At LinkedIn, we are looking for a Sr. Staff Software Engineer, Machine Learning to play a pivotal role as a technical leader within our AI team. You will set technical direction, own the AI roadmap, and lead initiatives that push the boundaries of enterprise AI. We need someone who combines deep research expertise with the ability to build production-grade ML systems at scale, partnering across engineering, product, and research to deliver transformative solutions.
What You'll Do
- Lead the design, development, and deployment of large-scale machine learning systems across areas such as ranking, recommendation systems, personalization, generative AI, reinforcement learning, and large language models.
- Define and drive the technical roadmap and architecture for end-to-end AI systems, ensuring scalability, performance, reliability, and maintainability.
- Research, fine-tune, and adapt large language models and build and productionize advanced AI solutions, including foundation models and agentic systems, capable of reasoning, decision-making, and contextual intelligence.
- Drive best practices in experimentation, model evaluation, fairness, explainability, and system robustness.
- Partner with product, design, and other engineering teams to align AI solutions with business strategy and maximize impact.
- Drive cross-functional collaborations with horizontal AI and platform teams to leverage foundational tools and scale adoption of innovations across LinkedIn.
- Mentor and guide engineers, fostering a culture of craftsmanship, innovation, and technical excellence.
- Represent LinkedIn in external venues by showcasing advances in applied AI research and engineering.
What We're Looking For
- MS/PhD degree in Computer Science or a related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
- 12+ years of experience in machine learning, artificial intelligence, or related fields.
- 8+ years in an architect or technical leadership role driving large-scale AI initiatives.
- Hands-on experience with the end-to-end ML lifecycle: data pipelines, training, deployment, monitoring, and optimization.
- Expertise in at least one of: LLMs, generative AI, search/recommendations, reinforcement learning, or large-scale deep learning.
Nice to Have
- 15+ years of experience building and scaling machine learning systems in production.
- Proven experience in pre-training and fine-tuning LLMs, including domain-specific adaptations.
- Strong software engineering skills with the ability to design robust, scalable systems.
- Track record of influencing product and technical strategy through AI/ML innovation.
- Publications, patents, or open-source contributions in machine learning, NLP, or related areas.
Technical Stack
- Python
- Java
- C++
Benefits & Compensation
- Generous health and wellness programs
- Time away for employees of all levels
Work Mode
This role follows a hybrid work model.
LinkedIn is an equal employment opportunity employer offering opportunities to all job seekers, including individuals with disabilities.
