AI/ML Research Engineer — On-Site, High-Impact Innovation

The Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State University; University Park (TX); On-site; USD 122,000 - 231,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Retirement plans

Paid time off ( holidays, vacation, S/

Job summary

The Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State University is seeking a motivated researcher to join the Comprehensive Software Solutions (CSS) Department. The role focuses on AI/ML, deep learning, and Generative AI, with emphasis on adversarial and safe/agentic AI to solve sponsor challenges.

On-site work in State College, PA with occasional travel to remote testing locations. Strong research record and ability to translate concepts into practical capabilities are essential; ARL values

Qualifications

• Strong foundation in machine learning concepts across supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning.
• Hands-on model development with PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX.
• Proficiency in Python and scientific libraries (NumPy, Pandas, SciPy).
• Experience with data preprocessing and working with structured/unstructured data.
• Solid grasp of statistics, probability, optimization, and linear algebra.
• Design and implementation of CNNs, RNNs, or Transformer models.
• Experience training/evaluating models on GPU-accelerated hardware.
• Ability to document experiments clearly and maintain reproducible workflows.
• Experience integrating ML models into software systems or prototypes.
• Understanding of model validation, benchmarking, and performance tuning.
• Strong problem-solving and ability to translate research questions into ML tasks.
• Familiarity with version control, testing, and modern software practices.

Responsibilities

• Conduct advanced research in AI/ML, software engineering, and related fields.
• Develop novel methods addressing AI challenges for sponsor bases.
• Communicate results via technical reports, publications, and presentations.
• Contribute to publications, white papers, and study plans in AI/ML.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to design, prototype, and evaluate mission-focused solutions.
• Lead tasks and contribute to larger projects as part of a team.

Skills

ML concepts

PyTorch/TF/JAX

Python

NumPy/Pandas/ SciPy

DL architectures

GPU training

Experiment reproducibility

Version control

Communication

Research publications

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or science

Master’s or Doctorate (preferred)

Tools

Docker

Job description

The Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State University is seeking a motivated researcher to join the Comprehensive Software Solutions (CSS) Department. The role focuses on AI/ML, deep learning, and Generative AI, with emphasis on adversarial and safe/agentic AI to solve sponsor challenges.

On-site work in State College, PA with occasional travel to remote testing locations. Strong research record and ability to translate concepts into practical capabilities are essential; ARL values