Remote Optical Engineer Jobs in Newark, NJ (NOW HIRING)

Company Description
Etsy is the global marketplace for unique and creative goods. We build, power, and evolve the tools and technologies that connect millions of entrepreneurs with millions of buyers around the world. As an Etsy Inc. employee, whether a team member of Etsy or Depop, you will tackle unique, meaningful, and large-scale problems alongside passionate coworkers, all the while making a rewarding impact and Keeping Commerce Human.
Salary Range:
$245,000.00 - $319,000.00
What's the role?
We are looking for a Senior Staff Software Engineer, Machine Learning to be a pivotal technical leader in architecting the next generation of AI/ML models and systems that connect buyers and sellers across Etsy's platform.
In this highly influential role, you will define and lead the technical strategy for our core AI/ML solutions in Search, Recommendations, and Ads. You will apply state-of-the-art techniques, including hybrid retrieval, multi-tasking deep learning, Generative Recommendations, and Agentic shopping experiences to create a cohesive, highly personalized customer journey for over 85 million buyers and over 5 million sellers.
Do you have a passion for designing and implementing strategies for a holistic AI/ML ecosystem? Are you excited by the challenge of leading research initiatives and building advanced algorithms at a global scale? Are you motivated to mentor engineers and shape the future state of the industry? If so, this could be the perfect match.
This opportunity is a full-time position reporting to the engineering leadership within Search, Recommendations, and Ads. This position will be in Brooklyn, NY or for remote candidates based in the United States. Etsy is one of the largest global marketplace platforms in the world, and offers three work modes to meet our team's various needs and preferences: Flex mode for candidates who are comfortable traveling to an office location 4+ times per month, Remote mode, and Office-based mode. Learn more about our flexible work modes and vaccination policy here.
What's this team like at Etsy?
The Search, Recommendations, and Ads organization is at the heart of Etsy's marketplace, responsible for the algorithms that power discovery and connection. We are a team of researchers, engineers, and data scientists dedicated to solving the complex problems of matching unique, handmade items with the right buyers.
Our technical environment is evolving rapidly. We are moving toward more sophisticated generative and agentic experiences, requiring a blend of deep research and robust software engineering. We focus on mid-to-long-term research topics while ensuring our models remain high-performance and scalable.
We are proud of our engineering culture that encourages career growth and learning in a blameless environment. You can learn more about our philosophies, tools, and some of the challenges we've been solving on our Engineering blog.
What does the day-to-day look like?

• Identify customer problems and opportunities; lead teams to research, architect, design, and operationalize AI/ML solutions.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional leaders to define and execute a compelling product and technical roadmap for ML solutions.
• Drive cross-functional technical alignment and execution across various engineering teams.
• Lead R&D in advanced AI, with a major focus on mid/long-term research topics that push the boundaries of the industry.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to grow the skills and capabilities of engineers across the entire organization.
• Apply a disciplined, data-driven approach to technical decision-making and experimentation.

Of course, this is just a sample of the kinds of work this role will require! You should assume that your role will encompass other tasks, too, and that your job duties and responsibilities may change from time to time at Etsy's discretion, or otherwise applicable with local law.
Qualities that will help you thrive are:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in ML and AI, with a proud track record of building large-scale, high-performance models and systems.
• Deep experience with the end-to-end development lifecycle of ML/AI, focusing on both large-scale model training and serving.
• A foundational and practical understanding of machine learning principles and the critical steps required to successfully productionize models at scale.
• Proficiency with modern data processing frameworks (e.g., Spark, Beam, Hadoop) and ML frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn).
• Exceptional ability to define and solve highly ambiguous or unconstrained technical problems, knowing when to strategically seek assistance.
• A proven track record of successfully collaborating with engineers, leaders, and product managers to drive complex projects to completion.
• A demonstrated commitment to supporting and mentoring other engineers, elevating the technical capability of the organization.

Additional Information
What's Next
If you're interested in joining the team at Etsy, please share your resume with us and feel free to include a cover letter if you'd like. As we hope you've seen already, Etsy is a place that values individuality and variety. We don't want you to be like everyone else -- we want you to be like you! So tell us what you're all about.
Our Promise
At Etsy, we believe that a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace furthers relevance, resilience, and longevity. We encourage people from all backgrounds, ages, abilities, and experiences to apply. Etsy is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If, due to a disability, you need an accommodation during any part of the application or interview process, please let your recruiter know. While Etsy supports visa sponsorship, sponsorship opportunities may be limited to certain roles and skills.