Bumble is seeking a Principal Machine Learning Engineer to define and lead ML strategy for next-generation matching and recommendation systems.

Define and lead technical strategy for AI and ML systems that support recommendations, ranking, and personalization across Bumble products
Deliver measurable improvements in user engagement and safety
Design, develop, and deploy production-grade models using modern ML frameworks such as PyTorch, with focus on scalability and reliability in high-traffic environments
Build and deploy production AI Agents using raw and fine-tuned foundational LLMs, including sub-agents, tools, and MCP integrations
Architect end-to-end ML pipelines, integrating data processing (e.g., Spark, Airflow) with training, evaluation, and deployment workflows
Drive experimentation frameworks, including A/B testing and offline evaluation, to improve model performance and product outcomes
Partner cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, and Data leadership to convert business challenges into impactful ML solutions
Mentor and elevate senior individual contributors, supporting a culture of Excellence, Curiosity, and continuous learning across the ML community
Own complex and ambiguous problem spaces from insight to impact, adapting with an agile mindset
Champion responsible AI practices to embed fairness, transparency, and user safety into ML systems

Typically requires 10–15 years of experience (alternative backgrounds considered when skills are equivalent)
Deep, hands-on expertise building and deploying large-scale ML systems in production
Python proficiency and experience with at least one major ML framework (e.g., PyTorch or TensorFlow)
Experience in recommendation systems, ranking models, and/or NLP
Expertise in prompting and fine-tuning LLMs, plus building production AI Agents
Proven ability to design scalable data and ML pipelines using tools such as Spark, Airflow, or similar distributed systems
Ability to operate as a senior individual contributor and influence technical strategy and decisions without direct authority
Demonstrated cross-functional collaboration and ownership of outcomes in complex organizational environments
Track record mentoring and uplifting others, role modeling Respect and Excellence while building inclusive, high-performing teams
Strong AI fluency to independently design, evaluate, and optimize ML systems and guide responsible, effective AI use by others

USD 345,000 - 410,000 per year
Final compensation determined based on qualifications, relevant experience, skill set, and other job-related factors

Bumble Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and encourages candidates of all ages, colors, sexual orientations, gender identities, veterans, parents, people with disabilities, and neurodivergent people to apply
Reasonable adjustments are available to help candidates feel more confident during the process
Candidates may include pronouns in the application (e.g., she/her, he/him, they/them)

AI tools may support parts of recruitment, such as recording, transcribing, summarizing conversations, and highlighting resume-job alignment
Hiring decisions are made by people; AI supports efficiency and candidate experience, not evaluation or decision-making
AI-supported interviews and conversations are voluntary and do not affect candidacy
Opt out is available by informing the recruiter or interviewer at the start of a call or anytime during the conversation
Summaries and related data are retained only as needed per internal retention policies; transcription or summary deletion can be requested via the recruiter

The applicant tracking system analyzes signals tied to device, IP, email, and phone data to protect applicants and the hiring process
Signals are for internal review only and are not a definitive determination of identity or intent
No rejection, advancement, or impact occurs based solely on this analysis without human review

Location: New York, NY (onsite)

Principal Machine Learning Engineer, Matching and Recommendations

Job Description