Machine Learning Engineer, Level 4

Location: Bellevue, India | Palo Alto, Canada | Santa Monica, United States | Seattle, India

Department: Engineering

Employment Type: Full time

About Snap Inc

Snap Inc is a technology company. We believe the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. Snap contributes to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together.

About the Role

Snap Inc is a camera company that believes the camera—and AR—hold the greatest potential to improve human communication and self-expression. We're the creators of Snapchat, where hundreds of millions of users capture and share moments daily; Lens Studio, our AR platform powering immersive experiences; and Spectacles, our AR glasses bringing digital creativity into the real world. Our Engineering teams build fun, technically sophisticated products that reach Snapchatters globally, always prioritizing privacy, speed, and innovation. Join us as a Machine Learning Engineer, Level 4, in Engineering, and help pioneer ML solutions that make AR Lenses more magical, camera features smarter, and user interactions more delightful. In this role, you'll craft state-of-the-art ML models tailored to Snap's camera-first ecosystem—think real-time image generation for Lenses, personalized content recommendations via computer vision, and ranking systems that boost advertiser success while enhancing user fun. You'll navigate tradeoffs in model efficiency for mobile deployment, conduct rigorous code reviews, and build scalable pipelines that handle massive daily scale. Collaborating with AR creators, product designers, and partners, you'll iterate rapidly without sacrificing quality, solving ambiguous challenges like optimizing generative AI for Spectacles or improving search in Snapchat's visual feeds. We're seeking self-starters with deep ML expertise who thrive in our creative, fast-moving culture. With a Bachelor's (3+ years experience), Master's (2+ years), or PhD in a technical field, plus hands-on work in ranking, recommendations, or content understanding, you'll mentor peers and drive impact. Snap's 'default together' policy means 4+ days in-office to fuel dynamic collaboration. We champion diversity, offering equal opportunity regardless of background, and provide robust benefits like equity, parental leave, and mental health support. Compensation varies by zone: Zone A (CA, WA, NYC) $173,000-$259,000; Zone B $164,000-$246,000; Zone C $147,000-$220,000, plus RSUs.

What You'll Do

• Design and develop machine learning models that enhance Snapchat's camera features, AR Lenses, and Spectacles AR experiences
• Create models for content recommendation, user engagement, and personalized AR content generation to drive value for Snapchatters, advertisers, and Snap Inc
• Evaluate technical tradeoffs in model architecture, scalability, and performance for real-time AR and camera applications
• Perform code reviews and maintain exceptional code quality across ML pipelines
• Build robust, scalable ML systems that power hundreds of millions of daily Snapchat interactions
• Iterate quickly on models while ensuring privacy, reliability, and high-quality user experiences
• Collaborate with AR engineers, product teams, and external partners to solve ambiguous problems in camera technology and visual communication
• Optimize models for edge deployment on mobile devices and AR hardware like Spectacles
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to Snap's innovative culture of fast-paced creativity
• Experiment with cutting-edge techniques in generative AI, computer vision, and multimodal ML for AR innovation

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical work experience
• 3+ years of post-Bachelor’s machine learning experience
• Or Master’s degree in a technical field + 2+ years of post-grad machine learning experience
• Or PhD in a relevant technical field
• Experience developing machine learning models for ranking, recommendations, search, content understanding, image generation, or other relevant applications
• Strong understanding of machine learning approaches and algorithms
• Experience with large-scale data processing and model deployment

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in Computer Science or related field
• Experience with machine learning frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, Caffe2, Spark ML, or scikit-learn
• Experience working with machine learning infrastructures, ranking systems, and system design
• Background in computer vision, AR, or camera-based technologies
• Prior work on real-time ML applications for mobile or consumer products

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Machine learning algorithms and deep learning expertise
• Computer vision and image processing
• TensorFlow, PyTorch, or similar ML frameworks
• Large-scale data processing with Spark or similar tools
• Model optimization for mobile and edge devices
• Python and C++ programming
• System design for scalable ML infrastructures
• Problem-solving in ambiguous, open-ended scenarios
• Collaboration and cross-functional teamwork
• Code review and best practices enforcement
• Prioritization and independent execution
• Privacy-focused engineering mindset
• Mentorship and knowledge sharing
• Real-time systems and low-latency ML
• AR/VR technologies familiarity

Our Benefits

• Paid parental leave
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Emotional and mental health support programs
• Competitive compensation packages with equity in the form of RSUs
• Flexible paid time off and wellness programs
• Professional development opportunities and learning stipends
• On-site perks including meals, fitness facilities, and creative workspaces
• 401(k) matching and financial planning resources

Compensation

$173,000-$259,000 annually

This position is eligible for equity in the form of RSUs.

"Default Together" Policy: At Snap Inc, we practice a "default together" approach and expect team members to work in an office 4+ days per week.

Snap is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.