Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Overview

Teamwork makes the stream work.

Roku is the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and we've set our sights on powering every television in the world. Roku pioneered streaming to the TV. Our mission is to be the TV streaming platform that connects the entire TV ecosystem. We connect consumers to the content they love, enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences, and provide advertisers unique capabilities to engage consumers.

From your first day at Roku, you'll make a valuable - and valued - contribution. We're a fast-growing public company where no one is a bystander. We offer you the opportunity to delight millions of TV streamers around the world while gaining meaningful experience across a variety of disciplines.

Understanding the depth of query, content, and user intent through machine learning is crucial to enhancing user satisfaction in their search experience. That’s why we’re actively seeking a Senior Machine Learning Engineer for Search & Recommendations to drive innovation in search and discovery. In this role, you’ll apply your technical expertise, business insight, and analytical skills to develop cutting-edge AI-powered products. Strong communication and presentation skills are essential, as you’ll collaborate across teams. The position demands high technical proficiency, sharp problem-solving capabilities, strong motivation, and exceptional attention to detail.

As an ML Engineer at Roku, you’ll design, build, and deploy machine learning solutions that directly impact our members and creators, with a focus on enhancing search and recommendation systems. You’ll work on large-scale systems, collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, and apply advanced ML techniques — including supervised, unsupervised, reinforcement, and generative models — to real-world challenges. Typical areas of focus include search algorithms, content recommendation, personalization, predictive modeling, experiment design, and optimization of streaming performance.

We’re excited if you have

• 10+ years of experience applying Machine Learning to concrete problems at large-scale with an MS or a PhD with 3 years of experience
• Strong CS fundamentals. Should be able to write an algorithm with ease
• Good understanding of data science and machine learning fundamentals like regression, classification, tree-based approach, neural networks, and sequence-based models
• Proven familiarity with NLP approaches like W2V or Bert, which includes identifying the right KPIs and objective functions
• Strong understanding of (Spark, EMR, S3, and AirFlow)
• Strong experience and hands on coding with Java, Scala, or Python)
• Experience building in-production ML systems
• Good understanding of system architecture. Have experience in big data technologies and streaming architecture, data pipelines, etc.
• MS in Computer Science, Statistics, or related field, but a Ph.D. in CS or related fields is preferred
• AI literacy and curiosity. You have either 1) tried Gen AI in your previous work or outside of work or 2) are curious about Gen AI and have explored it.

Roku is committed to offering a diverse range of benefits as part of our compensation package to support our employees and their families. Our comprehensive benefits include global access to mental health and financial wellness support and resources. Local benefits include statutory and voluntary benefits which may include healthcare (medical, dental, and vision), life, accident, disability, commuter, and retirement options (401(k)/pension). Our employees can take time off work for vacation and other personal reasons to balance their evolving work and life needs. It's important to note that not every benefit is available in all locations or for every role. For details specific to your location, please consult with your recruiter.

Roku is a great place for people who want to work in a fast-paced environment where everyone is focused on the company's success rather than their own. We try to surround ourselves with people who are great at their jobs, who are easy to work with, and who keep their egos in check. We appreciate a sense of humor. We believe a fewer number of very talented folks can do more for less cost than a larger number of less talented teams. We're independent thinkers with big ideas who act boldly, move fast and accomplish extraordinary things through collaboration and trust. In short, at Roku you'll be part of a company that's changing how the world watches TV. 

We have a unique culture that we are proud of. We think of ourselves primarily as problem-solvers, which itself is a two-part idea. We come up with the solution, but the solution isn't real until it is built and delivered to the customer. That penchant for action gives us a pragmatic approach to innovation, one that has served us well since 2002. 

To learn more about Roku, our global footprint, and how we've grown, visit https://www.weareroku.com/factsheet.

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