Senior Machine Learning Engineer (Ads Ranking)

About SmartNews

SmartNews is a global leader in redefining information and news discovery, committed to providing users with accurate, timely information and supporting quality journalism. We combine the power of our unique machine-learning technology with the expertise of our first-rate editorial team to bring news that matters to millions of users from our over 3,000 global publishing partners.

Founded in 2012 in Tokyo, Japan, SmartNews has offices in Tokyo, San Francisco, Palo Alto, New York, and Singapore.

The Team

Ads are the lifeblood of our company, and our state-of-the-art Ads Ranking system enables us to create the most relevant, profitable, and sustainable ad products. The team is responsible for developing Deep Neural Network (DNN) based machine learning architecture and scaling our core-ranking system. This involves solving a range of online prediction, recommendation, and optimization problems using engineering and mathematical thinking to maximize ad revenue and performance. We are seeking talented engineers to build the next-generation ads delivery system to support our fast and aggressive company growth.

Your Responsibilities

• Develop Ads Ranking core systems and algorithms to generate relevant ads that drive the growth of a profitable ads ecosystem (e.g., ads targeting, ranking, auction, strategy, model serving reliability, etc.).
• Build highly scalable machine learning/deep learning systems and models to improve ads ranking quality. Relevant model types include, but are not limited to, user click-through rate (CTR), user conversion rate (CVR), prediction models, and user targeting models.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, such as product managers and product specialists, to enhance the efficiency of ads auction and bidding strategies by releasing new algorithms.
• Work closely with backend engineers to develop a scalable ads ranking and delivery system.

Requirements

Minimum requirements

• BS degree or higher in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Science (Physics or Mathematics), or other relevant majors.
• 3+ years of experience in prediction, optimization, or other relevant systems for online web services (e.g., online advertisement, content recommendation, etc.).
• Proven experience in driving business impact through machine learning, deep learning, or mathematical optimization (e.g., achieving increased revenue or user volume).
• Familiarity with the architecture and implementation mechanisms of at least one mainstream machine learning programming framework (TensorFlow, PyTorch, MXNet, etc.).
• Proficiency in business-level English.

Nice to have experiences/skills

• M.S. or Ph.D. in a relevant major.
• Experience with AWS, Spring Boot, MySQL, Hive, Hadoop, Spark, Docker, and Kubernetes.
• Proven experience in cross-functional core projects.
• Experience in developing high-traffic web services, particularly in backend engineering for ad-delivery servers.
• Experience in the ads industry.
• Basic understanding of statistics and various mathematics at a liberal arts level, with knowledge in game theory and auction theory.
• Proficiency in business-level Japanese.

Benefits

Benefits available at the SmartNews Tokyo Office

• Lunch and snacks prepared daily in our on-site kitchen facility
• In-office coffee stand offering single-origin coffees, espresso-based beverages, teas, and other seasonal drinks
• SmartSelect, our support program for employee self-development, well-being, and productivity
• All healthcare and social insurance required by the Japanese labor law

Visa Sponsorship and Relocation Support

• Work visa sponsorship is available for candidates who meet eligibility requirements
• To support a smooth transition for candidates who are moving to Japan from overseas, SmartNews partners with a travel service provider