Staff Applied Scientist I, Search Retrieval

Company Description
Etsy is the global marketplace for unique and creative goods. We build, power, and evolve the tools and technologies that connect millions of entrepreneurs with millions of buyers around the world. As an Etsy Inc. employee, whether a team member of Etsy or Depop, you will tackle unique, meaningful, and large-scale problems alongside passionate coworkers, all the while making a rewarding impact and Keeping Commerce Human.

Salary Range:

What’s the role?

We’re looking for a Staff Applied Scientist I to join the Search Retrieval team at Etsy. Our mission is to build efficient, scalable, and intelligent retrieval systems that surface the most relevant listings from a catalog of over a hundred million unique and creative items. We combine lexical matching, semantic retrieval, and hybrid models to power the first step in Etsy’s search stack, which helps buyers discover items they'll love.

In this role, you’ll stay on top of cutting-edge research in information retrieval and machine learning, and apply the best ideas in production to solve real-world challenges. You’ll collaborate with a cross-functional team of engineers, applied scientists, and product managers to deliver robust systems and models, and evaluate them through live A/B experiments on Etsy.com. If you're excited about using modern ML to improve search experiences and connect people with meaningful, one-of-a-kind finds, we'd love to hear from you.

This is a full-time position reporting to the Engineering Manager  In addition to salary, you will also be eligible for an equity package, an annual performance bonus, and our competitive benefits that support you and your family as part of your total rewards package at Etsy. 

For this role, we are considering candidates based in the United States. Candidates living within commutable distance of Etsy’s Brooklyn Office Hub or in the San Francisco Bay Area may be the first to be considered. For candidates within commutable distance, Etsy requires in-office attendance once or twice per week depending on your proximity to the office. Etsy offers different work modes to meet the variety of needs and preferences of our team. Learn more details about our  work modes and workplace safety policies here.

What’s this team like at Etsy?

We apply cutting-edge machine learning, deep learning, and information retrieval techniques to solve high-impact problems at Etsy scale. You’ll work on challenges like:

• Designing and improving retrieval engines that power Etsy Search, incorporating techniques like dual-encoder models, vector similarity search, and query expansion

• Building large-scale indexing and serving systems for lexical and semantic retrieval

• Collaborating with applied scientists and engineers to bring retrieval models to production, optimize latency and throughput, and scale up across Etsy’s catalog

What does the day-to-day look like?

• Lead cross-functional collaborations to shape and prioritize initiatives that directly drive product impact and strategic goals.

• Architect and scale advanced retrieval systems that optimize relevance, recall, latency, and resilience in production.

• Drive the long-term innovation roadmap by introducing and adapting cutting-edge retrieval and representation learning techniques.

• Design and analyze complex A/B experiments, setting a high bar for methodological rigor and measurable relevance improvements.

• Investigate and resolve nuanced issues in retrieval behavior, leading efforts to enhance candidate recall, coverage, and diversity across user experiences.

• Partner closely with product and engineering leadership to define and deliver roadmaps spanning immediate priorities and long-range initiatives (6–12 months+).

• Act as a technical thought leader in retrieval, mentoring engineers and scientists, and influencing the broader direction of Etsy’s search systems.

• As with any high-impact role, flexibility is key. Responsibilities may evolve over time in response to business needs and opportunities.

• Of course, this is just a sample of the kinds of work this role will require! You should assume that your role will encompass other tasks, too, and that your job duties and responsibilities may change from time to time at Etsy's discretion, or otherwise applicable with local law.

Qualities that will help you thrive in this role are:

• Proven track record of delivering impactful machine learning and NLP solutions across the full pipeline: from data extraction and feature engineering to model development, evaluation, and seamless production integration.

• Experience designing scalable and extensible ML systems that account for localization and regional variation, enabling global product impact.

• Strong software engineering foundations with a focus on writing clean, maintainable, and production-ready code; proficient in Python, Java, Scala, or equivalent languages.

• Hands-on experience with modern ML frameworks and infrastructure, such as PyTorch, TensorFlow/TFX, and a deep understanding of their use in production environments.

• Ability to translate abstract ideas into reliable, well-tested code that is easy to understand and evolve by teammates and your future self.

• A collaborative and empathetic team member who communicates clearly and constructively across disciplines.

• Consistent experience shipping production-grade ML systems, with a strong bias for high-quality, measurable, and sustainable outcomes.

Additional Information
 

What's Next
If you're interested in joining the team at Etsy, please share your resume with us and feel free to include a cover letter if you'd like. As we hope you've seen already, Etsy is a place that values individuality and variety. We don't want you to be like everyone else -- we want you to be like you! So tell us what you're all about.
 
Our Promise
At Etsy, we believe that a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace furthers relevance, resilience, and longevity. We encourage people from all backgrounds, ages, abilities, and experiences to apply. Etsy is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If, due to a disability, you need an accommodation during any part of the application or interview process, please let your recruiter know. While Etsy supports visa sponsorship, sponsorship opportunities may be limited to certain roles and skills.