ML Engineer

About The Company Instacart is revolutionizing the grocery industry by providing innovative solutions that connect consumers with their favorite products efficiently and conveniently. Our mission is to make food and household essentials accessible to everyone, fostering a sense of community and shared love through food. We believe in empowering our community with safe, flexible earning opportunities for our Personal Shoppers while delivering an essential service relied upon by millions of customers daily. With a focus on technological advancement and customer-centric services, Instacart is committed to transforming the way people shop for groceries, making it easier, faster, and more reliable.

About The Role We are seeking a highly motivated Staff Machine Learning Software Engineer to join our dynamic team. In this role, you will play a critical part in developing our next-generation platforms that enable real-time understanding, observation, and prediction of inventory levels across local stores. Your work will involve building scalable systems that provide the precision and depth of a warehouse inventory management system but scaled to every local store. You will bring a systems-thinking approach to leading strategic technical investments, establishing best practices for machine learning, and fostering a culture of innovation.

The inventory intelligence team is responsible for maintaining an accurate, real-time understanding of in-store shelves, which directly impacts search, logistics, and overall customer experience. This high-performance team operates like a startup within the company, managing the entire shelf data supply chain—from data ingestion from partners to active collection of inventory observations, model development, and product integration. You will collaborate closely with software engineers, product leads, and data scientists to introduce advanced technologies and drive product innovation that enhances our inventory accuracy and operational efficiency.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to influence core aspects of our platform, contribute to cutting-edge AI solutions, and lead initiatives that impact millions of users globally. You will be instrumental in shaping the future of inventory management and ensuring that our systems remain robust, scalable, and innovative.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of production machine learning experience with a proven track record of managing multiple successful projects
• Proficiency in Python and either TensorFlow or PyTorch
• Strong foundation in testing, systems observability, and problem-solving skills
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to lead cross-functional teams and collaborate effectively with software engineers, product managers, and data scientists
• Experience in building scalable solutions and architectures
• Experience in developing new projects from inception to second-generation deployment

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end outcomes that require integration across multiple models, data sources, and dynamic systems
• Develop strategic roadmaps for modeling inventory dynamics in various observation-density regimes
• Select appropriate technologies based on the maturity and nature of each problem
• Collaborate across teams to foster a unified development approach, build consensus, and drive effective results
• Lead and contribute directly to projects from inception through deployment and ongoing maintenance
• Mentor teammates, introduce relevant advanced technologies, and promote best practices within the machine learning community

Benefits

• Competitive compensation packages tailored to location and experience
• Flexible remote work options, including work from home, office, or preferred spaces
• Equity grants for new hires and annual refresh grants to align your success with the company’s growth
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans
• Paid time off, holidays, and wellness programs
• Opportunities for professional development and career advancement

Equal Opportunity

Instacart is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.