Staff Applied Research Scientist, Tech Lead

Vantor; United States; Remote; USD 150,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with company match

Mental health resources

Student loan repayment assistance

Adoption reimbursement

Pet insurance

Job summary

Vantor is seeking a senior ML engineer to design, build, and deploy production ML systems that empower decision-makers across geospatial analytics. The role emphasizes end-to-end ML pipelines, scalable inference, and collaboration with research, engineering, and product teams.

Ideal candidates have 5+ years of experience in ML systems, deep learning, and distributed training, with hands-on expertise in building models and optimizing performance.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Computer Science, ML, AI, applied mathematics, or related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of experience building and deploying ML systems in production.
• Experience delivering end-to-end ML pipelines: data processing, training automation, evaluation, scalable inference.
• Hands-on DL models, distributed training, large-scale data processing, model optimization.
• Ability to collaborate across research, engineering, and product teams.

Skills

ML pipelines

Deep learning

Distributed training

Data processing

Model optimization

Education

MS/PhD in CS/ML/AI

Tools

GCP

Job description

Vantor is forging the new frontier of spatial intelligence, helping decision makers and operators navigate what’s happening now and shape what’s coming next. Vantor is a place for problem solvers, changemakers, and go-getters—where people are working together to help our customers see the world differently, and in doing so, be seen differently. Come be part of a mission, not just a job, where you can: Shape your own future, build the next big thing, and change the world.

To be eligible for this position, you must be a U.S. Person, defined as a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, Asylee, or Refugee. Export Control/ITAR: Certain roles may be subject to U.S. export control laws, requiring U.S. person status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Minimum Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Applied Mathematics, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of experience building and deploying machine learning systems in production environments.
• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering end-to-end ML pipelines, including data processing, training automation, evaluation frameworks, and scalable inference.
• Hands-on experience developing and deploying deep learning models, particularly in one or more of the following areas: Familiarity with distributed training, large-scale data processing, and model optimization techniques.
• Ability to collaborate across research, engineering, and product teams to bring advanced AI capabilities into real-world applications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with geospatial data, remote sensing, satellite imagery, or Earth observation systems.
• Experience building or fine-tuning foundation models, multimodal models, or agentic AI systems.
• Familiarity with Google Cloud Platform (GCP), including large-scale AI/ML infrastructure.
• Experience implementing model monitoring, evaluation pipelines, and automated retraining systems.
• Contributions to open-source AI projects, research publications, or patents.

Pay Transparency

To support pay transparency, Vantor includes salary ranges in all U.S. job postings. Starting pay for this role will fall within the listed range and will be based on factors such as experience, qualifications, skills, location, and market conditions. Candidates who meet the minimum requirements for the role should not expect to receive compensation at the top of the range. The listed range reflects the expected pay for this position, and final offers will be determined based on each candidate’s experience, expertise, and alignment with the role.

• The base pay for this position within Colorado is: $150,000.00 - $200,000.00 - $220,000.00 annually.
• The base pay for this position within New Jersey is: $150,000.00 - $200,000.00 - $220,000.00 annually.
• The base pay for this position within Delaware is: $150,000.00 - $200,000.00 - $220,000.00 annually.
• The base pay for this position within the Washington, DC metropolitan area is: $165,000.00 - $220,000.00 - $242,000.00 annually.
• The base pay for this position within California is: $150,000.00 - $200,000.00 - $220,000.00 annually.

For all other states, we use geographic cost of labor as an input to develop market-driven ranges for our roles, and as such, each location where we hire may have a different range.

Benefits

Vantor offers a competitive total rewards package that goes beyond the standard, including a robust 401(k) with company match, mental health resources, and unique perks like student loan repayment assistance, adoption reimbursement and pet insurance to support all aspects of your life. You can find more information on our benefits at: https://www.Vantor.com/careers Additionally, this position is incentive eligible with a target based on contribution, company performance, and/or individual results achieved; the specific incentive plan and target amount will be determined based on the role and breadth of contributions.

EEO Policy

Vantor is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace. We believe in fostering an environment where all team members feel respected, valued, and encouraged to share their ideas. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also provide reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities in compliance with federal and state laws.