Staff Machine Learning Engineer

Summary

Join Airbnb's AI Experience Team as a Staff Machine Learning Engineer to lead complex AI initiatives and architect solutions for a next-generation platform leveraging generative AI. You will collaborate with cross-functional partners, develop prototypes, and transition them into production features. Responsibilities include building large-scale AI solutions, improving AI data quality, and serving as a technical mentor. Your work will shape Airbnb's AI-forward future, impacting millions of guests and hosts worldwide. This US-remote eligible position requires 9+ years of machine learning engineering experience with expertise in generative AI and large language models. You will be responsible for developing cutting-edge systems that transform the Airbnb app into an intuitive, real-time AI experience.

Requirements

• 9+ years of professional machine learning engineering experience, including proven leadership on AI/ML projects at scale, ideally at the Staff Engineer level or above
• Hands-on experience building and shipping generative AI solutions, emphasizing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), agentic workflows, and large language models
• Demonstrated success improving AI data quality through synthetic data techniques, adversarial testing, or advanced data annotation pipelines
• Strong proficiency in backend engineering and cloud-based architectures that support high-volume, real-time AI workloads
• Excellent communication skills and a track record of cross-functional collaboration, translating complex technical concepts into actionable insights for varied audiences
• Passion for responsible and ethical AI, designing solutions with guardrails that prioritize accuracy, user trust, and inclusiveness

Responsibilities

• Architect and develop large-scale AI solutions, from data pipelines and fine-tuning methodologies to multi-step agentic workflows, transforming Airbnb’s platform into a deeply personalized and intelligent concierge
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners to develop prototypes that push the boundaries of generative AI, then transition them into high-impact production features
• Develop prototypes that embed state-of-the-art generative AI capabilities, ensuring they meet production-level metrics for reliability, scalability, and ethical alignment
• Drive data quality, leveraging advanced synthetic data generation techniques and robust analytics to continuously improve AI performance
• Serve as a technical mentor, conducting knowledge-sharing sessions and code reviews that uplift team-wide expertise in AI and machine learning
• Present progress, insights, and strategic recommendations to senior leadership, influencing the broader AI roadmap at Airbnb

Benefits

This role may also be eligible for bonus, equity, benefits, and Employee Travel Credits