The Walt Disney Company · 1 month ago
Lead Machine Learning Engineer, Ad Platforms
Santa Monica, CA, USA
Full-time
Hybrid
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$180K/yr - $241K/yr
7+ years expThe Walt Disney Company is a global leader in entertainment and technology, seeking a Lead Machine Learning Engineer for its Ad Platforms team. The role involves driving innovation in AI and machine learning to enhance advertising capabilities, mentoring junior engineers, and developing scalable ML systems.
Amusement Park and ArcadeAnimationConsumer GoodsDigital MediaE-CommerceMedia and EntertainmentMulti-level MarketingPerforming ArtsResorts
Responsibilities
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
Qualification
Required
Minimum 7 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
Bachelor's (MS or PhD preferred) in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field
Preferred
Experience in digital video advertising or digital marketing domain
Experience with forecasting models
Benefits
A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package
The full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits
Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company started as a cartoon studio and evolves into sports coverage and television shows.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
The Walt Disney Company has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (83)
2024 (63)
2023 (96)
2022 (130)
2021 (30)
2020 (40)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$11BKey Investors
Citibank
2020-04-13Post Ipo Debt· $5B
2020-03-20Post Ipo Debt· $6B
1978-01-06IPO
Leadership Team
Robert Iger
CEO
Christine M. McCarthy
Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Recent News
2026-01-08
2026-01-07
Company data provided by crunchbase