Director, Machine Learning Engineering – Growth

Pinterest•San Francisco, CA

3h•Remote

About The Position

Millions of people around the world come to our platform to find creative ideas, dream about new possibilities and plan for memories that will last a lifetime. At Pinterest, we’re on a mission to bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love, and that starts with the people behind the product. Discover a career where you ignite innovation for millions, transform passion into growth opportunities, celebrate each other’s unique experiences and embrace the flexibility to do your best work. Creating a career you love? It’s Possible. We are looking for a Director of Machine Learning to lead the Machine Learning function for the Growth organization. This leader will define the long‑term ML vision, strategy and operating model that powers user and engagement growth across Pinterest’s surfaces and entry points. You will oversee multiple teams of machine learning engineers and managers responsible for core Growth problems such as activation, retention, notifications, SEO, paid acquisition and lifecycle personalization. You’ll combine deep technical expertise with strong people leadership and product instincts to deliver industry‑leading methodologies in recommendation, ranking, experimentation, deep learning and generative AI. As the Director, Machine Learning for Growth, you’ll own the health, performance and evolution of our ML ecosystems across Growth. You’ll ensure our technology can deliver on the business and product requirements necessary to keep Pinterest as an engaging, inspiring platform for everyone. This means: Partnering with senior Product, Data Science, and Engineering leadership to set and execute a multi‑year strategy for Pinterest’s Growth systems. Defining a unified ML architecture and roadmap for Growth that leverages shared platforms while allowing fast iteration. Building, developing and retaining a world‑class team of machine learning leaders and engineers. Acting as a visible thought partner and spokesperson for Growth ML to executives and cross‑functional stakeholders. You’ll also foster a healthy, inclusive community where ML practitioners across Growth can learn best practices, collaborate effectively and understand our technical direction.

Requirements

Deep expertise building and operating large‑scale ML systems in production, using modern frameworks (e.g., deep learning, recommendation/ranking systems, reinforcement learning, generative AI).
Demonstrated success driving Growth or adjacent problem spaces (e.g., activation funnels, notifications, lifecycle marketing, SEO, paid acquisition, or large‑scale consumer engagement).
Proven track record of leading multiple ML teams or organizations, including managing managers and setting strategy across a broad portfolio of projects.
Experience defining and executing multi‑year technical strategies and roadmaps, and delivering large, cross‑functional initiatives across multiple organizations.
Strong product sense and ability to translate ambiguous business questions into well‑structured ML problems and experiments.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to influence senior leaders and collaborate cross‑functionally.
Commitment to building responsible, user‑centric ML systems with high quality, fairness and safety standards.
Degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
12+ years of professional experience as a hands‑on engineer and technical leader, including 5+ years in people leadership roles (managing managers and senior ICs).

Responsibilities

Own the ML strategy for Growth
Define and communicate a clear multi‑year ML vision, technical strategy and investment roadmap for the Growth organization.
Identify and prioritize the most impactful Growth opportunities where ML can transform user acquisition, activation, engagement depth and retention.
Establish success metrics and frameworks for measuring the impact and quality of Growth ML systems.
Lead and grow high‑performing ML teams
Manage and develop managers and senior/principal ML engineers; grow and scale multiple ML teams supporting different Growth charters.
Build an inclusive, high‑accountability culture focused on impact, learning and technical excellence.
Scale your leadership through org‑wide best practices, processes, training and tools for ML development, deployment and experimentation.
Drive execution on critical Growth initiatives
Champion and lead large‑scale, cross‑functional initiatives that grow user visitation, activation and engagement depth, from ideation through execution.
Ensure solid technical plans are in place for major Growth initiatives, including architecture, data strategy, measurement and risk management.
Partner closely with Product, Engineering, Data Science, Marketing and Sales to align roadmaps and deliver cohesive, end‑to‑end Growth experiences.
Shape our ML platforms and architecture
Define a unified ML architecture for Growth, in partnership with central platform teams, that supports rapid experimentation and reliable, scalable production systems.
Guide investments in foundational capabilities (feature platforms, training/serving infrastructure, experimentation, monitoring) that unlock leverage for all Growth teams.
Ensure Growth ML systems follow best practices around reliability, performance, privacy and responsible AI.
Influence across Pinterest
Act as the primary ML point of contact for Growth with executive leadership and cross‑functional partners for a 125+ member org (and growing).
Represent Growth ML needs and priorities in company‑wide planning, resource allocation and technical forums.
Evangelize responsible and quality‑first discovery surfaces that drive user visitations while upholding Pinterest’s values.