Sr. Machine Learning Engineer, Short-form

Paramount•New York, NY

About The Position

Paramount is seeking a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to join the Shortform pod, focusing on the personalization of short-form experiences. This role is crucial for optimizing "in-view" and "in-carousel" experiences by designing models that effectively convert casual browsers into committed viewers as the "Gist" and clip ecosystem expands. As a Senior role, the engineer will be responsible for defining the technical approach for complex ranking and selection features within a GCP-based environment, utilizing TensorFlow and PyTorch. A heavy emphasis will be placed on Post-training Reinforcement Learning (RL) to optimize for long-term user satisfaction and session-level rewards. This position directly impacts Click-Through Rate (CTR) and discovery velocity by owning algorithms that select engaging 30-second "hooks." By applying Post-training RL, the role ensures short-form content drives meaningful long-term retention, not just short-term engagement, and raises the bar for the Shortform pod by anticipating data risks and building highly reliable, multi-stage ranking pipelines.

Requirements

5–8+ years of experience in MLE
Proficient background in Reinforcement Learning
Proficiency in GCP, TensorFlow, and PyTorch

Nice To Haves

Experience in video-first social or streaming apps
Background in multi-modal signal processing

Responsibilities

Lead Feature Design: Own the end-to-end design of ranking models for in-view short-form content.
Apply RL in Production: Implement Post-training RL techniques to align model outputs with complex user satisfaction metrics.
Optimize for Scale: Build and maintain high-throughput pipelines in GCP using TensorFlow/PyTorch.
Mentorship: Provide technical guidance to IC1-IC2 engineers on the pod, ensuring high standards for code and experimentation.
Mitigate Risk: Identify and tackle systemic biases in how short-form content is surfaced to avoid "filter bubbles."

Benefits

Attractive compensation and comprehensive benefits packages
Generous paid time off
An exciting and fulfilling opportunity to be part of one of Paramount’s most dynamic teams
Opportunities for both on-site and virtual engagement events
Unique opportunities to make meaningful connections and build a vibrant community, both inside and outside the workplace
Medical
Dental
Vision
401(k) plan
Life insurance coverage
Disability benefits
Tuition assistance program
PTO
Bonus eligible