AI/ML Research Engineer — On-Site, Mission-Focused

Penn State University; University Park (TX); On-site; USD 122,000 - 231,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition discount

Comprehensive benefits

Paid time off

Job summary

Penn State University’s Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) seeks a highly motivated AI/ML researcher to join the Comprehensive Software Solutions (CSS) Department. The role focuses on adversarial, safe, and/or agentic AI with strong research and transition of concepts into impactful capabilities.

The candidate will conduct advanced AI/ML research, develop novel models, and communicate results through publications and presentations to sponsors and internal stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Strong foundation in ML concepts including supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning.
• Hands-on model development with PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX.
• Proficiency in Python and scientific computing libraries (NumPy, Pandas, SciPy).
• Data preprocessing, feature engineering with structured/unstructured data.
• Understanding statistics, probability, optimization, and linear algebra.
• Designing deep neural networks (CNNs/RNNs/Transformers) and GPU training.
• Reproducible experiments and clear documentation.

Responsibilities

• Conduct advanced research in AI/ML, software engineering, and related fields.
• Develop novel methods addressing AI challenges for sponsors.
• Communicate results via reports, publications, and presentations to stakeholders.
• 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 perform larger tasks individually or as part of a group.

Skills

ML fundamentals

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Python

NumPy

Pandas

Statistics

Optimization

Experimental design

Model validation

Documentation

Team collaboration

Communication

Education

Master’s or Doctorate in CS/AI/ML

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or Science

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

ML pipeline tools

Job description

Penn State University’s Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) seeks a highly motivated AI/ML researcher to join the Comprehensive Software Solutions (CSS) Department. The role focuses on adversarial, safe, and/or agentic AI with strong research and transition of concepts into impactful capabilities.

The candidate will conduct advanced AI/ML research, develop novel models, and communicate results through publications and presentations to sponsors and internal stakeholders.