understanding of machine learning algorithms and techniques.
Strong programming skills (Python) and fluency in data manipulation (SQL, Pandas) and machine learning tools (e.g., scikit-learn, XGBoost).
Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written).
Self-motivation and a strong sense of ownership.
For Senior Machine Learning Engineer I, Economist hires, we also expect:
1-3 years of industry experience in a similar position.
Experience putting machine learning models into production environments.
Experience with cloud computing and related ML infrastructure.
Preferred Qualifications
A PhD in Economics or a closely related field with a focus on data-intense problems.
Intern experience in related roles.
Experience with large language models and generative AI, both on the algorithm side as well as a day-to-day tool.
Experience with uplift modeling, contextual bandits, and/or heterogeneous treatment effect estimation.
#LI-Remote
Instacart provides highly market-competitive compensation and benefits in each location where our employees work. This role is remote and the base pay range for a successful candidate is dependent on their permanent work location. Please review our Flex First remote work policy here.
Offers may vary based on many factors, such as candidate experience and skills required for the role. Additionally, this role is eligible for a new hire equity grant as well as annual refresh grants. Please read more about our benefits offerings here.
For US based candidates, the base pay ranges for a successful candidate are listed below.
CA, NY, CT, NJ$207,000—$218,500 USDWA$198,000—$209,000 USDOR, DE, ME, MA, MD, NH, RI, VT, DC, PA, VA, CO, TX, IL, HI$190,000—$200,500 USDAll other states$173,000—$182,500 USD

Source: Instacart careers