Scribd, Inc.
Senior Machine Learning Engineer - Discovery (ML + Backend Engineering)
Scribd, Inc., Washington, District of Columbia, us, 20022
4 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants
About Scribd
At Scribd (pronounced “scribbed”), our mission is to spark human curiosity. Join our team as we create a world of stories and knowledge, democratize the exchange of ideas and information, and empower collective expertise through our three products: Everand, Scribd, and Slideshare. We support a culture where our employees can be real and be bold; where we debate and commit as we embrace plot twists; and where every employee is empowered to take action as we prioritize the customer. When it comes to workplace structure, we believe in balancing individual flexibility and community connections. It’s through our flexible work benefit, Scribd Flex, that employees – in partnership with their manager – can choose the daily work-style that best suits their individual needs. A key tenet of Scribd Flex is our prioritization of intentional in-person moments to build collaboration, culture, and connection. For this reason, occasional in-person attendance is required for all Scribd employees, regardless of their location. So what are we looking for in new team members? We hire for “GRIT”. The textbook definition of GRIT is demonstrating the intersection of passion and perseverance towards long term goals. At Scribd, we are inspired by the potential that this can unlock, and ask each of our employees to pursue a GRIT-ty approach to their work. In a tactical sense, GRIT is also a handy acronym that outlines the standards we hold ourselves and each other to. Here’s what that means for you: we’re looking for someone who showcases the ability to set and achieve
G oals, achieve
R esults within their job responsibilities, contribute
I nnovative ideas and solutions, and positively influence the broader
T eam through collaboration and attitude. The Recommendations Team
The Recommendations team powers personalized discovery across Scribd’s products, delivering relevant and engaging suggestions to millions of users. We operate at the intersection of large-scale data, cutting-edge machine learning, and product innovation — collaborating across brands and platforms to enhance user experiences in reading, listening, and learning. Our Team Is a Blend Of Frontend, Backend, And ML Engineers Who Partner Closely With Product Managers, Data Scientists, And Analysts. We Prototype 0→1 solutions in collaboration with product and engineering teams. Build and maintain end-to-end, production-grade ML systems for recommendations, search, and generative AI features. Develop and operate services in Go, Python, and Ruby that power high-traffic recommendation and personalization pipelines. Run large-scale A/B and multivariate experiments to validate models and feature improvements. Transform Scribd’s massive, diverse dataset into actionable insights that drive measurable business impact. Explore and implement generative AI for conversational recommendations, document understanding, and advanced search capabilities. About The Role
We’re looking for a
Machine Learning Engineer
who will design, build, and optimize ML systems that scale to millions of users. You’ll work across the entire lifecycle — from data ingestion to model training, deployment, and monitoring — with a focus on creating fast, reliable, and cost-efficient pipelines. You’ll also play a key role in delivering next-generation AI features like doc-chat and ask-AI that expand how users interact with Scribd’s content. Key Responsibilities
Data Pipelines – Collaborate with engineering and analytics teams to build large-scale ingestion, transformation, and validation pipelines on Databricks. Model Development & Deployment – Train, evaluate, and deploy ML models (including generative models) to production using Scribd’s internal platform and industry-standard frameworks. Experimentation – Design and run A/B and N-way experiments to measure the impact of model and feature changes. Cross-Functional Collaboration – Partner with product managers, data scientists, and analysts to identify opportunities, define requirements, and deliver solutions that solve real user problems. Requirements
Must Have 4+ years of post qualification experience as a professional ML or software engineer, with a proven track record of delivering production ML systems at scale. Proficiency in at least one key programming language (preferably Python or Golang; Scala or Ruby also considered). Expertise in designing and architecting large-scale ML pipelines and distributed systems. Deep experience with distributed data processing frameworks (Spark, Databricks, or similar). Strong cloud expertise (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and experience with deployment platforms (ECS, EKS, Lambda). Proven ability to optimize system performance and make informed trade-offs in ML model and system design. Experience leading technical projects and mentoring engineers. Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent professional experience. Nice to Have Experience with embedding-based retrieval, large language models, advanced recommendation or ranking systems. Expertise in experimentation design, causal inference, or ML evaluation methodologies. Working at Scribd
