---
title: 'Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Operations Research at Instacart'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-machine-learning-engineer-operations-research-instacart-united-states-bb348mwqegth'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-06'
---

# Senior Machine Learning Engineer, Operations Research at Instacart

- **Company:** Instacart
- **Location:** United States
- **Compensation:** $173k–$219k
- **Work type:** remote
- **Posted:** 2026-04-09
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-06
- **Apply:** https://instacart.careers/job/?gh_jid=7793089

## 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:

We are looking for a Senior Machine Learning Engineer with a strong Operations Research background to join the Service Availability & Routing team within Instacart's Logistics organization. In this role, you will work at the intersection of combinatorial optimization, mathematical programming, and AI to solve high-impact problems in the fulfillment space — including order batching, shopper routing, service availability prediction, and real-time assignment. You'll partner closely with engineering, product, and data science to ship models and algorithms that directly influence Instacart's profitability and shopper experience at scale.

The Logistics & ML group is responsible for the intelligence and execution behind Instacart’s fulfillment system. The team optimizes a multi-sided marketplace to ensure customers get their orders on-time and in high quality, shoppers get efficient and fulfilling work, and retailers and consumer brands get reasonable business. The team tackles hard problems in a variety of spaces, such as matching, pricing, and geospatial, as well as foundational problems executing on a high throughput system with dynamic data.

About the Job:

- Design, develop, and deploy machine learning solutions to tackle practical challenges in the marketplace.
- Collaborate closely with product managers, data scientists, and backend engineers to deeply understand business needs and create impactful ML applications.
- Actively engage with diverse stakeholders to ensure that solutions are well-integrated and aligned with business goals.
- Push the envelope on our operational efficiency by continually refining and advancing our algorithms and models.

About You:

Minimum Qualifications:

- 3+ years of industry experience using machine learning to solve real-world problems with large datasets
- Have strong programming skills in Python and fluency in data manipulation (SQL, Pandas) and Machine Learning (scikit-learn, XGBoost, Keras/Tensorflow) tools
- Have strong analytical skills and problem-solving ability
- Are a strong communicator who can collaborate with diverse stakeholders across all levels
- Graduate degree (masters or PhD) in Operations Research or Industrial Engineering or closely related field

Preferred Qualifications:

- Knowledge of deep learning frameworks and methodologies
- Experience in applying machine learning and optimization techniques to solve marketplace problems

#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/).

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

CA, NY, CT, NJ $207,000—$218,500 USD

WA $198,000—$209,000 USD

OR, DE, ME, MA, MD, NH, RI, VT, DC, PA, VA, CO, TX, IL, HI $190,000—$205,000 USD

All other states $173,000—$182,500 USD

## 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)

## Other roles at Instacart

- [Senior Software Engineer, Fulfillment](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-fulfillment-instacart-united-states-wym8ekrhmrpf) — United States
- [Senior Software Engineer, Caper AI](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-caper-ai-instacart-united-states-xknk296s9jh4) — United States
- [Senior Product Manager, Discounting Platform](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-product-manager-discounting-platform-instacart-united-states-wgafn8vwvp7t) — United States
- [Senior Software Engineer, Growth](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-growth-instacart-united-states-z6jt8qb1rtxx) — United States
- [Senior Mobile Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-mobile-engineer-instacart-united-states-1162539jyhzd) — United States
- [Strategic Finance Special Projects Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/strategic-finance-special-projects-manager-instacart-united-states-wb7cyqq9z2yj) — United States
- [Growth Media Marketing Manager, Paid Search](https://feeny.ai/job/growth-media-marketing-manager-paid-search-instacart-canada-qh28cdyw6emy) — Canada
- [Senior Software Engineer II, AI Labs & Foundations](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-ii-ai-labs-foundations-instacart-united-states-58rwbc1j70c8) — United States
- [Principal Supply Chain Partner Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-supply-chain-partner-manager-instacart-canada-06sz5a6e2mjy) — Canada
- [Principal Supply Chain Partner Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-supply-chain-partner-manager-instacart-united-states-8n0jr7cmn8r9) — United States