Senior Machine Learning Engineer - Recommendations

Teamwork makes the stream work.

Roku is changing how the world watches TV

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.

About the team

Roku pioneered streaming to the TV. We connect users to the streaming content they love, enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences, and provide advertisers with unique capabilities to engage consumers. Roku streaming players and Roku TV™ models are available worldwide through direct retail sales and licensing arrangements with TV brands and pay-TV operators.

About the role

We seek an outstanding, creative, and passionate Machine Learning engineer to join Roku's Recommendation team. You will be responsible for building and owning the next generation of content recommendations and other algorithms/systems that will make the experience for our many millions of Roku users 100% personalized and unique.

How will I use AI in Roku?

At Roku, we don’t just use AI, we work with it. AI agents and smart tools help power drafts, analysis, and repetitive workflows, while our people bring direction, judgment, and accountability. We’re looking for curious, adaptable builders who can show how they’ve used AI or automation to move faster, raise the bar, and scale their impact.

We value your AI skills if you have built fluency across the agentic engineering toolchain — coding harnesses like Claude Code or Cursor, MCP servers, custom skills, or agent frameworks. And you can describe projects where you shipped real work with these tools. You know how to drive an agent, verify its output, and ramp on an unfamiliar codebase with an agent helping you.

What you'll be doing

• Apply state of the art ML on recommendations using techniques in deep learning, bandits, transformers, LLMs, causal inference, and optimizations to make our users more delighted and engaged on the platform

• Run online AB tests and analyze them against the critical business KPIs

• Collaborate with US engineering teams as well as cross-functional teams to translate business requirements into technical specifications

• Nurture our ML ecosystem to make it withstand scale, developer velocity and future business shifts

• Help in training and mentoring new team members

We're excited if you have

• 5+ years of experience applying Machine Learning to concrete problems at large scale. • Strong CS fundamentals. Should be able to write an algorithm with ease. • Solid understanding of Data Science and ML fundamentals – Regression, Classification, Tree-based approach, Neural network, and sequence-based models. • Understanding of NLP approaches like W2V or Bert. Should be able to identify the right KPIs and Objective functions. • Good understanding of system architecture. • Have experience in big data technologies – streaming architecture, data pipelines, etc. • Bachelors in Computer Science, Statistics, or related field

Preferred Skills

• Build Recommender Systems for a living • Experience with Java, Scala, or Python • Work with big data systems – Spark, EMR, S3, AirFlow • Hold an MS or PhD in CS or related fields • AI literacy and curiosity.You have either tried Gen AI in your previous work or outside of work or are curious about Gen AI and have explored it. What's Roku's approach to hybrid working?

Roku fosters an inclusive and collaborative environment where teams generally work in the office Monday through Thursday. Fridays are generally flexible for remote work, except for employees whose specific roles or assigned office location require five days' a week attendance.

What are some of the benefits?

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). Employees are supported in taking time off, in accordance with local leave policies and other personal needs to support 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.

Accommodations

Roku welcomes applicants of all backgrounds and provides reasonable accommodations and adjustments in accordance with applicable law. If you require reasonable accommodation at any point in the hiring process, please direct your inquiries to EmployeeRelations@Roku.com .

What should I know about Roku's culture?

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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