Are you currently based in a location where Scribd is able to employ you? Employees must have their
primary residence in or near
one of the following cities. This includes surrounding metro areas or locations within a typical commuting distance: United States Atlanta | Austin | Boston | Dallas | Denver | Chicago | Houston | Jacksonville | Los Angeles | Miami | New York City | Phoenix | Portland | Sacramento | Salt Lake City | San Diego | San Francisco | Seattle | Washington D.C. Canada Ottawa | Toronto | Vancouver Mexico Mexico City Benefits, Perks, And Wellbeing At Scribd
Benefits/perks listed may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Scribd and the geographical location where you work. Healthcare Insurance Coverage (Medical/Dental/Vision): 100% paid for employees 12 weeks paid parental leave Short-term/long-term disability plans 401k/RSP matching Onboarding stipend for home office peripherals + accessories Learning & Development allowance Learning & Development programs Quarterly stipend for Wellness, WiFi, etc. Mental Health support & resources Free subscription to the Scribd Inc. suite of products Referral Bonuses Book Benefit Sabbaticals Company-wide events Team engagement budgets Vacation & Personal Days Paid Holidays (+ winter break) Flexible Sick Time Volunteer Day Company-wide Employee Resource Groups and programs that foster an inclusive and diverse workplace. Access to AI Tools: We provide free access to best-in-class AI tools, empowering you to boost productivity, streamline workflows, and accelerate bold innovation. Want to learn more about life at Scribd? www.linkedin.com/company/scribd/life We want our interview process to be accessible to everyone. You can inform us of any reasonable adjustments we can make to better accommodate your needs by emailing accommodations@scribd.com about the need for adjustments at any point in the interview process. Scribd is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply, and believe that a diversity of perspectives and experiences create a foundation for the best ideas. Come join us in building something meaningful. Seniority level: Mid-Senior level Employment type: Full-time Job function: Engineering and Information Technology; Industries: Software Development
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At Scribd (pronounced “scribbed”), our mission is to spark human curiosity. Join our team as we create a world of stories and knowledge, democratize the exchange of ideas and information, and empower collective expertise through our three products: Everand, Scribd, and Slideshare. We support a culture where our employees can be real and be bold; where we debate and commit as we embrace plot twists; and where every employee is empowered to take action as we prioritize the customer. When it comes to workplace structure, we believe in balancing individual flexibility and community connections. It’s through our flexible work benefit, Scribd Flex, that employees – in partnership with their manager – can choose the daily work-style that best suits their individual needs. A key tenet of Scribd Flex is our prioritization of intentional in-person moments to build collaboration, culture, and connection. For this reason, occasional in-person attendance is required for all Scribd employees, regardless of their location. So what are we looking for in new team members? We hire for “GRIT”. The textbook definition of GRIT is demonstrating the intersection of passion and perseverance towards long term goals. At Scribd, we are inspired by the potential that this can unlock, and ask each of our employees to pursue a GRIT-ty approach to their work. In a tactical sense, GRIT is also a handy acronym that outlines the standards we hold ourselves and each other to. Here’s what that means for you: we’re looking for someone who showcases the ability to set and achieve
G oals, achieve
R esults within their job responsibilities, contribute
I nnovative ideas and solutions, and positively influence the broader
T eam through collaboration and attitude. The Recommendations Team
The Recommendations team powers personalized discovery across Scribd’s products, delivering relevant and engaging suggestions to millions of users. We operate at the intersection of large-scale data, cutting-edge machine learning, and product innovation — collaborating across brands and platforms to enhance user experiences in reading, listening, and learning. Our Team Is a Blend Of Frontend, Backend, And ML Engineers Who Partner Closely With Product Managers, Data Scientists, And Analysts. We Prototype 0→1 solutions in collaboration with product and engineering teams. Build and maintain end-to-end, production-grade ML systems for recommendations, search, and generative AI features. Develop and operate services in Go, Python, and Ruby that power high-traffic recommendation and personalization pipelines. Run large-scale A/B and multivariate experiments to validate models and feature improvements. Transform Scribd’s massive, diverse dataset into actionable insights that drive measurable business impact. Explore and implement generative AI for conversational recommendations, document understanding, and advanced search capabilities. About The Role
