Shutterfly
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Principal AI Engineer
role at
Shutterfly
At Shutterfly, we make life’s experiences unforgettable. We believe there is extraordinary power in the self-expression. That’s why our family of brands helps customers create products and capture moments that reflect who they uniquely are.
We are seeking a
Principal AI Engineer
with deep expertise in computer vision and machine learning to lead the development of our next‑generation AI‑driven photo evaluation and personalized recommendation platform. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in building AI systems that analyze visual media, extract rich metadata, and leverage user behavior data to deliver hyper‑personalized product recommendations.
Key Responsibilities Computer Vision & Image Intelligence
Expertise in CNN‑based models (MobileNetV3, VGG, Inception) and transformer‑based vision models (e.g., ViT, CLIP, BLIP, DINOv2) for analysis, scoring, similarity vector analysis, and tagging photos with metadata such as facial expression, context category, aesthetic appeal, facial recognition, and object/scene detection.
Develop scalable pipelines for processing large volumes of image data and generating structured, query‑able metadata.
Integrate image intelligence with downstream applications such as search, ranking, and personalization.
Behavioral AI & Recommendation Systems
Build and deploy transformer‑based ML models that analyze historical user behavior and purchasing patterns to generate personalized product recommendations.
Correlate behavior data with metadata from image scoring models to curate visual content for individual users.
Lead experimentation frameworks (e.g., A/B testing) to optimize recommendation relevance and conversion.
Leadership & Architecture
Define architectural direction for AI components and ensure their integration with core systems.
Provide hands‑on technical leadership, mentorship, and code contributions across teams.
Drive strategic decisions regarding data acquisition, model training, deployment, and monitoring.
Required Qualifications
10+ years of software engineering experience with at least 5+ years in AI/ML‑focused roles.
Deep knowledge of computer vision techniques including CNNs, vision transformers, facial recognition, object detection, image classification, and image embedding.
Strong experience with recommendation systems, collaborative filtering, deep learning for personalization, and transformer‑based models for recommendation engines.
Proficiency in Python and relevant ML libraries (PyTorch, TensorFlow, OpenCV).
Experience deploying ML models at scale using Docker, AWS, GCP, or similar.
Proven ability to lead cross‑functional technical initiatives from ideation to delivery.
Strong grasp of ML lifecycle best practices (data management, model evaluation, explainability, observability).
MS in Computer Science or related field.
Supporting a diverse and inclusive workforce is important to Shutterfly not only because it directly reflects our value of Embracing our Differences, but also because it’s the right thing to do for our business and for our people. We welcome all applicants and evaluate them based on their qualifications, without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality, sex, or other characteristic covered by law. Learn more about our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on our Career Site.
This position will accept applications on an ongoing basis until filled.
Compensation California: $156,000‑$221,000 Connecticut and New York: $156,000‑$202,250 Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and Washington: $156,000‑$187,250 Nevada: $146,750‑$202,250 Maryland and New Jersey: $168,500‑$202,250 Hawaii: $146,750‑$176,000
This position may be eligible for a bonus incentive, health benefits, a 401(k) program, and other employee perks. More details about our company benefits can be found at https://shutterflyinc.com/benefits/.
This opportunity can be remote, but candidates must reside in a state in which Shutterfly is registered to do business. This includes all US states except District of Columbia, North Dakota, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wyoming.
Seniority level
Mid‑Senior level
Employment type
Full‑time
Job function
Engineering and Information Technology
Photography
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Principal AI Engineer
role at
Shutterfly
At Shutterfly, we make life’s experiences unforgettable. We believe there is extraordinary power in the self-expression. That’s why our family of brands helps customers create products and capture moments that reflect who they uniquely are.
We are seeking a
Principal AI Engineer
with deep expertise in computer vision and machine learning to lead the development of our next‑generation AI‑driven photo evaluation and personalized recommendation platform. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in building AI systems that analyze visual media, extract rich metadata, and leverage user behavior data to deliver hyper‑personalized product recommendations.
Key Responsibilities Computer Vision & Image Intelligence
Expertise in CNN‑based models (MobileNetV3, VGG, Inception) and transformer‑based vision models (e.g., ViT, CLIP, BLIP, DINOv2) for analysis, scoring, similarity vector analysis, and tagging photos with metadata such as facial expression, context category, aesthetic appeal, facial recognition, and object/scene detection.
Develop scalable pipelines for processing large volumes of image data and generating structured, query‑able metadata.
Integrate image intelligence with downstream applications such as search, ranking, and personalization.
Behavioral AI & Recommendation Systems
Build and deploy transformer‑based ML models that analyze historical user behavior and purchasing patterns to generate personalized product recommendations.
Correlate behavior data with metadata from image scoring models to curate visual content for individual users.
Lead experimentation frameworks (e.g., A/B testing) to optimize recommendation relevance and conversion.
Leadership & Architecture
Define architectural direction for AI components and ensure their integration with core systems.
Provide hands‑on technical leadership, mentorship, and code contributions across teams.
Drive strategic decisions regarding data acquisition, model training, deployment, and monitoring.
Required Qualifications
10+ years of software engineering experience with at least 5+ years in AI/ML‑focused roles.
Deep knowledge of computer vision techniques including CNNs, vision transformers, facial recognition, object detection, image classification, and image embedding.
Strong experience with recommendation systems, collaborative filtering, deep learning for personalization, and transformer‑based models for recommendation engines.
Proficiency in Python and relevant ML libraries (PyTorch, TensorFlow, OpenCV).
Experience deploying ML models at scale using Docker, AWS, GCP, or similar.
Proven ability to lead cross‑functional technical initiatives from ideation to delivery.
Strong grasp of ML lifecycle best practices (data management, model evaluation, explainability, observability).
MS in Computer Science or related field.
Supporting a diverse and inclusive workforce is important to Shutterfly not only because it directly reflects our value of Embracing our Differences, but also because it’s the right thing to do for our business and for our people. We welcome all applicants and evaluate them based on their qualifications, without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality, sex, or other characteristic covered by law. Learn more about our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on our Career Site.
This position will accept applications on an ongoing basis until filled.
Compensation California: $156,000‑$221,000 Connecticut and New York: $156,000‑$202,250 Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and Washington: $156,000‑$187,250 Nevada: $146,750‑$202,250 Maryland and New Jersey: $168,500‑$202,250 Hawaii: $146,750‑$176,000
This position may be eligible for a bonus incentive, health benefits, a 401(k) program, and other employee perks. More details about our company benefits can be found at https://shutterflyinc.com/benefits/.
This opportunity can be remote, but candidates must reside in a state in which Shutterfly is registered to do business. This includes all US states except District of Columbia, North Dakota, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wyoming.
Seniority level
Mid‑Senior level
Employment type
Full‑time
Job function
Engineering and Information Technology
Photography
#J-18808-Ljbffr