Machine Learning Engineer - HSTU
Remote - Americas
Join Shopify's innovative team as we work on the development and implementation of state of the art HSTU models (Hierarchical Sequential Transduction Unit) to recommend the best growth drivers and action for merchants and buyers. You'll play a pivotal role in solving high-impact data problems that directly improve merchant success and consumer experience.
As a Machine Learning Engineering (MLE) lead or individual contributor, you'll be at the forefront of building AI solutions that anticipate both merchant needs and personalization for 100M+ shoppers.
Key Responsibilities
Develop and deploy Generative AI, natural language processing, and HSTU-based recommendation models at scale
Design and implement scalable AI/ML system architectures supporting models
Build sophisticated inference pipelines that process billions of events and deliver real-time recommendations
Implement data pipelines for model training, fine-tuning, and evaluation across diverse data sources (merchant events, consumer interactions, payment sequences)
Experiment with novel architectures
Optimize for production through advanced techniques like negative sampling, ANN search, and distributed GPU training
Collaborate cross-functionally with product teams, data scientists, and infrastructure engineers to deliver measurable business impact
Communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences, translating complex ML concepts into actionable insights
Qualifications
Mastery in recommendation systems, Gen AI or LLMs
End-to-end experience in training, evaluating, testing, and deploying machine learning products at scale.
Experience in building data pipelines and driving ETL design decisions using disparate data sources.
Proficiency in Python, shell scripting, streaming and batch data pipelines, vector databases, DBT, BigQuery, BigTable, or equivalent, and orchestration tools.
Experience with running machine learning in parallel environments (e.g., distributed clusters, GPU optimization).
This role may require on-call work.
At Shopify, we pride ourselves on moving quickly—not just in shipping, but in our hiring process as well. If you’re ready to apply, please be prepared to interview with us within the week. Our goal is to complete the entire interview loop within 30 days. You will be expected to complete a pair programming interview, using your own IDE.
This role may require on-call work.
Ready to redefine e-commerce through AI innovation? Join the team that’s making commerce better for everyone.
Engineering. It’s our DNA.
Engineering isn't a department at Shopify. It's our DNA. The engineers who thrive here care about the code, the system, and the merchants relying on both. They want hard problems and uncomfortable growth. They find solutions without waiting for permission. They ship weekly. They want commerce to work better for everyone. So does our founder, Tobi, who still codes and still shapes where this thing is going.
They're open source nerds. They pair program because two brains write better code than one. New tools, new models, new approaches. They experiment constantly. Most of what's standard here started as someone hacking on something.
They use AI like a keyboard, reflexively and everywhere, to clear the mundane and make room for thinking. And they work in the open. The fastest way to learn here is to watch someone better than you do the work. If that sounds like you, come build with us.
Infrastructure engineering
Infrastructure Engineers at Shopify build and maintain the systems that handle millions of requests per second and billions of dollars in transactions. At that scale, performance gains matter and weak assumptions surface quickly. Your systems power the experience for millions of entrepreneurs and buyers every minute of every day, including peak events like Black Friday.
Engineers at Shopify spend the majority of their time actually writing code to build and improve infrastructure. You’ll solve problems that don’t exist anywhere else, with challenges that push what’s possible. If that lights you up, come build with us.
Mastery-matched compensation.
~Mastery
At Shopify, getting better at your craft and increasing your impact is how you grow. Twice a year, we assess both in our ~Mastery cycle, Shopify’s performance review. Achieving higher ~Mastery is a promotion, and when you earn a promotion your total rewards grow with it. Crafter and manager are equal paths, so you can pursue excellence in the craft you’re best at.
Total Rewards
With Flex Comp, your Rewards Wallet gives you agency over your compensation mix. Adjust your mix of cash, restricted share units, and stock options (including programs like Long-Term Equity)* to where it makes sense for you, and mix it up anytime as life and priorities change. Buying a house? Want more skin in the game? Just experimenting? It’s your call.
* Flex Comp program offerings vary based on location, role, and employment type. Full details are set out in our Terms & Conditions and related plan documents.
Room for the rest of your life.
Flexible work, remote by design
A flexible vacation policy means most Shopifolk can take the vacation days they feel they need to recharge.
If a change of everyday scenery is more your jam, Destination 90 means you can work from (almost) anywhere in the world for 90 days of the year.
Your setup
Your battlestation is your home base. Request the desk, chair, and AV gear you need to get shit done.
Benefits
You need ‘em, we’ve got ‘em. Our health and welfare benefits may include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance depending on your country. If you’re in a country without a package, you'll receive a monthly allowance. We also offer mental health support for you and your dependents, including immediate and confidential services like counseling and coaching sessions.
Family support
We offer fertility benefits globally, along with paid parental leave to welcome a new family member.
The Life Story is how we understand the themes of your career journey so far, human to human. What you’ve learned, and how you made a difference. Show us the trophies and the bruises: the problems you’ve solved, the challenges you encountered, the decisions you made, and the lessons you learned along the way.
We’re looking for world-class crafters. Crafters obsessed with pursuing excellence in their field. Our craft assessment looks at your personal journey toward mastery, and your potential to go broader and deeper in novel ways.
You’ll start with an online assessment, followed by a craft assessment. Show us what you do best, and how you do it. Shopify’s bar is high, and code wins arguments around here. Let your skills do the talking.
Building on your craft assessment, these interviews dive deeper into your experience and technical aptitude. Depending on the role, this may include technical deep dives focusing on projects you've previously worked on, collaborating in a design critique, exploring a dataset using SQL, or taking the lead on solving a problem with your interviewer as your co-pilot.