Staff Machine Learning Engineer, Platform & Production

Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of.

Who We Are…

When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next…

From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.

At HBO Max, storytelling takes center stage. We’re one of the world’s most iconic entertainment brands — home to bold originals and unforgettable characters. While audiences binge award-winning content, breaking news, and sports around the clock, our teams stay busy at work creating what’s next in streaming. From Succession, Euphoria, and The Sopranos to global franchises like Game of Thrones and Harry Potter, our content sparks conversation and shapes culture.

HBO Max delivers boundary-pushing stories across genres and platforms, connecting millions of viewers across 90 countries globally— and we’re just getting started. We're home to the most talked about shows and movies, granting audiences access to the worlds of HBO, Harry Potter, DC, Warner Bros., ID, Adult Swim, A24, and more. Turn your streaming obsession into a career— we’re hiring!

About You:  

We are looking for a passionate Staff Machine Learning Engineer to bridge the gap between cutting-edge ML algorithm development and production grade, scalable software engineering for our search and personalization systems. 

In this role, you will be the technical leader of our engineering rigor, design the core architecture, establish engineering best practices, create scalable MLOps pipelines, and design a codebase that allows the team to iterate, deploy, and quickly experiment in production. You will act as a force multiplier, elevating the software engineering capabilities of the entire ML team. 

 

   

Responsibilities:  

  

• Recommendation & Search model training architecture: Architect, build, and scale recommendation systems powering personalization and search experiences across our streaming platforms. 

• Codebase Architecture: Design modular, scalable ML repositories built for rapid iteration, fast deployment, and production experimentation. 

• Engineering Excellence: Establish coding standards, testing frameworks, code review workflows, and CI/CD pipelines using open-source cloud technologies for ML and DS workstreams. 

• Production Velocity: Build infrastructure abstractions and components that allow seamless transition from model training to large-scale serving. 

• Cross-Functional Delivery: Collaborate with other ML engineers, data scientists and product managers, to drive complex ML projects from conception to completion. 

• Strategic Planning: Partner with product and engineering leadership to define, plan, and deliver against long-term strategic goals. 

• Culture & Mentorship: Mentor and influence engineers across organizations by demonstrating high-quality work, advocating for the customer, and fostering an innovative, engineering-driven culture. 

  

  

Requirements:   

• 8 years of industry experience, with 4 years as tech lead experience (preferred)  

• Deep practical knowledge in designing scalable, production-grade Search or Recommendation systems architecture  

• Knowledge of large-scale distributed systems, architecture, APIs, and databases. 

• Solid practical understanding in modern machine learning lifecycle, common pain-points, and research and production environments.  

• Staff level experience building production systems with expertise in Python/Java, containerization, and cloud platforms. 

• Hands-on experience with MLOps tools and frameworks (MLflow, Kubeflow, Sagemaker, etc), or building internal systems. 

• Familiarity with machine learning algorithms (in particular for recommender systems) is a strong plus 

How We Get Things Done…

This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

Championing Inclusion at WBD

Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.

If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.

In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation, or a range thereof, for roles in locations where legally required. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, skill set, experience, and/or performance. Base pay is just one component of Warner Bros. Discovery’s total compensation package for employees. Pay Range: $187,670.00 - $348,530.00 salary per year. Other rewards may include annual bonuses, short- and long-term incentives, and program-specific awards. In addition, Warner Bros. Discovery provides a variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance coverage, an employee wellness program, life and disability insurance, a retirement savings plan, paid holidays and sick time and vacation.

If you’re a qualified candidate with an arrest or conviction record, please know that your application will be considered in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.