Pay
In line with similar jobs
$184K–$263K against $166K–$240K, the middle half of what similar US postings state.
From 1,319 postings in the last year. Stated ranges, not salaries paid.
Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Personalization
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- Pay
USD 184,049–262,928/yearAnnual period assumed. Plus equity — pay source
We offer you the flexibility to work where you work best! There will be some in person meetings, but still allows for flexibility to work from home. The United States base range for this position is 184,049–262,928 USD, plus equity. The benefits available for this position include health insurance, six-month paid parental leave, 401(k) retirement plan, monthly meal allowance, 23 paid days off, paid flexible holidays, and paid sick leave. These ranges may be modified in the future. Spotify is an equal opportunity employer. You are welcome at Spotify for who you are, no matter where you come from, what you look like, or what’s playing in your headphones. Our platform is for everyone, and so is our workplace. The more voices we have represented and amplified in our business, the more we will all thrive, contribute, and be forward-thinking! So bring us your personal experience, your perspectives, and your background. It’s in our differences that we will find the power to keep revolutionizing the way the world listens.
Read the full posting- Work setting
- Not stated
- Employment
Permanent — employment source
Employment type Permanent
Employment type in the employer’s posting: Permanent
From the employer’s posting
What you’ll work on
Full postingBuild and improve ML models for more relevant, personalized Search
Develop and optimize ranking and backend retrieval systems
Explore emerging AI and agentic approaches for conversational Search
Take ML solutions from early experimentation through production
Use experiments and data analysis to validate hypotheses and improve models
From the employer’s posting
Build and improve machine learning models that make Spotify Search more relevant, personalized, and engaging for listeners.
Develop and optimize ranking and backend retrieval systems that help listeners discover music, videos, audiobooks, and other content.
Explore emerging AI and agentic approaches to create more intuitive and conversational Search experiences.
Design, implement, and evaluate machine learning solutions, taking ideas from early experimentation through production.
Use experimentation, data analysis, and performance metrics to understand model behavior, validate hypotheses, and improve the listener experience.
What you’ll bring
All qualificationsCore experience
- You have experience building, deploying, and improving machine learning systems in production environments.
- You are proficient in Python and comfortable working with modern machine learning frameworks and data processing tools.
- You have experience and a desire to lean into backend engineering at Spotify scale.
- You have experience working with large-scale datasets and understand the challenges of building reliable, scalable machine learning systems.
Qualification wording
You have experience building, deploying, and improving machine learning systems in production environments.
You are proficient in Python and comfortable working with modern machine learning frameworks and data processing tools.
You have experience and a desire to lean into backend engineering at Spotify scale.
You have experience working with large-scale datasets and understand the challenges of building reliable, scalable machine learning systems.
Posting record
Report an error- Status in our records
- Availability unconfirmed
- First seen by us
- Oct 15, 202622 days ago
- Recorded sightings
- 36
- Last seen by us
- Nov 6, 2026
These dates show when we found the posting. Check the employer’s website to confirm it is still accepting applications.
How this job compares
Spotify is hiring
15 open jobs
Open jobs by the week we first saw them, last 12 weeks.
- ML Engineer hiring is picking up
- Takes jobs down at a usual pace
See how this role fits your experience
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- Python
Where the posting names them
- You have a strong understanding of machine learning approaches for information retrieval, search ranking, recommendation systems, or personalization. - You are proficient in Python and comfortable working with modern machine learning frameworks and data processing tools. - You have experience and a desire to lean into backend engineering at Spotify scale.
Your next step
Check the employer’s posting for the current role and application details.
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Demand for ML Engineer roles
New ML Engineer postings at the employers we follow are up 12% over the last 5 weeks compared with the 5 before.
Each bar is one week of new postings. The darkest bars are the last 5 weeks.
Counted from the hiring pages we’ve followed for at least five weeks, so employers we add don’t look like growth. Updated weekly.
About the role
We file this job under ML Engineer, by the work the posting describes.
ML engineers put machine learning models into products. They write the code that trains, ships, serves and monitors models so a recommendation or prediction works for real users.
Postings ask for strong Python and software engineering, a framework such as PyTorch, cloud services, and more and more often experience with large language models.
A data scientist often works out which model to build; an ML engineer makes it run reliably in production.
US government figures for computer and information research scientists
- Median yearly pay, May 2025
- $140,300
- Expected change, 2025 to 2035
- 21.8% more jobsagainst 3.5% for all jobs
The government has no code for ML engineers, so these figures are for the closest group, computer and information research scientists.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025) and Employment Projections (2025 to 2035). Occupation code 15-1221.
