At Lyft, our purpose is to serve and connect. We aim to achieve this by cultivating a work environment where all team members belong and have the opportunity to thrive.
With a billion rides per year and counting, Lyft is solving hard problems in a rapidly growing domain with a lot of data and creative solutions in Rider, Marketplace, Growth, and beyond. While traditional approaches to optimization and problem decomposition are sufficient to disrupt transportation, building a next-generation platform for low-cost, ultra-immersive transportation to improve people's lives warrants modern ML utilizing peta-byte scale data. Our highly motivated Machine Learning Engineers work on these challenging problems and define solutions to directly impact various aspects of our core business.
If you are a critical thinker with experience in machine learning workflows and LLMs, passionate about solving business problems using data and working in a dynamic, creative, and collaborative environment, we are searching for you.
We are seeking a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to join the Rider Applied AI team and lead the design, development, and deployment of state-of-the-art machine learning and artificial intelligence systems. This role requires a strategic thinker who can balance high-level system architecture with hands-on technical implementation. You will collaborate across teams to shape the future of ride-sharing by leveraging AI, Machine learning and Data science.
Responsibilities:- Model Development & Research: Design, build, and deploy machine learning models for real-time applications, including translating state-of-the-art research into production-ready solutions.
- System Design: Architect scalable, reliable ML pipelines that integrate seamlessly with existing backend systems.
- Innovation & Applied Research: Stay ahead of the curve by exploring emerging algorithms, technologies (such as LLMs and LLM-based applications), and frameworks — critically evaluating new research and identifying high-impact use cases across business areas.
- Collaboration: Partner with ML engineers, product managers, data scientists, and software engineers to align ML initiatives with business goals.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Leverage data-driven insights to inform and refine ML strategies and solutions.
- Mentorship & Technical Leadership: Provide technical direction, mentor Junior engineers, and foster a culture of learning and collaboration.
- Code Quality: Write production-level code and participate in code reviews to ensure quality and share knowledge across the team.
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science or related technical field
- 5+ years (or Ph.D. with 3+ years) of experience in machine learning modelling or related fields
- Experience with deep learning technologies for recommendation systems, including TensorFlow, PyTorch, or similar frameworks
- Understanding of statistical concepts such as hypothesis testing, regression analysis, and performance evaluation metrics for machine learning
- Experience with translating state-of-the-art ML research into production systems
- Proficiency in Python, Golang, or other programming language
- Proven ability to tackle ambiguous problems and deliver solutions at scale.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills for effective cross-functional collaboration.
- Great medical, dental, and vision insurance options with additional programs available when enrolled
- Mental health benefits
- Family building benefits
- Child care and pet benefits
- 401(k) plan with company match to help save for your future
- In addition to 12 observed holidays, salaried team members have discretionary paid time off, hourly team members have 15 days paid time off
- 18 weeks of paid parental leave. Biological, adoptive, and foster parents are all eligible
- Subsidized commuter benefits
- Monthly Lyft credits and complimentary Lyft Pink membership
Lyft is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace that fosters belonging. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, age, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by law. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.
Lyft highly values having employees working in-office to foster a collaborative work environment and company culture. This role will be in-office on a hybrid schedule — Team Members will be expected to work in the office 3 days per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Lyft considers working in the office at least 3 days per week to be an essential function of this hybrid role. Your recruiter can share more information about the various in-office perks Lyft offers. Additionally, hybrid roles have the flexibility to work from anywhere for up to 4 weeks per year. #Hybrid
The expected base pay range for this position in the San Francisco area is $162,800 - $203,500, not inclusive of potential equity offering, bonus or benefits. Salary ranges are dependent on a variety of factors, including qualifications, experience and geographic location. Your recruiter can share more information about the salary range specific to your working location and other factors during the hiring process.
Skills Required
- B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Computer Science or quantitative field, or equivalent work experience
- 5+ years of Machine Learning experience
- Proficiency in Python, Golang, or other programming language
- Strong understanding of ML methodologies including supervised learning, forecasting, recommendation systems, reinforcement learning, and multi-armed bandits
- Excellent communication skills and fluency in English
- Passion for building impactful machine learning models
Lyft Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Lyft and has not been reviewed or approved by Lyft.
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Healthcare Strength — Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage is provided for corporate employees, with added access to One Medical and mental‑health support for employees and dependents. Benefits materials also highlight wellness programs alongside these core plans.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave of 18 weeks is offered for biological, adoptive, and foster parents, and family‑building and fertility support are included. These provisions are consistently described as a standout element of the package.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Salaried U.S. employees have unlimited PTO, and hourly employees receive a defined bank of paid time off plus observed holidays. Some reports also note sabbatical eligibility after tenure.
Lyft Insights
What We Do
Lyft was founded in 2012 by Logan Green and John Zimmer to improve people’s lives with the world’s best transportation, and is available to approximately 95 percent of the United States population as well as select cities in Canada. Lyft is committed to effecting positive change for our cities by offsetting carbon emissions from all rides, and by promoting transportation equity through shared rides, bikeshare systems, electric scooters, and public transit partnerships.
