Principal Machine Learning Engineer

Placements24; Riverton (UT); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Bonus potential

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Hybrid work model

Professional development budget

Research opportunities

Cutting-edge compute resources

Stock options

Paid time off

Career growth in leadership

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Principal Machine Learning Engineer to lead the design, development, and deployment of advanced ML models. You will mentor engineers, collaborate with cross‑functional teams, and drive production‑level AI solutions that solve complex problems.

You will shape technical direction, evaluate frameworks, and push the frontier of AI while ensuring ethical and scalable systems. A hybrid work model supports collaboration and flexibility.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or Master's in CS/AI or related quantitative field.
• Proven track record leading ML projects and teams.
• Deep knowledge of ML algorithms, DL architectures, and statistical modeling.
• Proficiency in Python and ML libraries (TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, Keras).
• Experience with large-scale data processing and distributed computing (Spark).
• Cloud experience (AWS/Azure/GCP) and MLOps practices.
• Strong problem solving, analytical, and leadership abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and deployment of sophisticated ML models and algorithms.
• Research and apply state‑of‑the‑art ML techniques to business problems.
• Develop and maintain robust ML pipelines for data prep, training, evaluation and deployment.
• Collaborate with data scientists, software engineers, and product managers to integrate ML into products.
• Mentor junior ML engineers and data scientists.
• Stay abreast of ML advances and contribute to IP through research.
• Ensure ethical and responsible development and deployment of AI systems.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Mentoring

Collaboration

Education

Ph.D. or M.S. in CS/AI

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

scikit-learn

Keras

Spark

AWS

GCP

Azure

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a cutting‑edge artificial intelligence research and development firm, is seeking a highly accomplished Principal Machine Learning Engineer to join their innovative team in Upington, Northern Cape . This is a leadership role where you will drive the design, development, and deployment of advanced machine learning models and systems that solve complex real‑world problems. You will be instrumental in setting technical direction, mentoring junior engineers, and collaborating with cross‑functional teams to push the boundaries of AI. This position offers a hybrid work model, enabling effective collaboration and personal flexibility. We are looking for an individual with a deep theoretical understanding and practical experience in machine learning, a passion for innovation, and a proven ability to deliver impactful AI solutions. You will work at the forefront of AI technology, shaping the future of our products and services.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and implementation of sophisticated machine learning models and algorithms.
• Research and apply state‑of‑the‑art ML techniques to solve challenging business problems.
• Develop and maintain robust ML pipelines for data preprocessing, model training, evaluation, and deployment.
• Collaborate with data scientists, software engineers, and product managers to integrate ML solutions into products and services.
• Optimize ML models for performance, scalability, and efficiency.
• Evaluate and select appropriate ML frameworks, tools, and technologies.
• Mentor and guide junior machine learning engineers and data scientists.
• Stay abreast of the latest advancements in machine learning, deep learning, and related fields.
• Contribute to the company's intellectual property through research and publications.
• Ensure the ethical and responsible development and deployment of AI systems.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Statistics, or a related quantitative field.
• Extensive experience as a Machine Learning Engineer, with a proven track record of leading complex projects.
• Deep understanding of machine learning algorithms, statistical modeling, and deep learning architectures (e.g., CNNs, RNNs, Transformers).
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, and relevant ML libraries (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit‑learn, Keras).
• Experience with large‑scale data processing and distributed computing frameworks (e.g., Spark).
• Strong understanding of data structures, algorithms, and software engineering principles.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and MLOps practices.
• Excellent problem‑solving, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and leadership abilities.
• Experience with deploying ML models into production environments.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and significant bonus potential.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Hybrid work model offering flexibility and work‑life balance.
• Generous budget for professional development, including research, conferences, and publications.
• Opportunity to work on groundbreaking AI research and development.
• Access to cutting‑edge computational resources and datasets.
• Collaborative and intellectually stimulating work environment.
• Paid time off and company holidays.
• Stock options or equity grants.
• Opportunities for significant career growth and leadership.