Principal Software Engineer, ML & Media Infra

The role

This person will set technical direction for model training and serving, focusing on GPU efficiency and large-scale ranking systems. They will lead architectures for distributed training, media ingestion, and signal processing to enable AI/ML solutions across Ads and Core products.

What you will do

• Set the technical vision and roadmap for model training and serving
• Lead architectures for distributed training, fine-tuning, distillation, evaluation, and high-scale CPU/GPU inference
• Lead architectures for content acquisition, media ingestion and signal processing
• Improve efficiency across data loading, distributed execution, GPU kernels and memory, compilation, quantization, scheduling, and capacity
• Build reliable, observable platforms with strong quality guarantees and training/serving consistency
• Partner with Ads and Core AI/ML teams to productionize features and models
• Drive cross-organizational architecture decisions, migrations, and operational standards
• Mentor senior engineers and raise the engineering bar
• Partner with Content, Shopping catalog and GenAI teams to improve Pinterest content ecosystem
• Use AI-assisted development and analysis to accelerate prototyping, performance diagnosis, and validation

Required qualifications

• Track record of setting technical strategy and delivering company-wide infrastructure initiatives in ambiguous environments
• Deep expertise in distributed ML systems, including production experience with both large-scale training and online inference
• Strong GPU performance knowledge, such as profiling, distributed execution, kernel and memory optimization, compilation, or quantization
• Experience with AI/ML modeling, recommender systems, Ads ranking, retrieval, feature platforms, or similarly demanding ML workloads
• Experience with content acquisition e.g. crawler, content understanding, NRT data processing
• Experience with search and recommendation system, ads serving system
• Strong systems programming and design skills in C++, Java, or Python
• High ownership and sound judgment in reliability, security, cost, and operational excellence
• Demonstrated ability to use AI to improve speed and critically evaluate AI-assisted work
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, a related field, or equivalent experience

Benefits

• Equity

Before you apply

• US based applicants only
• This position is not eligible for relocation assistance
• Must be within a commutable distance of our Palo Alto, CA or San Francisco, CA office

About the company

Pinterest is a platform where millions of people come to find creative ideas, dream about new possibilities and plan for memories. The company is on a mission to bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love.