Principal Engineer, Personalization

10 Hours ago • 12 Years + • $188,000 PA - $323,950 PA

Job Summary

Job Description

As the Principal Engineer of Personalization in the Consumer Platform organization, you will define and drive the long-term architectural vision to elevate PayPal’s recommendation technology. You will be responsible for architecting and implementing robust solutions to complex problems. The role involves leading the architecture of a modular, extensible platform for intelligent recommendation capabilities across web and mobile app experiences, collaborating with data science teams, and partnering with various teams to align platform direction with customer and business needs. You will also mentor senior engineers and promote a data-driven approach to applying advanced machine learning techniques.
Must have:
  • 12+ years of technology experience with at least 5 years in Principal role.
  • Experience in building and managing recommendation systems.
Good to have:
  • Experience in the payments or fintech industry is highly desirable.
Perks:
  • Flexible work environment
  • Employee shares options
  • Health and life insurance
  • Other benefits

Job Details

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:

What you need to know about the role:
We are seeking an experienced and visionary Principal Architect of We are seeking a technically adept and visionary Principal Engineer, Personalization to lead the design and evolution of our recommendation and personalization platform. The goal is to deliver highly relevant and timely shopping content to our customers through scalable, performant, and extensible systems. This role requires a strong engineering foundation with a deep understanding of distributed systems and the practical applications of machine learning and AI. The ideal candidate has a proven track record of building enterprise platforms at scale, driving architectural decisions that prioritize reliability, flexibility, and long-term maintainability.

You will influence and align cross-functional teams across engineering, product, and data science to execute on a unified technical vision. You’ll play a critical role in setting platform direction, establishing engineering best practices, and ensuring the personalization infrastructure can support rapid innovation and measurable business impact.


Meet our Team

The Consumer Platform team builds foundational platform services and frameworks that power PayPal’s most critical consumer experiences. As part of this team, the Personalization and Recommendations group develops core technologies that drive intelligent, context-aware experiences across the PayPal ecosystem—delivering relevant content and recommendations throughout the customer journey.

Job Description:

Your Way to Impact 

As the Principal Engineer of Personalization in the Consumer Platform organization, you will define and drive the long-term architectural vision that elevates PayPal’s recommendation technology to the next level. Your work will directly shape how we deliver personalized, relevant, and timely experiences to millions of customers across the PayPal ecosystem. 

You will architect and implement robust solutions to complex problems. Our team is fast and innovative, following agile methodologies. If you are self-driven, passionate about Identity technology, a team- player and have effective communication skills, this role will fascinate you. 

 

Your day to day 

Strategic Leadership 

  • Define and execute the technology strategy to enable real-time recommendations at global scale. 

  • Stay ahead of industry trends and advancements in AI to ensure PayPal remains on the cutting edge of personalization technology. 

Platform Development 

  • Lead the architecture of a modular, extensible platform that powers intelligent and easily integrated recommendation capabilities across web and mobile app experiences. 

  • Champion the adoption of modern technologies to continuously evolve and enhance the personalization platform. 

  • Ensure the platform is scalable, secure, reliable, and optimized for both customer impact and developer efficiency. 

Data Science Enablement 

  • Collaborate closely with data science teams to streamline model development, experimentation, and deployment at scale. 

  • Collect feedback to improve platform capabilities and address evolving data science needs. 

Cross-Functional Collaboration 

  • Partner with product, engineering, marketing, sales, and support teams to align platform direction with customer and business needs—with a focus on delivering personalized experiences across PayPal’s web and app interfaces. 

  • Work with legal and compliance teams to ensure all solutions adhere to regulatory requirements and ethical standards. 

Team Leadership 

  • Mentor senior engineers and foster strong engineering rigor and excellence. 

  • Promote a practical, data-driven approach to applying advanced machine learning techniques in real-world contexts. 

Thought Leadership 

  • Represent PayPal at conferences, industry forums, and AI communities. 

  • Be a visible advocate for PayPal’s personalization vision and help position the company as a leader in AI and data-driven innovation. 

 

What do you need to bring 

Education: 

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.  

Experience:  

  • 12+ years of experience in technology roles with at least 5 years in Principal or Architecture role in recommendation systems  

  • Proven track record in building and managing recommendation systems  

  • Deep understanding of big data technologies, recommendation systems, an artificial intelligence  

  • Experience in the payments or fintech industry is highly desirable.  

Skills:  

  • Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.  

  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.  

  • Ability to build and maintain relationships with external partners and developers. 

Preferred Qualification:

Subsidiary:

Travel Percent:

0

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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 $188,000 to $323,950

For 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.

Notice to Applicants and Employees who reside within New York City. Click here to view the notice.

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About The Company

PayPal is on a mission to revolutionize commerce globally. We’re driving our company, industry, and society forward with vision and velocity. With our commitment to excellence, innovation, and talent, the possibilities are limitless. ​Learn more at. Learn more about privacy-related questions or data retention.

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