Senior Machine Learning Platform Engineer

FieldAI; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Collaboration with experts from top organizations

Inclusive workplace culture

Job summary

A leading robotics AI firm in Irvine seeks a Senior Machine Learning Platform Engineer. In this role, you will manage scalable ML infrastructure and develop cloud-based pipelines for multimodal datasets. The ideal candidate will have over 4 years of experience in ML infrastructure, coding skills in Python and TypeScript, and expertise in distributed systems and cloud platforms. Join our innovative team to transform raw data into actionable insights, working at the forefront of robotics challenges.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of industry experience in ML infrastructure or platform engineering.
• Strong coding skills in Python/TypeScript.
• Experience with distributed systems and cloud platforms (AWS preferred).
• Hands-on experience building ML pipelines for distributed training.

Responsibilities

• Design and manage scalable ML infrastructure.
• Develop cloud-based pipelines for training, evaluation, and inference.
• Build data systems for video ingestion and storage.
• Ensure reliability and observability with monitoring.
• Mentor and manage junior engineers.

Skills

Python

TypeScript

ML infrastructure

MLOps workflows

Cloud platforms

Distributed systems

Education

Bachelor’s/Master’s in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Terraform

Docker

Kubernetes

CloudFormation

MLflow

Kubeflow

Airflow

Job description

FieldAI’s Irvine team is where embodied AI meets real robots, real sensors, and real field deployments. Based in the heart of Southern California’s robotics ecosystem, we build risk‑aware, reliable, field‑ready AI systems that solve the hardest problems in robotics and unlock the full potential of embodied intelligence. If you want your work to ship, get tested on hardware, and improve through real deployments, Irvine is the place. We go beyond typical data‑driven approaches or pure transformer‑only architectures, combining rigorous engineering with learning systems proven in globally deployed solutions that deliver results today and get better every time our robots run in the field.

Who are We?

Field AI is transforming how robots interact with the real world. We are building risk‑aware, reliable, and field‑ready AI systems that address the most complex challenges in robotics, unlocking the full potential of embodied intelligence. We go beyond typical data‑driven approaches or pure transformer‑based architectures, and are charting a new course, with already‑globally‑deployed solutions delivering real‑world results and rapidly improving models through real‑field applications. Learn more at https://fieldai.com.

About the Job

Our Field Foundation Model (FFM) powers a global fleet of autonomous robots that capture massive streams of multimodal data across diverse, dynamic environments every day. As part of the Insight Team our mission is to transform this raw, multimodal data into actionable insights that empower our customers and engineers to deliver value. Field‑insight Foundation Model (FiFM) is at the core of how we transform multimodal data from autonomous robots into actionable insights. As a Senior Machine Learning Platform Engineer you will own the infrastructure that powers FiFM, from model hosting and distributed training pipelines to data systems, observability, and security. This is a role at the intersection of systems engineering and machine learning. You’ll design and operate large‑scale ML platforms, ensure FiFM transitions smoothly from research into production, and optimize for both performance and cost across cloud and edge. In addition to building core infrastructure, you’ll play a leadership role by mentoring junior engineers, setting technical direction, and raising the engineering bar across the team.

What You’ll Get To Do:

• Design and manage scalable ML infrastructure with IaC tools (Terraform, CloudFormation)
• Develop and optimize cloud‑based pipelines for training, evaluation, and inference on multimodal datasets
• Build and operate data systems for large‑scale video ingestion, indexing, and storage
• Maintain MLOps workflows for versioning, experiment tracking, reproducibility, and CI/CD
• Ensure reliability and observability with monitoring, logging, and alerting
• Collaborate with AI/ML Engineers to productionize workflows
• Optimize infrastructure for performance and cost across cloud and edge
• Enforce best practices in security, compliance, and maintainability
• Mentor and manage junior engineers, providing technical guidance and career development

What You Have:

• Bachelor’s/Master’s in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 4+ years of industry experience in ML infrastructure or platform engineering
• Strong coding skills in Python/TypeScript and a strong foundation in software engineering best practices.
• Proven experience with distributed systems, cloud platforms (AWS preferred), containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes/EKS, Ray), and serverless
• Hands‑on experience building ML pipelines for distributed training and large‑scale inference
• Strong knowledge of data management at scale, including preprocessing and retrieval of video/image datasets
• Proficiency with CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure‑as‑code (Terraform, CloudFormation), and automation
• Familiarity with MLOps tools (MLflow, Kubeflow, Airflow)
• Experience with system monitoring and observability in production

The Extras That Set You Apart:

• Experience with vector databases (OpenSearch, Pinecone, Weaviate) for indexing and retrieval
• Familiarity with distributed training frameworks (Horovod, DDP/FSDP, DeepSpeed, Ray)
• Hands‑on experience with GPU orchestration and auto‑scaling (Karpenter, SageMaker, EKS)
• Experience with agentic AI deployment workflows, orchestration frameworks, and retrieval‑augmented generation
• Strong knowledge of security and compliance in ML and cloud environments

Our salary range is generous and we consider each individual’s background and experience when determining final compensation. Base pay may vary based on role scope, job‑related knowledge, skills, experience, and the Irvine, California market.

Why Join FieldAI in Irvine?

In Irvine, you will work where the robots are. Our local team builds and tests systems on real hardware with real sensors, then ships them to operate in unstructured, previously unknown environments around the world. We are solving one of robotics’ hardest challenges: reliable deployment outside the lab. Our Field Foundational Models™ raise the bar for perception, planning, localization, and manipulation, with an emphasis on explainability and safety for real‑world use.

You will collaborate with a world‑class team that thrives on creativity, resilience, and bold thinking. We bring deep experience from organizations such as DeepMind, NASA JPL, Boston Dynamics, NVIDIA, Amazon, Tesla Autopilot, Cruise, Zoox, Toyota Research Institute, and SpaceX, along with a track record of field deployments and strong performance in DARPA challenge segments.

Be Part of the Next Robotics Revolution

We are looking for builders who want their work to leave the whiteboard and show up on robots. If you enjoy tackling tough, uncharted questions and working across disciplines, you will find your people here. Our teams span AI, software, robotics engineering, product, field deployment, and technical communication, all focused on shipping systems that perform in the real world.

Our headquarters is in Irvine, and we partner closely with teams there as well as colleagues across the US and around the world. Join us in Southern California and help define what dependable, field‑ready autonomy looks like.

We value diverse perspectives and are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace. We evaluate candidates and employees based on merit, qualifications, and performance, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or any other legally protected status.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.