Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Ads Research

Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology On any given day at Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology, weu2019re reimagining ways to create magical viewing experiences for the worldu2019s most beloved stories while also transforming Disneyu2019s media business for the future. Whether thatu2019s evolving our streaming and digital products in new and immersive ways, powering worldwide advertising and distribution to maximize flexibility and efficiency, or delivering Disneyu2019s unmatched entertainment and sports content, every day is a moment to make a difference to partners and to hundreds of millions of people around the world. _A few reasons why we think youu2019d love working for Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology_ + Building the future of Disneyu2019s media business: DE&E Technologists are designing and building the infrastructure that will power Disneyu2019s media, advertising, and distribution businesses for years to come. + Reach & Scale: The products and platforms this group builds and operates delight millions of consumers every minute of every day u2013 from Disney+ and Hulu, to ABC News and Entertainment, to ESPN and ESPN+, and much more. + Innovation: We develop and execute groundbreaking products and techniques that shape industry norms and enhance how audiences experience sports, entertainment & news. Ad Platforms organization within Disney Entertainment and ESPN Technology is fully responsible for building, enhancing and maintaining the high-performance, distributed, microservice-based Advertising Platform across all of Disney online properties, including Hulu and ESPN+. We build and maintain proprietary technology, ranging from ad serving and ad delivery, campaign management, reporting as well as all the integrations internal and external that come with evolving and maintaining a best-in-class video advertising business. Our mission is to advance AI and machine learning capabilities across Ad Platform by delivering scalable, high impact AI/ML and data science solutions that enhance Ad decisioning, forecasting, experimentation and Ad experience. We are seeking a Lead Machine Learning Engineer to join this innovative team. This role offers a unique leadership opportunity for an experienced ML engineer who thrives at the intersection of technical excellence, strategic impact, and cross-functional collaboration. WHAT YOUu2019LL DO + Drive innovation and apply state of the art AI and machine learning across advertising domains, including inventory forecasting, ad experience, ad pacing, pricing, targeting, and efficient ad delivery. + Invent and iterate on novel solutions to complex advertising challenges with rapid prototyping and deployment cycles. + Design, build, and scale robust ML systems that power core ad platform capabilities + Champion engineering excellence through best practices in code quality, system design, and operational reliability. + Mentor and support junior engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and technical growth. WHAT TO BRING + Bachelor's in computer science or equivalent experience + Minimum 5 years of hands-on experience developing and deploying large-scale machine learning systems. + Strong knowledge of AI/ML technologies, mathematics and statistics. + Excellent communication, collaboration skills, and a strong teamwork ethic with both technical and non-technical audiences + Strong foundations in algorithms, data structures, and numerical optimization with experience in programming languages such as Python (primary), Java and SQL + Familiarity with tools and frameworks such as TensorFlow, Pytorch, Hugging libraries etc + Proven proficiency in deep learning methodologies, including recurrent and sequence-based models. + Hands-on experience with transformer architectures (e.g., BERT, GPT, ViT) for natural language and vision tasks. + Strong understanding of multimodal embedding techniques for integrating text, image, audio, and structured data. + Experience with LLM models such as GPT models, Claude, Gemini, Llama, etc. + Strong grasp of LLM evaluation methodologies, experience with RAG architectures. + A proven track record of thriving in a fast-paced, data-driven, and collaborative work environment is required. NICE-TO-HAVES + Experience in digital video advertising or digital marketing domain. + Experience with forecasting models + MS or PhD(preferred) in computer science or equivalent experience. Location : Seattle / Santa Monica #DISNEYTECH The hiring range for this position in Los Angeles, CA area is $141,900 to $190,300 per year and in Seattle, WA is $148,700 - $199,400 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidateu2019s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered. Job ID: 10140854 Location: Seattle,Washington Job Posting Company: Disney Entertainment and ESPN Product & TechnologyThe Walt Disney Company and its Affiliated Companies are Equal Employment Opportunity employers and welcome all job seekers including individuals with disabilities and veterans with disabilities. If you have a disability and believe you need a reasonable accommodation in order to search for a job opening or apply for a position, email with your request. This email address is not for general employment inquiries or correspondence. We will only respond to those requests that are related to the accessibility of the online application system due to a disability.

Created: 2026-01-26