Senior Software Engineer II, ML Enablement

What’s the role?

We are looking for a Senior Software Engineer to work on the automated ML validation systems and evaluation tooling that serve as the bedrock for Etsy’s Search, Ads, and Recommendations. 

You won’t just be ‘testing’ code; you will be architecting the frameworks that safeguard the quality of Etsy’s ML experiences, ensuring every recommendation is performant, cost-effective, and safe for 100M+ users. Within the ML Enablement initiative, your work directly accelerates the velocity of our Applied Scientists by providing them with high-fidelity feedback loops and seamless production-readiness paths.

Do you have a passion for building delightful user experiences to simplify complex problem spaces in distributed systems and machine learning infrastructure? Do you enjoy collaborating across team boundaries with customers and partner EMs? If so, this role could be the perfect match.

This is a full-time position reporting to an Engineering Manager within ML Enablement, specifically leading our Integration and Systems Validation efforts.  In addition to salary, you will also be eligible for an equity package, an annual performance bonus, and our competitive benefits that support you and your family as part of your total rewards package at Etsy. 

For this role, we are considering candidates based in the United States. Candidates living within commutable distance of Etsy’s Brooklyn Office Hub may be the first to be considered. For candidates within commutable distance, Etsy requires in-office attendance once or twice per week depending on your proximity to the office. Etsy offers different work modes to meet the variety of needs and preferences of our team. Learn more details about our  work modes and workplace safety policies here.
 

What’s this team like at Etsy?

• The Machine Learning Enablement initiative builds the core infrastructure that turns complex ML workflows into seamless, self-service platforms for Etsy’s Applied Scientists and Engineers. Our squad, ML Integration Testing, is responsible for the automated quality infrastructure used to benchmark and validate changes to our Search, Ads, and Recommendations systems. We ensure that every update to these high-traffic engines meets our standards for quality, cost-efficiency, and performance.

• We work on significant, complex challenges that intersect multiple critical teams and systems, where you can make a rewarding impact.

• We are light on process and heavy on collaboration, working with many partner teams within our org and beyond in order to improve our leverage.

• We are a platform team with a product driven mentality, driving innovation using our Machine Learning systems in effective and creative ways. 

What does the day-to-day look like?

• Write high-quality Java, Python, Scala, and/or scripting code. Engage in code reviews and pair programming. Lead and inform architectural design.

• Design automated frameworks that go beyond unit tests to validate model quality—ensuring that changes to our algorithms improve the buyer experience without regressing on system performance or cost.

• Work cross functionally with applied scientists to understand how our customers develop ML models and do offline evaluation, and use that understanding to unearth and tackle ambiguous problems.

• Thoughtfully use generative AI and other productivity tools, focusing on learning and intentional, impactful contributions.

Of course, this is just a sample of the kinds of work this role will require! You should assume that your role will encompass other tasks, too, and that your job duties and responsibilities may change from time to time at Etsy's discretion, or otherwise applicable with local law.

Qualities that will help you thrive in this role are:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent professional experience.

• A consistent track record of working with distributed systems, cloud infrastructure (Google Cloud, AWS, etc.), and Machine Learning systems.

• Strong software engineering skills, with the ability to write production-ready code in Java, Scala, Python, and/or other equivalent languages.

• Passionate about building systems that don't just work, but that are easy and enjoyable to use.

• 5+yrs professional experience in building, iterating and troubleshooting solutions to complex problems with a significant backend component.

• Though we lean towards strong backend and infrastructural expertise, experience in and openness to coding full stack (including React and Typescript) is a plus.