Senior Research Scientist - Personalization

About the Role

The Personalization team at Spotify is dedicated to enhancing the music and podcast discovery experience for every listener. We are responsible for beloved features like Blend and Discover Weekly, driven by a deep understanding of the audio landscape. Join us to influence the listening habits of millions by crafting exceptional recommendations.

Within Spotify's Personalization organization, our research team pushes the boundaries of machine learning and AI to define the future of personalized audio experiences. We investigate novel approaches, question existing paradigms, and contribute to the wider research community while guiding long-term product strategy.

What You'll Do

• Conduct original research in machine learning and artificial intelligence, with a focus on large-scale foundation models and generative AI.
• Develop novel methodologies, models, and evaluation frameworks to advance personalization systems.
• Design and execute rigorous experiments to explore new ideas and validate research hypotheses.
• Contribute to the scientific community through publications, talks, and conference participation.
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners to translate research insights into long-term product opportunities.
• Help define and evolve a forward-looking research agenda aligned with Spotify's personalization strategy.
• Mentor others and contribute to a strong, curious, and collaborative research culture.

Who You Are

• Master's or PhD in machine learning, artificial intelligence, or a related field, or equivalent research experience.
• 2+ years of experience conducting research in machine learning or AI, ideally in an industry or academic setting.
• A track record of publications or contributions to top-tier conferences such as NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, or similar.
• Deep knowledge of machine learning, with experience in areas such as recommender systems, generative models, or representation learning.
• Experience in designing experiments and working with real-world datasets to validate research ideas.
• A passion for advancing the understanding of user behavior and improving experiences across music and talk content.
• Curiosity, creativity, and a thoughtful approach to solving complex, open-ended problems.
• A collaborative spirit and a proactive approach to seeking diverse perspectives.

Where You'll Be

• This role is based in New York City or Boston.
• We offer flexibility to work where you work best, with some in-person meetings and the option to work from home.

Compensation and Benefits

The United States base range for this position is $169,157-$241,653 USD, plus equity. Benefits include health insurance, six-month paid parental leave, 401(k) retirement plan, monthly meal allowance, 23 paid days off, paid flexible holidays, and paid sick leave. These ranges are subject to change.

Equal Opportunity and Inclusivity

Spotify is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and experiences. We believe that our differences drive innovation and success. We are dedicated to ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to everyone and offer reasonable accommodations upon request.

About Spotify

Since launching in 2008, Spotify has revolutionized music listening. Our mission is to unlock human creativity by empowering artists and connecting them with billions of fans. Our passion for music and podcasting fuels everything we do. We are the world's leading audio streaming subscription service.

Note: Spotify may use AI tools to assist in the hiring process, such as reviewing applications and resumes. These tools support our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are made by humans. For more information on data processing, please refer to our AI notice: https://lifeatspotify.com/ai-notice