We’re looking for a
Machine Learning Engineer
who will design, build, and optimize ML systems that scale to millions of users. You’ll work across the entire lifecycle — from data ingestion to model training, deployment, and monitoring — with a focus on creating fast, reliable, and cost-efficient pipelines. You’ll also play a key role in delivering next-generation AI features like doc-chat and ask-AI that expand how users interact with Scribd’s content. Key Responsibilities
Data Pipelines – Collaborate with engineering and analytics teams to build large-scale ingestion, transformation, and validation pipelines on Databricks. Model Development & Deployment – Train, evaluate, and deploy ML models (including generative models) to production using Scribd’s internal platform and industry-standard frameworks. Experimentation – Design and run A/B and N-way experiments to measure the impact of model and feature changes. Cross-Functional Collaboration – Partner with product managers, data scientists, and analysts to identify opportunities, define requirements, and deliver solutions that solve real user problems. Requirements
Must Have 4+ years of post qualification experience as a professional ML or software engineer, with a proven track record of delivering production ML systems at scale. Proficiency in at least one key programming language (preferably Python or Golang; Scala or Ruby also considered). Expertise in designing and architecting large-scale ML pipelines and distributed systems. Deep experience with distributed data processing frameworks (Spark, Databricks, or similar). Strong cloud expertise (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and experience with deployment platforms (ECS, EKS, Lambda). Proven ability to optimize system performance and make informed trade-offs in ML model and system design. Experience leading technical projects and mentoring engineers. Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent professional experience. Nice to Have Experience with embedding-based retrieval, large language models, advanced recommendation or ranking systems. Expertise in experimentation design, causal inference, or ML evaluation methodologies. Working at Scribd
Are you currently based in a location where Scribd is able to employ you? Employees must have their
primary residence in or near
one of the following cities. This includes surrounding metro areas or locations within a typical commuting distance: United States Atlanta | Austin | Boston | Dallas | Denver | Chicago | Houston | Jacksonville | Los Angeles | Miami | New York City | Phoenix | Portland | Sacramento | Salt Lake City | San Diego | San Francisco | Seattle | Washington D.C. Canada Ottawa | Toronto | Vancouver Mexico Mexico City Benefits, Perks, And Wellbeing At Scribd
Benefits/perks listed may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Scribd and the geographical location where you work. Healthcare Insurance Coverage (Medical/Dental/Vision): 100% paid for employees 12 weeks paid parental leave Short-term/long-term disability plans 401k/RSP matching Onboarding stipend for home office peripherals + accessories Learning & Development allowance Learning & Development programs Quarterly stipend for Wellness, WiFi, etc. Mental Health support & resources Free subscription to the Scribd Inc. suite of products Referral Bonuses Book Benefit Sabbaticals Company-wide events Team engagement budgets Vacation & Personal Days Paid Holidays (+ winter break) Flexible Sick Time Volunteer Day Company-wide Employee Resource Groups and programs that foster an inclusive and diverse workplace. Access to AI Tools: We provide free access to best-in-class AI tools, empowering you to boost productivity, streamline workflows, and accelerate bold innovation. Want to learn more about life at Scribd? www.linkedin.com/company/scribd/life We want our interview process to be accessible to everyone. You can inform us of any reasonable adjustments we can make to better accommodate your needs by emailing accommodations@scribd.com about the need for adjustments at any point in the interview process. Scribd is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply, and believe that a diversity of perspectives and experiences create a foundation for the best ideas. Come join us in building something meaningful. Seniority level: Mid-Senior level Employment type: Full-time Job function: Engineering and Information Technology; Industries: Software Development
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