# Director, Machine Learning Engineering – Content & User Understanding

**Company:** [Pinterest](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/pinterest)
**Location:** San Francisco, CA
**Role:** ML Engineering
**Salary:** $267k – $551k/yr
**Experience:** 12+ years
**Skills:** Machine Learning, LLMs, Vision-Language Models, Vlm, Deep Learning, Recommendation Systems, Search Systems, Advertising Systems, Large-Scale Ml Systems, Sequence Modeling, Technical Leadership
**Posted:** 2026-05-26

> Director-level ML leader to define vision and drive execution of Pinterest's foundational content and user understanding models powering homefeed, search, ads and more.

## Job Description

## What you'll do

### Lead ML Strategy and Innovation for Foundational Content and User Understanding
- Set the multi-year vision, technical strategy, and investment roadmap for content and user understanding ML models and systems.
- Drive innovation of cutting-edge AI approaches, including large scale sequence modeling, VLM and LLM.

### Lead Execution and Deployment Across Pinterest to Deliver Topline Impact
- Ensure the foundational content and user understanding models and systems are effective and scalable to power downstream applications across Pinterest surfaces: homefeed, related, search, shopping, growth and ads.
- Collaborate with Product, Engineering, and Data Science leaders in partner teams to translate foundational ML techniques into significant business impact. Form strong collaboration across teams and build trust.

### Build and Scale a World-Class ML Organization
- Manage, hire, and develop a team of high-performing managers and ML / Backend engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, technical excellence, rigor, and impact.

### Drive ML Influence Across Pinterest
- Act as the primary technical spokesperson for Content and User Understanding to executive leadership and external partners.
- Represent the team's needs and priorities in company-wide planning and resource allocation to ensure long-term, strategic ML investment.

## What we're looking for
- 12+ years of professional experience as a technical leader, including 5+ years in people leadership roles (managing managers and senior ICs).
- Technical degree in a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- Deep ML expertise: building and operating large-scale ML systems in recommendation, ads or search.
- Expertise in large scale deep learning, VLM and LLM approaches.
- Track record to set long term technical vision and lead teams to deliver top line business impacts.
- Seasoned People Leader: Proven success leading complex ML organizations, managing managers, and exceptional communication and influence skills to drive close collaboration with multiple partner teams.

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