Principal AI/ML Platform Architect
The Company
PayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy.
We operate a global, two-sided network at scale that connects hundreds of millions of merchants and consumers. We help merchants and consumers connect, transact, and complete payments, whether they are online or in person. PayPal is more than a connection to third-party payment networks. We provide proprietary payment solutions accepted by merchants that enable the completion of payments on our platform on behalf of our customers.
We offer our customers the flexibility to use their accounts to purchase and receive payments for goods and services, as well as the ability to transfer and withdraw funds. We enable consumers to exchange funds more safely with merchants using a variety of funding sources, which may include a bank account, a PayPal or Venmo account balance, PayPal and Venmo branded credit products, a credit card, a debit card, certain cryptocurrencies, or other stored value products such as gift cards, and eligible credit card rewards. Our PayPal, Venmo, and Xoom products also make it safer and simpler for friends and family to transfer funds to each other. We offer merchants an end-to-end payments solution that provides authorization and settlement capabilities, as well as instant access to funds and payouts. We also help merchants connect with their customers, process exchanges and returns, and manage risk. We enable consumers to engage in cross-border shopping and merchants to extend their global reach while reducing the complexity and friction involved in enabling cross-border trade.
Our beliefs are the foundation for how we conduct business every day. We live each day guided by our core values of Inclusion, Innovation, Collaboration, and Wellness. Together, our values ensure that we work together as one global team with our customers at the center of everything we do – and they push us to ensure we take care of ourselves, each other, and our communities.
Job Summary:
We are seeking a visionary and highly skilled Principal AI/ML Platform Architect to lead the design, development, and evolution of our next-generation AI/ML platform. In this pivotal role, you will drive the adoption of cutting-edge AI technologies, including Generative AI (GenAI), and architect scalable solutions to empower our teams to build and deploy innovative AI-powered products and services. You will be instrumental in defining the technical direction of our AI/ML infrastructure, fostering a culture of innovation, and ensuring alignment with the emerging industry trends. If you are passionate about shaping the future of AI and possess a deep understanding of advanced technologies, we encourage you to apply.Meet Our Team
Join a team dedicated to redefining intelligent systems and harnessing AI/ML platforms to revolutionize Personalization experiences & ads platform. We thrive on innovation, building infrastructure that supports state-of-the-art machine learning capabilities and building AI products that drive business transformation. Operating across multiple domains and countries, we push boundaries to ensure we remain at the forefront of global technology trends. We value continuous learning and provide opportunities for professional growth and development
Job Description:
Your Day-to-Day
As a Principal AI/ML Platform Architect, you will be at the forefront of shaping the future of our AI/ML capabilities. Your day will involve:
Driving strategic planning and technical leadership for AI/ML infrastructure supporting real-time personalization, ad delivery, and next-generation AI use cases.
Leading the architecture design and hands-on implementation of scalable platforms that power both traditional ML and agentic AI solutions, including multi-step reasoning and decision-making workflows.
Researching and evaluating emerging AI technologies, including Generative AI, LLM orchestration, vector databases, and open-source agentic frameworks.
Solving complex challenges in building, deploying, and optimizing AI/ML systems across training, inferencing, and continuous learning pipelines.
Collaborating with cross-functional teams—including product managers, ML engineers, and data scientists—to translate business goals into AI-first solutions and platform capabilities that accelerate innovation.
Core Responsibilities:
Architecting scalable systems to power our personalization engine and ads platforms, enabling tailored recommendations and data-driven ad placements.
Spearheading innovation in generative models, with a focus on contextual understanding and real-time predictions, enhancing user interactions across products.
Design, train, and fine-tune AI models, enabling greater adaptability to specific tasks and datasets while driving continuous improvements in accuracy, efficiency, and business relevance.
Leading initiatives to integrate AI solutions with broader business systems, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and the delivery of measurable outcomes.
Defining and implementing strategies for modular AI infrastructure such as MCP.
Agent2Agent communication protocols, elevating intelligent agent ecosystems.
Collaborating with stakeholders to identify opportunities for AI to unlock value, guiding roadmaps and prioritization efforts to maximize impact.
Establishing governance frameworks and best practices to ensure ethical, responsible AI implementation across platforms.
Qualifications
Proven experience in scaling AI/ML platforms from 0 to 1.
Deep understanding of AI/ML principles and algorithms, including deep learning, natural language processing, and machine learning.
Strong expertise in cloud computing platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and container orchestration (Kubernetes, Docker, etc.).
Hands-on experience in MLOps: designing and maintaining data pipelines, training workflows, and model-serving systems for cutting-edge AI models (including LLMs).
Experience with LLM frameworks and tools (e.g., Langchain, Transformers, PyTorch, TensorFlow).
Experience building and deploying GenAI applications.
Deep understanding of the research-product tension and ability to balance rapid iteration with scalable system design.
Strong leadership skills, with experience managing and mentoring high-energy, motivated teams.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
Why Join Us?
Be at the forefront of AI innovation, working on cutting-edge technologies that are transforming our industry.
Have a significant impact on the direction of our AI/ML platform and strategy.
Work with a talented and passionate team of engineers, data scientists, and product visionaries.
Enjoy a challenging and rewarding work environment with opportunities for professional growth and development.
Competitive salary and benefits package.
Opportunity to work on impactful projects that will shape the future of Agentic Commerce, Personalization, Ads at PayPal
Be part of a company that values innovation, collaboration, and diversity.
This job description is designed to attract top-tier talent who are passionate about AI/ML platform architecture and are ready to lead the charge in adopting the latest technologies to drive innovation.
Preferred Qualification:
Subsidiary:
PayPalTravel Percent:
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PayPal is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices.
Actual Compensation is based on various factors including but not limited to work location, and relevant skills and experience.
The total compensation for this practice may include an annual performance bonus (or other incentive compensation, as applicable), equity, and medical, dental, vision, and other benefits. For more information, visit https://www.paypalbenefits.com.
The US national annual pay range for this role is $209,000 to $359,150For the majority of employees, PayPal's balanced hybrid work model offers 3 days in the office for effective in-person collaboration and 2 days at your choice of either the PayPal office or your home workspace, ensuring that you equally have the benefits and conveniences of both locations.
Our Benefits:
At PayPal, we’re committed to building an equitable and inclusive global economy. And we can’t do this without our most important asset—you. That’s why we offer benefits to help you thrive in every stage of life. We champion your financial, physical, and mental health by offering valuable benefits and resources to help you care for the whole you.
We have great benefits including a flexible work environment, employee shares options, health and life insurance and more. To learn more about our benefits please visit https://www.paypalbenefits.com.
Who We Are:
Click Here to learn more about our culture and community.
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
PayPal provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. In addition, PayPal will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at talentaccommodations@paypal.com.
Belonging at PayPal:
Our employees are central to advancing our mission, and we strive to create an environment where everyone can do their best work with a sense of purpose and belonging. Belonging at PayPal means creating a workplace with a sense of acceptance and security where all employees feel included and valued. We are proud to have a diverse workforce reflective of the merchants, consumers, and communities that we serve, and we continue to take tangible actions to cultivate inclusivity and belonging at PayPal.
Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please Join our Talent Community.
We know the confidence gap and imposter syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates. Please don’t hesitate to apply.
