Senior ML Engineer - Mission-Critical Defense AI

Software Engineering Institute | Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh (Allegheny County)

On-site

USD 140,000 - 210,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

Carnegie Mellon University’s SEI AI Division is seeking a Machine Learning Engineer to take research ideas from concept to prototype for defense-focused missions. You will lead independent applied‑research projects across data pipelines, model development, API services, and secure deployment.

The ideal candidate is comfortable across the full stack, eager to explore novel AI theory, and capable of delivering mission‑scale capabilities with robust security and collaboration with government

Qualifications

B.S. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Statistics, or related field with ≥10 years of experience; OR M.S. with ≥8 years; OR Ph.D. with ≥5 years.
Ability to obtain and maintain an active Department of War security clearance.
You must be able and willing to work onsite 5 days per week at an SEI office in either Pittsburgh, PA or Arlington, VA.
Strong experience in one or more programming languages such as Python, C/C++, and Java; production‑grade code and APIs.
Solid understanding of ML theory, statistical learning, and common algorithms.
Hands‑on experience with TensorFlow, PyTorch, Torch, Caffe, or similar deep‑learning libraries.
Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, container orchestration (Docker/Kubernetes), model versioning, and security‑focused tooling.

Responsibilities

Design, implement, and evaluate state‑of‑the‑art ML models (computer‑vision, NLP, planning, etc.) using frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, Torch, or Caffe.
Build and maintain robust data pipelines, ETL processes, and backend services in Python, C/C++, and Java.
Lead rapid‑prototyping efforts, translate research results into operational prototypes, and test for performance, robustness, and security.
Define and refine DevSecOps practices for ML (model registries, containerized deployment, CI/CD, security scanning).
Mentor junior team members, collaborate with researchers, government customers, and other engineers, and contribute to technical strategy for the lab.