Staff Software Engineer, Machine Learning, YouTube Shopping Recommendations

Google's software engineers develop the next-generation technologies that change how billions of users connect, explore, and interact with information and one another. Our products need to handle information at massive scale, and extend well beyond web search. We're looking for engineers who bring fresh ideas from all areas, including information retrieval, distributed computing, large-scale system design, networking and data storage, security, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, UI design and mobile; the list goes on and is growing every day. As a software engineer, you will work on a specific project critical to Google’s needs with opportunities to switch teams and projects as you and our fast-paced business grow and evolve. We need our engineers to be versatile, display leadership qualities and be enthusiastic to take on new problems across the full-stack as we continue to push technology forward.

The YouTube Shopping Viewer team is at the forefront of a systemic shift in how viewers interact with content. Our mission is to fundamentally change video commerce by building a seamless shopping experience directly into the platform. We are partnering with some of the world's largest retailers and store builders to natively integrate products into videos. When viewers engage with these products, creators earn commission, allowing them to generate business from their content with minimal effort while helping their audience discover and decide what to buy.
This is an opportunity to shape a senior team from the ground up, with a focus on applied machine learning and recommendations systems.

At YouTube, we believe that everyone deserves to have a voice, and that the world is a better place when we listen, share, and build community through our stories. We work together to give everyone the power to share their story, explore what they love, and connect with one another in the process. Working at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and boundless creativity, we move at the speed of culture with a shared goal to show people the world. We explore new ideas, solve real problems, and have fun — and we do it all together.

Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

US: $207000 - $301000 (USD) + 20% bonus target + bonus + equity + benefits

Learn more about benefits at Google.

Responsibilities

• Guide the development of personalized recommendations that shape the YouTube Shopping experience for millions of users.
• Serve as a technical leader, responsible for defining the team's charter, identifying new product opportunities, and executing projects that bridge gaps in the recommendations ecosystem.
• Drive viewer growth by designing and implementing machine learning (ML) technologies and algorithms to enhance Shopping recommendation quality across YouTube surfaces, including Home, Watch Next, and Shorts.
• Drive cross-team and cross-functional collaborations, working with the product manager for YouTube Shopping recommendations and cross-functional partners to build a team for billions of users.
• Gain experience across the recommendation system stack, working with and developing technologies such as model architecture and large language models (LLMs).

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
  
• 8 years of experience in software development.
  
• 5 years of experience testing, and launching software products, and 3 years of experience with software design and architecture.
• 5 years of experience building and deploying recommendation systems models in production, and building architecture in modeling domains.
• 5 years of experience with machine learning (ML) design and infrastructure (e.g., model deployment, model evaluation, data processing, debugging, fine tuning).
• Experience with C++ or Python.

Preferred qualifications:

• Master’s degree or PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
  
• 3 years of experience in a technical leadership role leading project teams and setting technical direction.
  
• Experience designing, building, and operating large-scale interactive systems (e.g., search, ads, or recommender platforms).
• Experience using ML frameworks such as TensorFlow or Jax.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts to audiences and driving collaboration.