Machine Learning Engineer

Overview

We are seeking a Machine Learning Engineer II to help design, build, and optimize high-impact ML systems that serve millions of users in near real time. You will work on projects that span from improving our core ML platform to integrating models directly into the product experience.

About The Company

At Scribd (pronounced scribbed), our mission is to spark human curiosity. Join our team as we create a world of stories and knowledge, democratize the exchange of ideas and information, and empower collective expertise through our three products: Everand, Scribd, and Slideshare.

We support a culture where our employees can be real and be bold; where we debate and commit as we embrace plot twists; and where every employee is empowered to take action as we prioritize the customer.

When it comes to workplace structure, we believe in balancing individual flexibility and community connections. It’s through our flexible work benefit, Scribd Flex, that employees – in partnership with their manager – can choose the daily work-style that best suits their individual needs. A key tenet of Scribd Flex is our prioritization of intentional in-person moments to build collaboration, culture, and connection. For this reason, occasional in-person attendance is required for all Scribd employees, regardless of their location.

So what are we looking for in new team members? Well, we hire for “GRIT”. The textbook definition of GRIT is demonstrating the intersection of passion and perseverance towards long term goals. At Scribd, we are inspired by the potential that this can unlock, and ask each of our employees to pursue a GRIT-ty approach to their work. In a tactical sense, GRIT is also a handy acronym that outlines the standards we hold ourselves and each other to. Here’s what that means for you: we’re looking for someone who showcases the ability to set and achieve Goals, achieve Results within their job responsibilities, contribute Innovative ideas and solutions, and positively influence the broader Team through collaboration and attitude.

About The Team

Our Machine Learning team builds both the platform and product applications that power personalized discovery, recommendations, and generative AI features across Scribd, Slideshare, and Everand. ML teams work on the Orion ML Platform – providing core ML infrastructure, including a feature store, model registry, model inference systems, and embedding-based retrieval (EBR). MLE team also works closely with Product team – delivering zero-to-one integrations of ML into user-facing features like recommendations, near real-time personalization, and AskAI LLM-powered experiences.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Machine Learning Engineer II to help design, build, and optimize high-impact ML systems that serve millions of users in near real time. You will work on projects that span from improving our core ML platform to integrating models directly into the product experience.

Tech Stack

• Languages: Python, Golang, Scala, Ruby on Rails


• Orchestration & Pipelines: Airflow, Databricks, Spark


• ML & AI: AWS Sagemaker, embedding-based retrieval (Weaviate), feature store, model registry, model serving platforms, LLM providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, etc.


• APIs & Integration: HTTP APIs, gRPC


• Infrastructure & Cloud: AWS (Lambda, ECS, EKS, SQS, ElastiCache, CloudWatch), Datadog, Terraform

Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, and optimize ML pipelines, including data ingestion, feature engineering, training, and deployment for large-scale, real-time systems.


• Improve and extend core ML Platform capabilities such as the feature store, model registry, and embedding-based retrieval services.


• Collaborate with product software engineers to integrate ML models into user-facing features like recommendations, personalization, and AskAI.


• Conduct model experimentation, A/B testing, and performance analysis to guide production deployment.


• Optimize and refactor existing systems for performance, scalability, and reliability.


• Ensure data accuracy, integrity, and quality through automated validation and monitoring.


• Participate in code reviews and uphold engineering best practices.


• Manage and maintain ML infrastructure in cloud environments, including deployment pipelines, security, and monitoring.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience as a professional software or machine learning engineer.


• Proficiency in at least one key programming language (preferably Python or Golang; Scala or Ruby also considered).


• Hands-on experience building ML pipelines and working with distributed data processing frameworks like Apache Spark, Databricks, or similar.


• Experience working with systems at scale and deploying to production environments.


• Cloud experience (AWS, Azure, or GCP), including building, deploying, and optimizing solutions with ECS, EKS, or AWS Lambda.


• Strong understanding of ML model trade-offs, scaling considerations, and performance optimization.


• Bachelor’s in Computer Science or equivalent professional experience.

Nice to Have

• Experience with embedding-based retrieval, recommendation systems, ranking models, or large language model integration.


• Experience with feature stores, model serving & monitoring platforms, and experimentation systems.


• Familiarity with large-scale system design for ML.

Salary and Benefits

At Scribd, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package and is determined within a range. Our pay ranges are based on the local cost of labor benchmarks for each specific role, level, and geographic location. San Francisco is our highest geographic market in the United States. In the state of California, the reasonably expected salary range is between 126,000 to 196,000.

In the United States, outside of California, the reasonably expected salary range is between 103,500 to 186,500. In Canada, the reasonably expected salary range is between 131,500 CAD to 174,500 CAD. We carefully consider a wide range of factors when determining compensation, including but not limited to experience; job-related skill sets; relevant education or training; and other business and organizational needs. The salary range listed is for the level at which this job has been scoped. In the event that you are considered for a different level, a higher or lower pay range would apply. This position is also eligible for a competitive equity ownership, and a comprehensive and generous benefits package.

Working at Scribd

Are you currently based in a location where Scribd is able to employ you? Employees must have their primary residence in or near one of the following cities. This includes surrounding metro areas or locations within a typical commuting distance:

• United States: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Chicago, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington D.C.


• Canada: Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver


• Mexico: Mexico City

Benefits, Perks, And Wellbeing At Scribd

• Benefits/perks listed may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Scribd and the geographical location where you work.


• Healthcare Insurance Coverage (Medical/Dental/Vision): 100% paid for employees


• 12 weeks paid parental leave


• Short-term/long-term disability plans


• 401k/RSP matching


• Onboarding stipend for home office peripherals + accessories


• Learning & Development allowance


• Learning & Development programs


• Quarterly stipend for Wellness, WiFi, etc.


• Mental Health support & resources


• Free subscription to the Scribd Inc. suite of products


• Referral Bonuses


• Book Benefit


• Sabbaticals


• Company-wide events


• Team engagement budgets


• Vacation & Personal Days


• Paid Holidays (+ winter break)


• Flexible Sick Time


• Volunteer Day


• Company-wide Employee Resource Groups and programs that foster an inclusive and diverse workplace.


• Access to AI Tools: We provide free access to best-in-class AI tools, empowering you to boost productivity, streamline workflows, and accelerate bold innovation.

Accommodations

We want our interview process to be accessible to everyone. You can inform us of any reasonable adjustments we can make to better accommodate your needs by emailing accommodations@scribd.com about the need for adjustments at any point in the interview process.

Scribd is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply, and believe that a diversity of perspectives and experiences create a foundation for the best ideas. Come join us in building something meaningful.

Job Details

• Seniority level: Mid-Senior level


• Employment type: Full-time


• Job function: Engineering and Information Technology


• Industries: Software Development

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