ServiceNow

Senior Staff Machine Learning Engineer

ServiceNow • $201K — $352K *
Santa Clara, CA 95051In-Person
Enterprise Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years of software engineering experience leading complex production systems
  • Proven technical owner or lead across multiple teams
  • Experience building AI/ML-powered production systems with probabilistic modeling
  • Familiarity with modern AI techniques including LLMs and vector search
  • Strong programming skills in Python, Java, Go, or a similar language
  • Knowledge of cloud-native technologies and distributed systems
  • Cybersecurity experience or familiarity with security architectures is preferred

Responsibilities

  • Own the architecture of a security harness and exploitability engine end to end
  • Set technical direction and make foundational architecture decisions
  • Lead zero-to-one projects and create reliable systems from ambiguous problems
  • Drive technical direction in architecture, design, and code reviews
  • Mentor senior engineers and influence teams without authority
  • Collaborate with product and security teams to convert user problems into technical solutions
  • Establish AI governance and safety practices for production systems

Benefits

  • Health plans with flexible spending accounts
  • 401(k) plan with company match
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
  • Matching donations program
  • Flexible time away plan and family leave programs
Full Job Description
Job Description

About the team

The Security and Risk Engineering organization builds scalable, AI-powered security solutions that reduce risk and protect ServiceNow and its customers. We value AI-first thinking, clean architecture, intuitive experiences, and a culture of continuous learning.

This is a zero-to-one incubation. We're building a new class of exposure analysis that ranks security work by exploitability-where an attacker could realistically get in-rather than raw severity. The architecture is evolving, and this role helps define what good looks like.

The role

As a Senior Staff Engineer, you own the architecture of an security harness with novel exploitability engine end to end, and you're accountable for the decisions that shape everything downstream. You set technical direction, make the hard calls defensible, and multiply the engineers around you.

What you'll own
  • The end-to-end architecture of the exploitability engine-from evidence ingestion and entity resolution, through the attack-path probability core and choke-point ranking, to the validation loop that keeps predictions honest.
  • The decisions that cascade through the system: calibrated probability versus ordinal rank, identity as a first-class graph edge, assume-breach seeding, and how the most critical assets are defined. These are model-shaping calls, not implementation details.
  • The probabilistic ranking core: edge-traversal probability, guided path search with hop and likelihood limits, correlated-control-failure modeling, and honest uncertainty bands.
  • The calibration and validation loop-canaries, purple-team and incident replay, calibration measured by zone and vector-that turns modeled weights into evidence rather than opinion.
  • Make-or-break metrics as first-class engineering targets, starting with entity-resolution accuracy and calibration quality.
  • The build-on strategy-extending the existing portfolio rather than rebuilding it, and knowing precisely what to reuse and what must be net-new.

What you'll do
  • Lead zero-to-one work at production scale: turn an ambiguous, novel problem into a reliable system other teams build on, and set the bar where no precedent exists.
  • Drive technical direction across architecture, design, and code reviews, and raise the engineering bar across the incubation.
  • Mentor senior engineers and lead by influence, not title.
  • Partner with product, security R&D, SecOps to turn customer problems into architecture, and translate that architecture into decisions leaders can act on.
  • Establish AI safety, security, governance, and guardrails for agentic systems running in production.

What you bring
  • A track record of owning architecture across a large system or multiple teams, with deep experience operating production-quality software.
  • Hands-on depth in both agentic and LLM systems and probabilistic or ML-driven scoring-graph modeling, calibration, search and optimization, or risk and probability engineering.
  • Proven zero-to-one at scale: you've taken an ambiguous problem to a reliable production system that others depend on.
  • The judgment to make consequential architecture decisions under uncertainty, and make them defensible to engineers and executives alike.
  • Command of distributed systems, APIs, cloud-native development, and data or graph systems.
  • Expert-level Python, and/or Java, Go, or TypeScript.
  • Technical leadership and mentorship that moves teams through influence.
  • Applied interest in security problems-attack-path analysis, vulnerability management, identity security, threat intelligence, or detection and response-is strongly preferred.
  • Experience with AI-assisted development tools and coding agents such as Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, or Windsurf is a plus.
  • Experience with AI evaluation, safety, governance, or policy guardrails is a plus.


