Sr. Staff AI/ML Engineer

Building the Future of Crypto. Our Krakenites are a world-class team with crypto conviction, united by our desire to discover and unlock the potential of crypto and blockchain technology. What makes us different? Kraken is a mission-focused company rooted in crypto values. As a Krakenite, you’ll join us on our mission to accelerate the global adoption of crypto, so that everyone can achieve financial freedom and inclusion.

For over a decade, Kraken’s focus on our mission and crypto ethos has attracted many of the most talented crypto experts in the world. As a fully remote company, we have Krakenites in 70+ countries who speak over 50 languages. Krakenites are industry pioneers who develop premium crypto products for experienced traders, institutions, and newcomers to the space. Kraken is committed to industry‑leading security, crypto education, and world‑class client support through our products like Kraken Pro, Desktop, Wallet, and Kraken Futures.

The team joins Kraken’s Data org and owns the Machine Learning platforms and systems used across the company. The team operates at company‑wide scope, enabling multiple product and engineering teams to build, deploy, and operate ML models reliably in production. We work closely with product, engineering, data science, security, and compliance partners to ensure ML systems are scalable, observable, and aligned with Kraken’s business and regulatory requirements.

Engineers on the team are expected to operate with high autonomy, handle broad problem spaces, and drive technical clarity in ambiguous environments. The team values deep technical expertise, strong ownership, and mentorship, with an emphasis on raising the bar across the organization.

The opportunity:

• Set long‑term technical direction for Kraken’s AI/ML strategy, influencing multiple teams and initiatives.
• Own the architecture and evolution of core AI/ML systems, including training, feature management, serving, experimentation, and monitoring.
• Lead cross‑team efforts to standardize ML development and operational practices across the company.
• Drive the design and delivery of complex, high‑impact ML systems for use cases such as fraud, risk, personalization, and recommendations.
• Partner with senior engineering, product, and data leaders to identify where ML can unlock step‑change improvements in scalability and efficiency.
• Balance hands‑on technical contributions with architectural leadership and design review responsibilities.
• Evaluate emerging ML and GenAI technologies and lead their adoption when they provide durable platform‑level value.
• Mentor Staff and Senior engineers, shaping technical culture and raising the overall quality of ML engineering at Kraken.

Skills you should HODL:

• 10+ years of experience building and operating large‑scale production Machine Learning systems.
• Proven track record of owning ML platforms or infrastructure used by multiple teams or products.
• Strong system design skills, with experience making long‑term architectural tradeoffs in complex environments.
• Expert‑level proficiency in Python and strong experience with additional languages such as Scala, Go, or Rust.
• Deep hands‑on experience with ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit‑learn) and model lifecycle management.
• Extensive experience with MLOps practices, including experimentation frameworks, CI/CD, model monitoring, and reliability.
• Strong background in data‑intensive and distributed systems (Spark, object storage, large‑scale batch and streaming).
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence, mentor senior engineers, and communicate technical strategy to diverse stakeholders.

Unless a specific application deadline is stated in the job posting, applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Please note, applicants are permitted to redact or remove information on their resume that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution. We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment on our team, assessing candidates in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Kraken is powered by people from around the world and we celebrate all Krakenites for their diverse talents, backgrounds, contributions and unique perspectives. We hire strictly based on merit, meaning we seek out the candidates with the right abilities, knowledge, and skills considered the most suitable for the job. We encourage you to apply for roles where you don’t fully meet the listed requirements, especially if you’re passionate or knowledgeable about crypto!

As an equal opportunity employer, we don’t tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind. Whether that’s based on race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, citizenship, religion, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state or local laws.