Machine Learning Scientist (L5) - Ads

Netflix is one of the world's leading entertainment services, with over 300 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time. We launched a new ad-supported tier in November 2022 and are building an in-house world-class ad tech ecosystem to offer our members more choices in consuming their content. Our new tier allows us to attract new members at a lower price point while also creating a compelling path for advertisers to reach deeply engaged audiences. Our Team: The Core Ads Algorithms team is the engine behind the intelligence that powers ad personalization at Netflix. Our mission is to develop innovative, data-driven solutions that deliver highly relevant ad experiences to our members and drive impactful results for advertisers—all while maintaining the exceptional quality and personalization that define the Netflix experience. Responsibilities:

• Develop, prototype, and iterate on machine learning models and optimization algorithms to address core business challenges in advertising.
• Deploy models using production-scale data, focusing on robust offline solutions that inform real-world business decisions.
• Apply a broad range of modeling techniques (e.g., machine learning, statistics, optimization) and model assessment strategies (e.g., cross-validation, resampling, dimensionality reduction, feature selection).
• Diagnose data and model assumptions, curating and testing appropriate models for each dataset and business objective.
• Translate complex model outputs into actionable metrics and KPIs for non-technical stakeholders, ensuring clarity and business alignment.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to product managers and business stakeholders, directly influencing product direction and improving user experience.
• Effectively communicate findings and insights to both technical and non-technical audiences, driving adoption and understanding of ML-driven solutions.

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (PhD or Master’s) in Computer Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or related quantitative field.
• Proficiency in Python or Scala.
• Deep knowledge of machine learning, statistical modeling, and data analysis techniques.
• Experience with prototyping and deploying models using large-scale production data.
• Strong business acumen and ability to translate technical results into business impact.
• Experience in building ad relevance and conversion models.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

What you will do:

• Design and Build Advanced Models: Develop and deploy cutting-edge machine learning and statistical models for ad ranking, pacing and personalization—ensuring the right ad reaches the right audience at the right moment.
• Drive Business Impact: Work on high-impact problems that directly influence Netflix’s new and expanding revenue stream, shaping the future of advertising in premium streaming.
• Innovate at Scale: Tackle some of the most exciting technical challenges in the industry, leveraging Netflix’s world-class infrastructure and massive datasets to create scalable, real-time solutions.
• Collaborate Across Disciplines: Partner with engineers, data scientists, product managers, and business leaders to translate business needs into technical breakthroughs and measurable outcomes.
• Champion User Experience: Balance advertiser goals with viewer satisfaction, building algorithms that respect privacy, enhance relevance, and maintain the seamless streaming experience Netflix is known for.
• Lead with Science: Stay at the forefront of research in machine learning, optimization, and data science, and bring the latest advancements into production.

Our compensation structure consists solely of an annual salary; we do not have bonuses. You choose each year how much of your compensation you want in salary versus stock options. To determine your personal top of market compensation, we rely on market indicators and consider your specific job family, background, skills, and experience to determine your compensation in the market range. The range for this role is $170,000 - $720,000. Netflix provides comprehensive benefits including Health Plans, Mental Health support, a 401(k) Retirement Plan with employer match, Stock Option Program, Disability Programs, Health Savings and Flexible Spending Accounts, Family-forming benefits, and Life and Serious Injury Benefits. We also offer paid leave of absence programs. Full-time hourly employees accrue 35 days annually for paid time off to be used for vacation, holidays, and sick paid time off. Full-time salaried employees are immediately entitled to flexible time off. See more detail about our Benefits here. Inclusion is a Netflix value and we strive to host a meaningful interview experience for all candidates. If you want an accommodation/adjustment for a disability or any other reason during the hiring process, please send a request to your recruiting partner. We are an equal-opportunity employer and celebrate diversity, recognizing that diversity builds stronger teams. We approach diversity and inclusion seriously and thoughtfully. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, caste, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic makeup, marital status, or military service. Job is open for no less than 7 days and will be removed when the position is filled. Apply Job! Apply to this Job