Lead a team to develop machine learning systems that optimize ad performance in a fully remote environment.
Posted by employer 3 weeks ago
First seen on Joblaze 3 days ago
Last verified on the company career page 1 day ago
Skills & Technologies
What you'll build
- Guide and mentor team members
- Build strategic partnerships with technical teams
- Shape a long-term technical vision
- Oversee the delivery of key projects
- Facilitate the translation of complex algorithms into solutions
Must have
- Master's degree in a quantitative field
- 7+ years of experience in software development
- 2+ years of experience in software engineering management
- Experience with digital advertising platforms
- Proven track record of technical leadership
Nice to have
- PhD in a quantitative field
- 4+ years of experience in software engineering management
- Experience building machine learning models
Role intensity
10% coding — mostly leadership/strategy
Requirements
- Experience
- 7+ years
- Education
- Master's degree
Not disclosed in this posting: visa sponsorship.
Benefits
Joblaze summary
In the role of Senior Manager for Machine Learning Engineering at Instacart, the individual will lead a team focused on developing advanced systems that enhance advertising performance through optimization techniques. Key skills include expertise in software development, machine learning, and digital advertising platforms, with a strong emphasis on real-time bidding and user targeting. This position is suited for experienced leaders with a background in software engineering management and a track record of driving technical innovation. The team operates within a flexible work model, fostering collaboration and continuous improvement.
Joblaze insights
- Listed 3 days ago — first seen on Joblaze October 31, 2026. Last confirmed on Instacart's careers page November 2, 2026.
- Salary band is above the typical range for AI/ML roles (median ~$190,000).
- Starts above 68% of 68 comparable senior ai/ml roles in United States that list Machine Learning we track (median $208,000 across 36 companies). See Machine Learning salary trends
- Machine Learning appears in 18.8% of 543 comparable senior ai/ml roles in United States; Optimization appears in 0.6% of 543 comparable senior ai/ml roles in United States.
Quick facts
- Is the Senior Manager, Machine Learning Engineering role remote?
- Yes — Instacart lists this as a fully remote position.
- What's the salary range?
- Instacart lists $230,000–$290,500 for this role.
- How much experience is required?
- At least 7 years of relevant experience for this Senior Manager, Machine Learning Engineering role.
- What's the tech stack?
- Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: Machine Learning, Optimization, Real-Time Bidding, Software Development, digital advertising.
- What seniority level is this role?
- Instacart targets senior candidates for this position.
- Is this full-time or contract?
- Full-time for this Senior Manager, Machine Learning Engineering role at Instacart.
From the original posting
We're transforming the grocery industry
Overview
As the Senior Engineering Manager for the Advertiser Optimization team, you'll lead a team of engineers and applied research scientists to build state-of-the-art systems that optimize ad performance via bidding, pacing, targeting, etc. Building on Instacart’s unique data and market position, these systems create value for advertising partners, improve consumer experience, and directly contribute to Instacart's overall revenue / business success.
You'll have the unique opportunity to collaborate with a cross-functional team, turning diverse insights into powerful solutions that elevate advertising effectiveness. Your leadership will steer the development of sophisticated algorithms and machine learning models, driving performance gains across our advertising platform. Together, we'll build an ads ecosystem that not only serves millions but also excels in delivering value to users and advertisers alike.
Instacart Ads is at the forefront of transforming the grocery shopping experience by seamlessly integrating advanced advertising solutions into our platform. Our Advertiser Optimization team is a dynamic group of innovators devoted to building cutting-edge optimization solutions that enhance the efficiency and performance of our ads ecosystem. By leveraging advanced algorithms and machine learning models, the team ensures that our advertising partners achieve exceptional results while providing a relevant and engaging experience for our customers.
About the Job
- Guide and mentor team members, building career development plans and supporting their professional growth.
- Nurture a culture geared towards innovation and ongoing enhancement, ensuring the team's efforts are in harmony with the company's vision and engineering excellence. Regularly assess team performance, offering constructive feedback, and advocate for a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
- Build strategic partnerships with data science, infrastructure, and other technical teams to drive synergy across the organization, ensuring seamless integration of software engineering and machine learning solutions.
- Shape a long-term technical vision in the auto-bidding, budget pacing and user targeting space, which supports the company's business goals. Identify and integrate emerging technologies to boost product features. Manage the technical aspects of key projects, proactively addressing risks. Foster a culture of continuous improvement in software engineering processes.
- Oversee the delivery of key projects, proactively addressing risks, and establish team processes that improve delivery velocity, quality, and operational stability with minimal incidents.
- Facilitate the translation of complex algorithms into impactful solutions, and prioritize the product backlog to manage development timelines effectively. Collaborate with product managers to ensure engineering efforts are aligned with market needs.
About You
Minimum Qualifications
- Master's degree in Computer Science, Operations Research, Applied Mathematics, Control Systems, Computational Economics, or a related quantitative field.
- 7+ years of experience in software development.
- 2+ years of experience in software engineering management.
- Experience with digital advertising platforms, real-time bidding, budget pacing, and user targeting solutions.
- Proven track record of technical leadership in developing software products.
- Evidence of implementing innovative technical solutions that drove business success.
- Familiarity with data science, optimization, and machine learning techniques.
Preferred Qualifications
- PhD in Computer Science, Operations Research, Applied Mathematics, Control Systems, Computational Economics, or a related quantitative field.
- 4+ years of experience in software engineering management.
- Experience building machine learning models and solutions.
#LI-Remote
Instacart provides highly market-competitive compensation and benefits in each location where our employees work. This role is remote and the base pay range for a successful candidate is dependent on their permanent work location. Please review our Flex First remote work policy here.
Standard company text repeated across Instacart's postings is omitted here.