Lead Machine Learning Engineer, Ad Platforms
Company: The Walt Disney Company
Location: Santa Monica
Posted on: April 1, 2026
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Job Description:
Job Posting Title: Lead Machine Learning Engineer, Ad Platforms
Req ID: 10137358 Job Description: Technology is at the heart of
Disney’s past, present, and future. Disney Entertainment and ESPN
Product & Technology is a global organization of engineers, product
developers, designers, technologists, data scientists, and more –
all working to build and advance the technological backbone for
Disney’s media business globally. The team marries technology with
creativity to build world-class products, enhance storytelling, and
drive velocity, innovation, and scalability for our businesses. We
are Storytellers and Innovators. Creators and Builders.
Entertainers and Engineers. We work with every part of The Walt
Disney Company’s media portfolio to advance the technological
foundation and consumer media touch points serving millions of
people around the world. Here are a few reasons why we think you’d
love working here: Building the future of Disney’s media: Our
Technologists are designing and building the products and platforms
that will power our media, advertising, and distribution businesses
for years to come. Reach, Scale & Impact: More than ever, Disney’s
technology and products serve as a signature doorway for fans'
connections with the company’s brands and stories. Disney. Hulu.
ESPN. ABC. ABC News…and many more. These products and brands – and
the unmatched stories, storytellers, and events they carry – matter
to millions of people globally. Innovation: We develop and
implement groundbreaking products and techniques that shape
industry norms, and solve complex and distinctive technical
problems. Ad Platforms is responsible for Disney’s industry-leading
ad technology and products – driving advertising performance,
innovation, and value in Disney’s sports, news, and entertainment
content, across all media platforms. Our mission is to advance AI
and machine learning capabilities across Ad Platform by delivering
scalable, high impact AI/ML and data science solutions that enhance
Ad decisioning, forecasting, experimentation and Ad experience. We
are seeking a Lead Machine Learning Engineer to join this
innovative team. This role offers a unique leadership opportunity
for an experienced ML engineer who thrives at the intersection of
technical excellence, strategic impact, and cross-functional
collaboration. WHAT YOU’LL DO 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.
WHAT TO BRING 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 Databricks,
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. NICE-TO-HAVES
Experience in digital video advertising or digital marketing
domain. Experience with forecasting models. Required Education:
Bachelor's (MS or PhD preferred) in Computer Science, Software
Engineering, or a related field Location : Seattle / Santa Monica
DISNEYTECH The hiring range for this position in Santa Monica, CA
is $171,600 to $230,100 per year and in Seattle is $179,700 to
$241,000. The base pay actually offered will take into account
internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s
geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience
among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may
be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the
full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent
on the level and position offered. Job Posting Segment: Ad
Platforms Job Posting Primary Business: AP - Software Engineering
Primary Job Posting Category: Machine Learning Employment Type:
Full time Primary City, State, Region, Postal Code: Santa Monica,
CA, USA Alternate City, State, Region, Postal Code: USA - WA - 925
4th Ave Date Posted: 2026-01-21
Keywords: The Walt Disney Company, Norwalk , Lead Machine Learning Engineer, Ad Platforms, IT / Software / Systems , Santa Monica, California
