Lead Machine Learning Engineer at Universal Music Group, Santa Monica, CA

Lead Machine Learning Engineer at Universal Music Group in Santa Monica, CA. Full-time. $200,000 to $250,000 a year. Apply with swipeandhired.

We are UMG, the Universal Music Group. We are the world’s leading music company. In everything we do, we are committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship. We own and operate a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries. We identify and develop recording artists and songwriters, and we produce, distribute and promote the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music to delight and entertain fans around the world.

How we LEAD:
Universal Music Group is building an Applied AI and Machine Learning function to help our teams discover and develop artists, connect with fans, make stronger commercial decisions, and protect the integrity of the music ecosystem.

We are looking for a Lead Machine Learning Engineer to build, ship, and operate reliable machine learning and AI systems that create durable value across UMG. This is a senior individual-contributor role for an engineer who combines strong software and systems expertise with practical knowledge of the AI and ML lifecycle.

You will turn models, data products, and AI workflows into maintainable production capabilities across revenue forecasting, artist, catalog intelligence and talent scouting, release marketing, and rights and ecosystem integrity. The role focuses on reproducible development, rigorous evaluation, safe deployment, observability, cost efficiency, and continuous improvement.

How you’ll CREATE:
Core MLOps & Production Infrastructure

Data & Feature Engineering

Business Stakeholders

What success looks like in your first 12 months

Bring your VIBE:

Especially valuable

Perks Playlist:

Join an entrepreneurial, global organization where authenticity, boldness, creativity, connection, drive, and insight aren’t just values—they’re how we work every day. Here are some of the ways we support you along the way (and just a few of the benefits we offer):

A variety of ways to prioritize much-needed time away from work including:

Check out our full overview of benefits on the Perks Playlist page of the career site.

Disclaimer: This job description only provides an overview of job responsibilities that are subject to change.

Universal Music Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an E-Verify employer in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah.

Please note, UMG is not enrolled in E-Verify in California and New York, and cannot support employment of candidates whose employer must enroll in E-Verify, for example candidates on STEM-OPT.

For more information, please click on the following links.

E-Verify Participation Poster: English / Spanish
E-Verify Right to Work Poster: English | Spanish

Job Category:
Data, Analytics & Business Intelligence
Salary Range:
$200k-$250k
The actual base salary offered depends on a variety of factors, which may include, as applicable, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, specific and unique skills, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job. All candidates are encouraged to apply.