Lead Machine Learning Engineer
Not Disclosed•Full-TimeOn-site
location_on1519, Cosmic Way, Glendale, Los Angeles County, California, 91201, United States
About the Team
Technology is at the heart of Disney's past, present, and future. Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & Technology is a global organization of engineers, product developers, designers, technologists, and data scientists working to build and advance the technological backbone for Disney's media business globally. We are Storytellers and Innovators, Creators and Builders, Entertainers and Engineers.
The Ad Platform Engineering organization builds, enhances, and operates a high-performance, distributed, microservice-based digital advertising platform. This platform powers billions of real-time ad decisions daily across Disney's video-on-demand and live TV properties, including Hulu, Disney+, ESPN, and more. Within this organization, the Programmatic teams build and maintain Disney's programmatic advertising suite, comprising Disney's Real-time Ad Exchange (DRAX). DRAX is an award-winning, proprietary supply-side platform that enables programmatic deal configuration and integrates demand from multiple third-party sources into Disney's ad server in real time.
About the Role
As a Lead Machine Learning Engineer, you will serve as a hands-on technical leader responsible for delivering high-impact machine learning systems while guiding technical direction within your domain. This is a production-focused leadership role that blends deep technical execution with domain-level technical ownership and mentorship.
You will partner with product and engineering leaders to ensure machine learning solutions are reliable, performant, and aligned with business goals. Your work will directly impact the future of Disney's media, advertising, and distribution businesses. You will design, build, and operate production ML systems at scale, solving complex and distinctive technical problems that shape industry norms.
In this role, you will bring a collaborative, pragmatic, and optimistic approach to leading complex initiatives. You will translate ambiguous business problems into well-scoped technical solutions, focusing on system performance, reliability, scalability, and cost efficiency. You will mentor engineers, champion engineering excellence, and adapt to a dynamic, fast-paced environment where your contributions matter to millions of people globally.
Why Join Us
- Building the Future: You will design and build the products and platforms that power our media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come.
- Reach, Scale & Impact: Your technology will serve as a signature doorway for fans' connections with the company's brands and stories, including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN, ABC, and ABC News.
- Innovation: You will develop and implement groundbreaking products and techniques that solve complex technical problems.
Equal Opportunity
Disney is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
Work location
Work model: On-site
1519, Cosmic Way, Glendale, Los Angeles County, California, 91201, United States
Glendale, California
Key Responsibilities
- check_circleLead design and delivery of machine learning solutions for advertising use cases
- check_circleApply modern ML techniques to solve complex real-time advertising problems
- check_circleProvide technical leadership for ML system architecture and production readiness
- check_circleOversee full ML lifecycle from experimentation through production deployment
- check_circleDesign and maintain feature pipelines and feature stores for real-time and offline use
- check_circlePartner with stakeholders to translate requirements into technical plans
- check_circleInterpret experimental results to guide data-informed decision-making
- check_circleEnsure ML systems are observable, debuggable, and explainable in production
- check_circleEstablish monitoring for model performance, drift, bias, and system health
Requirements
- verifiedBachelor's in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience
- verified7+ years of software engineering experience
- verified5+ years of hands-on experience developing and deploying machine learning systems in production
- verifiedProficiency in Python, Java, and SQL
- verifiedExperience with TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Hugging Face
- verifiedExperience with deep learning methodologies, Transformer architectures, multimodal embedding techniques, large language models, or RAG architectures
- verifiedExperience building systems on cloud-native infrastructure and distributed platforms
- verifiedMS or PhD in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience
- verifiedExperience in digital video advertising or the digital marketing domain
- verified
Nice to Have
MS or PhD in Computer Science. Experience in digital video advertising or the digital marketing domain. Experience with programmatic advertising or real-time bidding platforms.
Similar Job Opportunities
Skills, education and keywords
Skills: Machine Learning, Python, Java, SQL, Tensorflow, Pytorch, Hugging Face, Deep Learning, Transformer Architectures, Bert.
Education: Bachelor's in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience; PhD in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience.
Frequently asked questions about Lead Machine Learning Engineer at The Walt Disney Company
What does a Lead Machine Learning Engineer at The Walt Disney Company do?expand_more
In this Lead Machine Learning Engineer at The Walt Disney Company role, you will lead design and delivery of machine learning solutions for advertising use cases; apply modern ml techniques to solve complex real-time advertising problems; provide technical leadership for ml system architecture and production readiness; and oversee full ml lifecycle from experimentation through production deployment.
What are the requirements for this Lead Machine Learning Engineer role?expand_more
The Walt Disney Company is looking for candidates who meet the following requirements: Bachelor's in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience; 7+ years of software engineering experience; 5+ years of hands-on experience developing and deploying machine learning systems in production; Proficiency in Python, Java, and SQL; Experience with TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Hugging Face; and Experience with deep learning methodologies, Transformer architectures, multimodal embedding techniques, large language models, or RAG architectures.
Where is the Lead Machine Learning Engineer role at The Walt Disney Company located?expand_more
Lead Machine Learning Engineer at The Walt Disney Company is based in 1519, Cosmic Way, Glendale, Los Angeles County, California, 91201, United States. This is a on-site role.
Is this Lead Machine Learning Engineer job remote, hybrid, or on-site?expand_more
The Walt Disney Company has listed this Lead Machine Learning Engineer role as on-site.
How much experience is required for this Lead Machine Learning Engineer role?expand_more
Lead Machine Learning Engineer at The Walt Disney Company typically requires 7+ years of relevant experience at the lead level.
What skills do you need for the Lead Machine Learning Engineer role at The Walt Disney Company?expand_more
Key skills for Lead Machine Learning Engineer at The Walt Disney Company include Machine Learning; Python; Java; SQL; Tensorflow; Pytorch; Hugging Face; and Deep Learning.
What education is required for Lead Machine Learning Engineer at The Walt Disney Company?expand_more
Educational requirements for this role: Bachelor's in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience; and PhD in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience.
What category does the Lead Machine Learning Engineer role belong to?expand_more
Lead Machine Learning Engineer at The Walt Disney Company is part of the it job category on Recrutus.