Staff Machine Learning Engineer, Ads Tech

We exist to wow our customers. We know we’re doing the right thing when we hear our customers say, “How did we ever live without Coupang?” Born out of an obsession to make shopping, eating, and living easier than ever, we’re collectively disrupting the multi-billion-dollar e-commerce industry from the ground up. We are one of the fastest-growing e-commerce companies that established an unparalleled reputation for being a dominant and reliable force in South Korean commerce.  

 We are proud to have the best of both worlds — a startup culture with the resources of a large global public company. This fuels us to continue our growth and launch new services at the speed we have been since our inception. We are all entrepreneurial surrounded by opportunities to drive new initiatives and innovations. At our core, we are bold and ambitious people that like to get our hands dirty and make a hands-on impact. At Coupang, you will see yourself, your colleagues, your team, and the company grow every day.  

Our mission to build the future of commerce is real. We push the boundaries of what’s possible to solve problems and break traditional tradeoffs. Join Coupang now to create an epic experience in this always-on, high-tech, and hyper-connected world.  

Role Overview  

As our Staff Machine Learning Engineer for  Coupang Ads Technology (Ads Tech), you will be responsible for developing, designing machine learning models, optimization algorithms and new product features for our advertising platform.   

The Coupang Ads Technology (Ads Tech) is responsible for providing vendors that sell their products on Coupang with a host of marketing products and services.   Our group is responsible for advertising brands and products inside our e-commerce website. 

This is an opportunity to be part of building up a new development organization with strong revenue potential inside a successful company. We’re building full-stack engineering teams to handle large scale advertising problems, including real-time behavioral targeting, auctioning and bidding systems and search-based advertising.    

In this role you will be responsible for innovating and building our new ad quality stack for our ads platform and eventually extend it into a full ad exchange, DSP, and SSP. 

What You Will Do

• Design and implement scalable machine learning models for ad targeting, relevance, ranking, and user engagement using modern frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, Keras, and H2O.ai
• Develop optimization algorithms for automated bidding, keyword expansion, and real-time personalization using techniques like reinforcement learning, multi-armed bandits, and deep neural networks
• Build predictive models and recommendation systems to help advertisers identify high-performing segments and improve return on ad spend
• Architect and maintain distributed ML pipelines using tools like Apache Spark, MLflow, Kubeflow, and Amazon SageMaker for internet-scale data processing and model deployment
• Lead cross-functional engineering efforts, mentor junior developers, and drive technical strategy for ML initiatives
• Collaborate business stakeholders such as product and data science teams to define and deliver new advertising features and performance metrics

Basic Qualifications  

• Bachelors’ degree in computer science, electrical engineering, mathematics, statistics or closely related fields
• 4 years of professional experience in software engineering and applied machine learning
• Strong foundation in machine learning, deep learning, and statistical modeling including supervised and unsupervised learning, neural networks, and ensemble methods
• Strong understanding of data structures, algorithms, and distributed computing
• Proficiency in Python and/or Java, with experience in building production grade ML systems

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Google Cloud Platform including services like Vertex AI, BigQuery or SageMaker
• Prior experience in digital advertising, search advertising or ad marketplaces
• Familiarity with real-time systems, auction theory, and programmatic advertising
• Experience working in startup or high-growth environments
• Proven ability to lead-cross-functional teams and deliver results in a multicultural, global organization
• Hands-on experience with modern ML frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, Keras, XGBoost, LightGMB, and H2o.ai
• Experience with ML lifecycle tools such as MLflow, Kubeflow, Weights & Biases, or Amazon SageMaker
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage ambiguity in fast-paced environments

Pay & Benefits   

Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several US geographic markets. At Coupang, your base pay is one part of your total compensation.  

The base pay for this position ranges from $138,000/year in our lowest geographic market to $297,000/year in our highest geographic market. Pay is based on several factors including market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.  

 General Description of All Benefits   

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life, AD&D insurance   
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) & Health Savings Account (HSA)  
• Long-term/Short-term Disability  
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) program  
• 401K Plan with Company Match  
• 18-21 days of the Paid Time Off (PTO) a year based on the tenure  
• 12 Public Holidays  
• Paid Parental leave  
• Pre-tax commuter benefits  
• MTV - [Free] Electric Car Charging Station   

General Description of Other Compensation  

 “Other Compensation” includes, but is not limited to, bonuses, equity, or other forms of compensation that would be offered to the hired applicant in addition to their established salary range or wage scale.  

Coupang is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to actual or perceived race (including traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to hair texture and protective hair styles), color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ,ancestry, national origin (including language use restrictions), age (40 and over), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis C status, family status (including but not limited to marital or domestic partnership status), military or veteran status, use of a trained dog guide or service animal, political activities or affiliations, ancestry, citizenship, family and medical leave status, status as a victim of any violent crime, or any other characteristic or class protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. 

Requisition ID: R0058793