Principal Engineer, YouTube Recommendations Infrastructure
Job Description
YouTube is seeking a visionary Principal Engineer to spearhead the development of next-generation Machine Learning (ML) Systems for content recommendations. This role sits at the intersection of cutting-edge ML technology and YouTube's mission to give everyone a voice and show them the world.
The position requires a seasoned technical leader with 15+ years of software engineering experience to drive innovation in ML systems, focusing on new paradigms, improved efficiency, and scalable solutions. You'll be responsible for building systems that power recommendations across YouTube's key features including Home, WatchNext, Shorts, and Notifications.
As a Principal Engineer, you'll collaborate with multiple stakeholders: ML engineers and Product Managers to enhance viewer experiences, Google Research teams to adapt and implement new technologies, and Infrastructure teams to develop scalable solutions. Your expertise will be crucial in providing technical leadership and feedback to uplevel ML infrastructure and recommendation models platform-wide.
The role offers an exciting opportunity to pioneer new areas at YouTube, directly impacting content recommendations and understanding for billions of users. You'll be working with state-of-the-art ML systems, handling complex technical challenges, and driving decisions that shape the future of content discovery on one of the world's largest platforms.
The position comes with competitive compensation ($294,000-$414,000 base salary) plus bonus, equity, and comprehensive benefits. You'll be joining a collaborative environment where creativity meets technical innovation, working on problems that affect how millions of people discover and engage with content daily.
This role is perfect for someone who combines deep technical expertise in ML systems with strong leadership abilities, can drive technical vision while balancing practical implementation, and is passionate about improving how people discover and experience content on YouTube.
Responsibilities For Principal Engineer, YouTube Recommendations Infrastructure
- Provide the technical vision and strategy for machine learning systems and models for recommendations
- Design and lead a multi-year technical roadmap, balancing short and long-term technology investments
- Develop a vision for recommendation technologies with engineers, researchers, and other cross-functional partners
- Drive and coordinate collaboration with Google Research/DeepMind, Quality Product, and Infrastructure teams
- Review technical design from the team and guide technical discussions
Requirements For Principal Engineer, YouTube Recommendations Infrastructure
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, similar technical field of study, or equivalent practical experience
- 15 years of software engineering experience, including technical leadership
- Engineering experience in machine learning with a focus in ML systems and recommendations, software development, and implementation
Benefits For Principal Engineer, YouTube Recommendations Infrastructure
- Bonus
- Equity
- Benefits package
