---
title: 'Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Economist at Instacart'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-machine-learning-engineer-economist-instacart-canada-cvfsyt8we9pk'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-06'
---

# Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Economist at Instacart

- **Company:** Instacart
- **Location:** Canada
- **Compensation:** $180k–$190k
- **Work type:** remote
- **Posted:** 2026-08-27
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-06
- **Apply:** https://instacart.careers/job/?gh_jid=8157738

## Job description

We're transforming the grocery industry

At Instacart, we invite the world to share love through food because we believe everyone should have access to the food they love and more time to enjoy it together. Where others see a simple need for grocery delivery, we see exciting complexity and endless opportunity to serve the varied needs of our community. We work to deliver an essential service that customers rely on to get their groceries and household goods, while also offering safe and flexible earnings opportunities to Instacart Personal Shoppers.

Instacart has become a lifeline for millions of people, and we’re building the team to help push our shopping cart forward. If you’re ready to do the best work of your life, come join our table.

Instacart is a Flex First team

There’s no one-size fits all approach to how we do our best work. Our employees have the flexibility to choose where they do their best work—whether it’s from home, an office, or your favorite coffee shop—while staying connected and building community through regular in-person events. [Learn more about our flexible approach to where we work.](https://www.instacart.careers/flex-first)

## Overview

As a machine learning engineer in the Economics team, you will build state-of-the-art systems that blend rigorous economic thought with sophisticated machine learning algorithms to tackle some of the company's most challenging problems. Working in a horizontal team, you will have the opportunity to collaborate closely with partners across multiple functions to operate on a highly diverse set of problems, contributing both economic and engineering expertise in a fast-paced environment filled with exciting opportunities for technically-minded economists.

The Economics team at Instacart works on a range of interesting and challenging problems across our platform, from aligning the incentives in our multi-sided marketplace to analyzing the role of prices and product placement in our customers' decision-making. Some of the core areas of focus for our team include matching and logistics, online advertising, uplift and long-term value modeling, and general causal inference. Check out [this blog post](https://tech.instacart.com/the-economics-team-at-instacart-94c48db951e8) to learn more.

## About the Job

- Design, develop, and deploy machine learning solutions to tackle the many economic challenges in our complex marketplace.
- Collaborate closely with product managers, data scientists, and other engineers to deeply understand business needs and create impactful solutions.
- Push the envelope on our operational efficiency by continually refining and advancing our algorithms and models.
- Be an active member of the Economics team, sharing learnings, best practices, and research across domains while refining and advancing our algorithms.

## About You

We are open to hiring either a Machine Learning Engineer II, Economist (fresh PhD graduate) or a Senior Machine Learning Engineer I, Economist (post-PhD industry experience).

## Minimum Qualifications

- Graduate Degree (Masters or PhD) in Economics or a closely related field
- A blend of economic theory, applied econometrics, and business skills that let you jump into a fast-paced environment and contribute from day one.
- Experience applying causal inference methodologies to both observational and experimental datasets.
- An understanding of machine learning algorithms and techniques.
- Strong programming skills (Python) and fluency in data manipulation (SQL, Pandas) and machine learning tools (e.g., scikit-learn, XGBoost).
- Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written).
- Self-motivation and a strong sense of ownership.

For Senior Machine Learning Engineer I, Economist hires, we also expect:

- 1-3 years of industry experience in a similar position.
- Experience putting machine learning models into production environments.
- Experience with cloud computing and related ML infrastructure.

## Preferred Qualifications

- A PhD in Economics or a closely related field with a focus on data-intense problems.
- Intern experience in related roles.
- Experience with large language models and generative AI, both on the algorithm side as well as a day-to-day tool.
- Experience with uplift modeling, contextual bandits, and/or heterogeneous treatment effect estimation.

#LI-Remote Instacart provides highly market-competitive compensation and benefits in each location where our employees work. This role is remote and the base pay range for a successful candidate is dependent on their permanent work location. Please review our Flex First remote work policy [here](https://instacart.careers/flex-first/). Currently, we are only hiring in the following provinces: Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia.

Offers may vary based on many factors, such as candidate experience and skills required for the role. Additionally, this role is eligible for a new hire equity grant as well as annual refresh grants. Please read more about our benefits offerings [here](https://instacart.careers/taste-of-instacart/).

