Spotify

Staff Machine Learning Engineer - Music Mission

Spotify$227K — $324K *
Media
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5+ years of experience in Machine Learning and its applications
  • Proficient in programming languages such as Python, Java, or Scala
  • Strong grasp of ML algorithms, modeling, and evaluation techniques
  • Experience with production-level ML system design and implementation
  • Ability to lead technical projects and communicate decisions clearly
  • Comfortable working in ambiguous environments and creating clarity
  • Collaborative mindset focused on serving user needs in music promotion

Responsibilities

  • Define and drive the Machine Learning strategy for Discovery Mode and related programs
  • Design, build, evaluate, and refine ML systems through hands-on development
  • Provide technical leadership on complex ML initiatives
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance product capabilities
  • Prototype and scale successful new approaches for artists
  • Drive optimization and experimentation for ML system reliability
  • Mentor and grow the technical community through strong engineering practices

Benefits

  • Health insurance
  • Six-month paid parental leave
  • 401(k) retirement plan
  • Monthly meal allowance
  • 23 paid days off
  • Paid flexible holidays
  • Paid sick leave
Full Job Description
The Music Mission team owns Spotify's end to end proposition for music creators and the experiences they create for fans. The team is dedicated to building tools and services to enable creation, promotion, expression, and monetization at scale.

The DISCO Product Area is focused on building promotional tools that help artists reach more fans. Our products serve artists at scale through Spotify for Artists, and we're building on the momentum of Discovery Mode to help artists and their teams find new listeners when it matters most. As a Staff Machine Learning Engineer, you'll help shape the Machine Learning technical strategy for this high-impact area, partnering across engineering, product, data science, research, and design to create tools that help artists grow their audiences while supporting Spotify's core business.

What You'll Do

  • Help define and drive the Machine Learning engineering strategy for Discovery Mode and related royalty programs, translating product goals into scalable technical solutions.
  • Design, build, evaluate, ship, and refine production Machine Learning systems through hands-on development.
  • Provide technical leadership across complex ML initiatives, helping teams make thoughtful architectural and engineering decisions while balancing near- and long-term priorities.
  • Collaborate with user research, design, data science, product management, and engineering to build new product capabilities that strengthen connections between artists and fans.
  • Prototype new approaches and turn successful ideas into reliable, scalable solutions for Spotify for Artists customers.
  • Drive experimentation, optimization, testing, and tooling that improve the quality, reliability, and effectiveness of our Machine Learning systems.
  • Partner with engineers and Machine Learning practitioners across Spotify, including Music Tech Research and Personalization, to explore and develop new approaches to music promotion.
  • Help grow the technical capabilities of the broader engineering community through mentorship, knowledge sharing, and strong engineering practices.


Who You Are

  • You have deep experience with Machine Learning and a strong understanding of Machine Learning algorithms, modeling approaches, evaluation, and experimentation.
  • You have hands-on experience designing and implementing production Machine Learning systems at scale using languages such as Python, Java, Scala, or similar.
  • You can set technical direction for complex ML problems while remaining close to implementation and delivery.
  • You care about reliable software, data-informed development, disciplined experimentation, and building systems that perform effectively at scale.
  • You enjoy leading technically complex projects from idea through production and working closely with teammates and partners to deliver meaningful outcomes.
  • You are comfortable navigating ambiguity, evaluating trade-offs, and creating clarity on high-impact initiatives.
  • You communicate technical decisions and risks clearly and can build alignment with senior technical leaders and cross-functional partners.
  • You care about creating products that better serve artists and their teams, and you take a collaborative, team-first approach to helping others do their best work.


Where You'll Be

  • We offer you the flexibility to work where you work best! For this role, you can be within the North America region as long as we have a work location.
  • This team operates within the Eastern time zone for collaboration.


The United States base range for this position is $227,495.00 - $324,993 USD, plus equity. The benefits available for this position include health insurance, six-month paid parental leave, 401(k) retirement plan, monthly meal allowance, 23 paid days off, paid flexible holidays, and paid sick leave. These ranges may be modified in the future

About Spotify

Spotify is a Swedish audio streaming and media services provider, launched in October 2008. The platform is owned by Spotify AB, a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange since April 2018. Spotify's primary business is providing an audio streaming platform, with the company claiming that it had 345 million active monthly users and 155 million paying subscribers as of December 2020. Unlike physical or download sales, which pay artists a fixed price per song or album sold, Spotify pays royalties based on the number of artist streams as a proportion of total songs streamed on the service. Spotify distributes approximately 70% of its total revenue to rights holders, who then pay artists based on their individual agreements. Spotify has faced criticism from artists and producers including Taylor Swift and Thom Yorke, who have argued that it does not fairly compensate musicians. Spotify has also faced criticism from artists and producers including Taylor Swift and Thom Yorke, who have argued that it does not fairly compensate musicians.
Learn more about Spotify
Size
3,456 employees
Industry
Founded
2006

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Spotify

More Media Jobs

Find similar Staff Machine Learning Engineer - Music Mission jobs: