Principal Machine Learning Engineer - Remote

Ladders; United States; Remote; USD 187,000 - 254,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Retirement and savings plan

Discretionary annual bonus

Stock-based incentives

Flexible time-off

Job summary

Ladders is seeking a Principal Machine Learning Engineer for a remote US-based position in the Pharmaceuticals & Biotech space. You will partner with business and tech leaders to drive high-value AI initiatives, build scalable solutions, and lead hands-on engineering efforts from concept to enterprise-ready architecture.

You will shape technical standards, promote reuse, and mentor teams to deliver practical AI outcomes at scale.

Qualifications

• PhD with ML engineering experience or Master’s with ML background.
• Experience delivering production ML systems beyond prototypes.
• Strong Python and API development skills.

Responsibilities

• Identify AI opportunities with business leaders to define success metrics
• Lead cross-functional teams to shape AI initiatives
• Architect and build AI proofs of concept using advanced technologies
• Evaluate feasibility through practical experiments
• Define scalable architectures and reusable components
• Mentor and elevate engineering standards

Skills

Full-stack development

Technical leadership

Hands-on ML engineering

Python

Education

Doctorate

Master's degree

Bachelor's degree

Associate's degree

Tools

AWS

DevOps practices

Enterprise architecture

Job description

For our client, we are seeking a Principal Machine Learning Engineer to join the team of a leader in the Pharmaceuticals & Biotech space. This role will partner closely with business leaders and technical stakeholders to identify high-value AI opportunities and translate them into actionable initiatives. The selected individual will help shape scalable machine learning solutions, from early concepts and proof-of-concept work through enterprise-ready architecture. This is a hands‑on engineering leadership role focused on driving technical standards, enabling reuse, and improving the organization’s ability to deliver practical AI outcomes. Location: Remote - US based candidates only, no visa sponsorship available. Compensation: $187,395 – $253,534 annually.

Responsibilities

• Engage with business leaders to identify AI opportunities and define success metrics
• Lead cross-functional teams to transform ambiguous ideas into clear AI initiatives
• Architect and build AI proofs of concept using advanced technologies and hands‑on engineering
• Evaluate feasibility and business value through practical experimentation and early assessments
• Define scalable architectures and create reusable components for enterprise solutions
• Set high engineering standards through mentorship and technical leadership

Qualifications

• Doctorate degree with 2 years of experience in Machine Learning Engineering, or Master's with 6 years, or Bachelor's with 8 years, or Associate's with 10 years, or high school diploma with 12 years of experience in Machine Learning Engineering
• Substantial experience in machine learning and software engineering, with ownership of applications beyond prototypes
• Deep full-stack development skills, particularly in Python and API development
• Hands‑on experience with cloud platforms like AWS and DevOps practices
• Strong knowledge of generative AI and machine learning application design
• Experience with enterprise architecture and integration patterns
• Demonstrated technical leadership and team management experience

Benefits

• Comprehensive employee benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Retirement and savings plan with generous company contributions
• Discretionary annual bonus program or sales‑based incentive plan for field sales representatives
• Stock‑based long‑term incentives
• Award‑winning time‑off plans
• Flexible work models where applicable

Our client is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every qualification—your background could be exactly what this team needs.