Job description
The Personalization team makes deciding what to play next easier and more enjoyable for every listener. From Blend to Discover Weekly, we’re behind some of Spotify’s most-loved features. We built them by understanding the world of music and podcasts better than anyone else. Join us and you’ll keep millions of users listening by making great recommendations to each and every one of them.
Growlithe is a fast-moving squad within Spotify's Conversation Product Area, focused on bringing emerging Search and agentic experiences to life. We explore, define, build, validate, and optimize new ideas to help listeners discover the content they love. Our work spans personalized Search, music video discovery and ranking, audiobook Search expansion, and the foundations of more social Search experiences.
We're looking for a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to help shape the next generation of Search at Spotify. You'll work at the intersection of machine learning, personalization, and product development, turning complex challenges into intuitive discovery experiences for millions of listeners.
What You'll Do
- Build and improve machine learning models that make Spotify Search more relevant, personalized, and engaging for listeners.
- Develop and optimize ranking and backend retrieval systems that help listeners discover music, videos, audiobooks, and other content.
- Explore emerging AI and agentic approaches to create more intuitive and conversational Search experiences.
- Design, implement, and evaluate machine learning solutions, taking ideas from early experimentation through production.
- Partner with engineers, product managers, designers, and researchers to identify opportunities and deliver meaningful improvements to Search.
- Use experimentation, data analysis, and performance metrics to understand model behavior, validate hypotheses, and improve the listener experience.
- Contribute to scalable machine learning infrastructure and engineering practices that support reliable, high-quality Search experiences.
- Share knowledge, challenge assumptions constructively, and help shape the technical direction of machine learning within the squad.
Who You Are
- You have experience building, deploying, and improving machine learning systems in production environments.
- You have a strong understanding of machine learning approaches for information retrieval, search ranking, recommendation systems, or personalization.
- You are proficient in Python and comfortable working with modern machine learning frameworks and data processing tools.
- You have experience and a desire to lean into backend engineering at Spotify scale.
- You understand how to design and evaluate experiments, interpret model performance, and translate technical findings into product improvements.
- You have experience working with large-scale datasets and understand the challenges of building reliable, scalable machine learning systems.
- You are curious about emerging AI technologies, including large language models and agentic systems, and interested in their potential to improve discovery experiences.
- You enjoy working across disciplines, communicating technical ideas clearly, and learning from different perspectives.
- You are comfortable navigating ambiguity, taking ownership of complex challenges, and balancing experimentation with practical delivery.
Where You'll Be
- This role is based in Eastern Standard Time
- We offer you the flexibility to work where you work best! There will be some in person meetings, but still allows for flexibility to work from home.
The United States base range for this position is 184,049–262,928 USD, plus equity. The benefits available for this position include health insurance, six-month paid parental leave, 401(k) retirement plan, monthly meal allowance, 23 paid days off, paid flexible holidays, and paid sick leave. These ranges may be modified in the future.
Spotify is an equal opportunity employer. You are welcome at Spotify for who you are, no matter where you come from, what you look like, or what’s playing in your headphones. Our platform is for everyone, and so is our workplace. The more voices we have represented and amplified in our business, the more we will all thrive, contribute, and be forward-thinking! So bring us your personal experience, your perspectives, and your background. It’s in our differences that we will find the power to keep revolutionizing the way the world listens.
At Spotify, we are passionate about inclusivity and making sure our entire recruitment process is accessible to everyone. We have ways to request reasonable accommodations during the interview process and help assist in what you need. If you need accommodations at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know - we’re here to support you in any way we can.
Employment type
Permanent
Source details
Source notes
Source excerptsSelected passages from the saved posting. Check the full description for conditions and exceptions.
- Pay
We offer you the flexibility to work where you work best! There will be some in person meetings, but still allows for flexibility to work from home. The United States base range for this position is 184,049–262,928 USD, plus equity. The benefits available for this position include health insurance, six-month paid parental leave, 401(k) retirement plan, monthly meal allowance, 23 paid days off, paid flexible holidays, and paid sick leave. These ranges may be modified in the future. Spotify is an equal opportunity employer. You are welcome at Spotify for who you are, no matter where you come from, what you look like, or what’s playing in your headphones. Our platform is for everyone, and so is our workplace. The more voices we have represented and amplified in our business, the more we will all thrive, contribute, and be forward-thinking! So bring us your personal experience, your perspectives, and your background. It’s in our differences that we will find the power to keep revolutionizing the way the world listens.
- Location & working pattern
New York, NY
Working pattern and location restrictions need checking in the full posting.
- Work authorization
No clear work-authorization passage found. Eligibility is unconfirmed.