Qualifications
  • 10+ years of software engineering experience, including leading the design and delivery of complex production systems.
  • Demonstrated experience as the technical owner or lead for a major system or across teams.
  • Depth building AI/ML-powered production systems; probabilistic modeling, graph analytics, or calibration and evaluation is a strong plus.
  • Modern AI experience: LLMs, RAG, embeddings, vector search, agentic harness and workflows, model evaluation, or AI observability.
  • Strong programming experience in Python and/or Java, Go, or a similar language.
  • Cloud-native technologies, distributed systems, APIs, databases, and scalable architectures.
  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
  • Cybersecurity or security-product experience, or familiarity with modern security architectures and operations, is strongly preferred.

For positions in this location, we offer a base pay of $201,300 - $352,300, plus equity (when applicable), variable/incentive compensation and benefits. Sales positions generally offer a competitive On Target Earnings (OTE) incentive compensation structure. Please note that the base pay shown is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies, and work location. We also offer health plans, including flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) Plan with company match, ESPP, matching donations, a flexible time away plan and family leave programs. Compensation is based on the geographic location in which the role is located and is subject to change based on work location.

Additional Information

Work Personas

We approach our distributed world of work with flexibility and trust. Work personas (flexible, remote, or required in office) are categories that are assigned to ServiceNow employees depending on the nature of their work and their assigned work location. Learn more here. To determine eligibility for a work persona, ServiceNow may confirm the distance between your primary residence and the closest ServiceNow office using a third-party service.

About ServiceNow

ServiceNow provides cloud-based solutions that define, structure, manage, and automate services for enterprise operations in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and other countries. The company offers service management solutions, including incident, problem, change, request, and cost management as well as service catalogs; and IT, HR, facilities, and field service management solutions. It also provides IT operations management solutions covering service mapping, delivery, and assurance solutions; business management solutions such as financial management, project portfolio suite, vendor performance management, and performance analytics as well as governance, risk, and compliance; and application development services.

ServiceNow Careers

Join the dynamic team at ServiceNow, a global leader in digital workflow solutions, where innovation and leadership converge to shape the future of work. At ServiceNow, we offer more than just job opportunities; we provide a platform for professional growth and a chance to be part of a culture that values diversity, creativity, and continuous learning.

Work You’ll Do

Embark on a career journey with ServiceNow and contribute to the world’s leading enterprises' digital transformation. Our team is at the forefront of developing cutting-edge technologies that improve how people work. With ServiceNow, you will use your skills to impact businesses and industries profoundly, driving efficiency and innovation.

Join Our Market-Leading Team

ServiceNow is not just another technology company. We are a team that thrives on diversity and leadership, fostering an inclusive environment that promotes growth and development. Our commitment to diversity training ensures that every team member can achieve their potential.

Innovative Work

ServiceNow is home to more than 10,000 dedicated professionals who lead the charge in digital workflows and enterprise solutions. As part of our team, you will engage in projects that merge technology with practical applications, creating revolutionary products that advance how services are delivered and managed.

Career Development

At ServiceNow, your career trajectory is filled with boundless opportunities. We support your growth with robust training programs, leadership development courses, and access to global challenges. Whether you are looking for an internship, full-time position, or leadership role, ServiceNow equips you with the tools to excel.

Be Part of a Great Team

Working at ServiceNow means being part of a community that values teamwork and innovation. Our collaborative environment encourages networking and sharing ideas, making our workplace vibrant and dynamic. The benefits of joining ServiceNow extend beyond comprehensive health and wellness; they include fostering professional connections and friendships that last a lifetime.

Explore Job Opportunities and Internships

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a recent graduate, ServiceNow offers a range of employment options to suit your career goals. From internships that provide real-world experience to full-time positions that challenge you to leverage your expertise, we are committed to hiring the best talent.

Stay Connected

Join Our Team Search open positions that match your skills and interests. At ServiceNow, we look for passionate, curious, and solution-driven team players. Explore the possibilities that await you at a company that is committed to your professional success.

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ServiceNow Careers

Empowering professionals to achieve more, ServiceNow is where careers are future-proofed, and ambitions are realized. Join us in our journey of growth and innovation.
Learn more about ServiceNow
Size
16,881 employees
Market Cap
$76.5 billion
Industry
Information Technology
Net Income
$118.5 million
Founded
2004
5 Year Trend
+33.5%
Revenue
$4.5 billion
NASDAQ
NOW
* Ladders Estimates

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