Senior Software Engineer (Machine Learning / MLOps)

KellyMitchell Group; Santa Monica (CA); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 114,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance

Employee-Owned ESOP

401K offered

Job summary

KellyMitchell Group seeks a Senior Software Engineer (Machine Learning / MLOps) to productionize ML solutions and maintain reliable data pipelines in a hybrid Santa Monica environment.

You will optimize Python/R code, develop complex SQL, and validate model outputs with business insight, collaborating with data scientists and engineers to drive data-driven decisions.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of Python and/or R for analytics or ML.
• 5+ years of SQL experience with complex queries and optimization.
• Hands-on ML production support and MLOps experience.

Responsibilities

• Productionalize ML models and statistical apps with reliable engineering practices.
• Develop and optimize SQL and Python/R code for performance and scalability.
• Ensure data quality via QA, validation, and anomaly detection.
• Build scalable data pipelines transforming raw data to analytics-ready datasets.
• Automate data workflows, model operations, and quality checks.
• Support forecasting, causal inference, and predictive modeling improvements.

Skills

Python

R

SQL

MLOps

Data quality assurance

Production-grade code

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering/Data Science

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Airflow

dbt

Snowflake

Databricks

Apache Spark

Looker/Tableau

Job description

Job Summary

Our client, a leading entertainment and media company, is seeking a Senior Software Engineer (Machine Learning / MLOps) to join their team! This is a 19-month contract opportunity supporting a Content Science organization focused on optimizing machine learning products, improving model performance, and enabling data-driven business decisions. The ideal candidate combines strong software engineering fundamentals with hands‑on experience in Python and/or R, advanced SQL, MLOps, and data quality assurance. This role focuses on production‑ready machine learning solutions, code optimization, reliable data pipelines, and the ability to validate complex model outputs through technical expertise and business judgment. This position is hybrid in Santa Monica, CA, requiring four days onsite and one day remote per week. This position is W-2 only. We do not work with third-party firms or C2C arrangements for this role.

Core Responsibilities

• Optimize, refactor, and productionalize machine learning models and statistical applications using efficient, reliable engineering practices
• Develop and optimize complex SQL queries and Python/R code to improve performance, scalability, and maintainability
• Perform rigorous quality assurance, anomaly detection, and data validation to ensure model outputs and analytical results are accurate and reliable
• Design, build, and maintain scalable data pipelines that transform raw data into reliable, analytics‑ready datasets
• Automate data workflows, model operations, and quality checks to reduce manual effort and improve operational efficiency
• Support forecasting, causal inference, and predictive modeling products through engineering enhancements and new feature development
• Collaborate with Data Scientists, engineers, and business stakeholders to troubleshoot issues, evaluate results, and communicate actionable findings

Required Skills/Experience (Must‑Haves)

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Operations Research, Applied Economics, or a related quantitative field
• 5+ years of experience developing, optimizing, and maintaining Python and/or R code for analytical or machine learning applications
• 5+ years of experience with SQL, including complex querying, query optimization, and cloud-hosted databases
• 5+ years of experience supporting analytical quality assurance, data validation, troubleshooting, and anomaly detection
• Hands‑on experience engineering, optimizing, and deploying production-ready machine learning models, including MLOps practices
• Strong software engineering fundamentals, including code refactoring, performance optimization, debugging, and reliable production coding practices
• Experience developing and maintaining data pipelines and automated workflows using tools such as Airflow, dbt, or comparable technologies

Preferred Skills/Experience (Nice‑to‑Haves)

• Master's degree in a related quantitative field or experience supporting media, entertainment, or subscription-based businesses
• Experience with machine learning and statistical techniques such as time‑series forecasting, causal inference, regression, decision trees, or clustering
• Experience with Snowflake, Databricks, Amazon S3, Apache Spark, or comparable data platforms
• Familiarity with JupyterLab, Jupyter Notebook, or similar development environments
• Experience with model versioning, model registries, and production model monitoring
• Experience with data exploration and visualization tools such as Looker or Tableau
• Experience leveraging AI-assisted development tools to improve coding efficiency and data workflows

Key Competencies & Behaviors

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy and quality
• Excellent analytical thinking, troubleshooting, and independent problem‑solving skills
• Ability to apply business judgment and critically evaluate automated outputs
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including explaining technical findings to non-technical stakeholders
• Collaborative, team-oriented approach with a constructive and respectful communication style

Work Environment

Location: Santa Monica, CA

Work Arrangement: Hybrid, four days onsite and one day remote per week

Contract Duration: Approximately 19 months

Compensation & Benefits

Pay Range: The approximate pay range for this position is between $58.00 and $83.00 per hour. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate. Final compensation may vary based on factors including but not limited to background, knowledge, skills, and location.

We comply with local wage minimums

Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance Plans

Employee-Owned Profit Sharing (ESOP)

401K offered

About KellyMitchell

At KellyMitchell, our culture is world class. We’re movers and shakers! We don’t mind a bit of friendly competition, and we reward hard work with unlimited potential for growth. This is an exciting opportunity to join a company known for innovative solutions and unsurpassed customer service. We're passionate about helping companies solve their biggest IT staffing & project solutions challenges. As an employee‑owned, women‑led organization serving Fortune 500 companies nationwide, we deliver expert service at a moment's notice.