Staff Machine Learning Engineer (Gaming)

Location: Hybrid in Los Angeles, CA; Oakland, CA; New York, NY; or Toronto

Salary: $180,000–$220,000 USD per year in base salary; typical starting salary is $190,000 USD for candidates fully ready for the role scope. Final offers vary by experience and location. Bonus, equity, and additional benefits are provided separately.

Company

hirify.global operates a loyalty app for mobile gamers where users discover games, earn rewards, and redeem them for gift cards.

What you will do

• Lead the strategy for hirify.global’s rewarding and loyalty economy in a cross-functional group.
• Create and implement machine learning-driven rewards economy systems and core loops.
• Analyze and optimize economy strategies and implementations to improve engagement and business outcomes.
• Design and productionize contextual bandits and reinforcement learning frameworks to personalize reward distribution in real time.
• Architect the rewards economy, balancing player value, incentives, and sustainable unit economics.
• Partner with Product, Analytics, Engineering, and Finance to translate business goals into algorithmic constraints and incentive structures.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in Data Science, Machine Learning, Quant, Econometrics, or related fields, or a Master’s or Ph.D. in Data Science, Machine Learning, or a related quantitative field.
• Understanding of reinforcement learning, including DeepQ and contextual bandits.
• Expertise implementing machine learning models with Python and PyTorch.
• Strong data analysis skills using SQL and Python.
• Experience in Quant, Data Science, or related fields, with foundational understanding of economy and core loop design in gaming or similar contexts.
• Knowledge of real-time predictive modeling and interest in innovative AI solutions.
• Ability to explore and implement solutions quickly while maintaining a strategic focus on core loops and economy design.

Nice to have

• Prior experience in ad-tech or mobile gaming focused on player behavior economics and engagement strategies.
• Expertise suitable for up-leveling the position to Principal.

Culture & Benefits

• Hybrid work environment with virtual and in-person activities.
• Team lunches, game nights, and company-wide events.
• Growth-oriented culture that encourages ideas, calculated risks, and experimentation.
• Data-informed environment focused on continuous learning, improvement, and adaptation.
• Bonus component, equity, and additional benefits alongside base salary.