For Canadian based candidates, the base pay ranges for a successful candidate are listed below.

CAN $180,000—$190,000 CAD

## About Instacart

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Instacart is the leading online grocery platform in North America, offering same-day delivery and pickup services from over 700 retail partners.
- **Entity Type**: Private (venture-backed)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, USA
- **Founded**: 2012
- **Founders**: Max Mullen (co-founder) [instacart.careers](https://www.instacart.careers/flex-first)

## Core Business
- Primary industries: Online grocery delivery, internet & web services
- Target customers: B2C consumers; also B2B partnerships with retailers and brands
- Mission: “Our mission is to create a world where everyone has access to the food they love and more time to enjoy it together.” [glassdoor.com](https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Instacart-EI_IE714486.11,20.htm)

## Products & Services
- **Instacart Platform**: Same-day delivery and pickup from grocery stores, superstores, and local shops. Customers order via mobile app or website.
- **Instacart+**: Premium membership offering reduced delivery fees, lower service fees, and special perks.
- **Retail Partnerships**: Instacart powers e‑commerce and fulfillment for over 700 retailers across the U.S. and Canada.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available (private company).
- **Key Metric**: Annual revenue not disclosed; employee count between 1,001 and 5,000 per Glassdoor. [glassdoor.com](https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Instacart-EI_IE714486.11,20.htm)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not listed in provided sources – state “Not publicly available” per search results.
- **Growth Signals**: 47% of job seekers rate their interview experience positively; 59% of employees would recommend the company. [glassdoor.com](https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Instacart-EI_IE714486.11,20.htm) The company highlights a “high-impact environment” where you can “do in two years what might take five at another company.” [instacart.careers](https://www.instacart.careers/taste-of-instacart)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Network effects**: Largest online grocery platform in North America with deep integrations across major retailers.
- **Scale & brand recognition**: Highly trusted name in grocery delivery, with a large base of both consumers and shoppers.
- **Flex First model**: A remote-friendly culture that allows hiring top talent across the U.S. and Canada, reducing geographic constraints.

## Strategic Focus
- **Flex First & distributed work**: Empowering employees to work from home or offices, with periodic “Team Jams” for in‑person collaboration. [instacart.careers](https://www.instacart.careers/flex-first)
- **Continued platform growth**: Expanding retailer partnerships and improving the shopping experience for customers, shoppers, and brands.
- **Employee experience**: Investing in learning & development, wellness, and community impact programs to attract and retain talent.

## Why Work Here
- **Flex First philosophy**: Employees can work remotely from anywhere in the U.S. (excluding Alaska and territories) or Canada (Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia) with no mandatory return-to-office date. Offices remain open for optional use. [instacart.careers](https://www.instacart.careers/flex-first)
- **Comprehensive benefits** (from the “Taste of Instacart” page): [instacart.careers](https://www.instacart.careers/taste-of-instacart)
  - Flexible time off and “Four Year Fill‑Up” (four consecutive weeks of leave around the 4‑year mark)
  - Family‑building benefits (fertility, adoption, surrogacy support)
  - Learning & development programs with an annual allowance
  - 401(k) matching in the U.S. / RRSP in Canada, student loan assistance, financial planning
  - Work‑from‑home stipend and internet reimbursement
  - Monthly “Treat Yourself” stipend for wellness or personal care
  - Mental and physical wellness programs, medical/dental/vision coverage
  - Free Instacart+ membership
  - Community volunteer programs (Instacart Serves, donation matching, “Carrot Credits”)
- **Culture**: 59% of employees on Glassdoor would recommend the company; Glassdoor ratings show 3.5★ overall, with 3.3★ for culture & values and 3.6★ for career opportunities. [glassdoor.com](https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Instacart-EI_IE714486.11,20.htm) The company describes itself as a place where you can “shape the career that nourishes you.”

## Sources
1. [Glassdoor – Instacart Overview](https://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Instacart-EI_IE714486.11,20.htm)
2. [Instacart Careers – Home](https://www.instacart.careers/)
3. [Instacart Careers – Flex First](https://www.instacart.careers/flex-first)
4. [Instacart Careers – Taste of Instacart](https://www.instacart.careers/taste-of-instacart)

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