Senior Machine Learning Engineer - Reinforcement Learning (Remote-First)

Placements24; Gqeberha; Hybrid; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Stock options

Home office stipend

Professional development opportunities

Regular virtual team-building

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Machine Learning Engineer specialized in Reinforcement Learning to join a remote-first team. The role covers the entire RL lifecycle from concept to deployment, with collaboration across expert researchers and engineers.

The ideal candidate has a strong theoretical RL background and hands-on experience deploying RL agents, in a fully remote setting with flexibility to work from anywhere.

Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, AI or related field with RL focus.
• 5+ years of professional ML engineering experience.
• Proven track record deploying RL algorithms (DQN, PPO, SAC).
• Strong programming in Python and DL frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch).

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and optimize RL algorithms and models.
• Develop RL training environments and simulators.
• Collaborate with researchers to integrate RL into products.
• Conduct experiments, analyze results, and iterate on performance.
• Mentor junior engineers in a remote setting.

Skills

Reinforcement learning

Python

Experiment design

Remote collaboration

Education

Master’s or PhD in CS/AI

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

OpenAI Gym

MuJoCo

Distributed computing

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a trailblazer in AI research and development, is actively seeking a Senior Machine Learning Engineer with a specialization in Reinforcement Learning (RL) to join their fully remote team. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to pioneering projects that leverage RL to solve complex optimization and decision-making problems. As a remote-first company, we empower our engineers with the flexibility and autonomy to excel. You will be responsible for the entire lifecycle of RL model development, from conceptualization and algorithm design to implementation, testing, and deployment in real-world applications. Working closely with a team of world-class AI experts, you will push the boundaries of what's possible with intelligent systems. The ideal candidate possesses a deep theoretical understanding of RL principles combined with practical, hands-on experience in developing and deploying RL agents. This role is integral to advancing our client's capabilities in autonomous systems and intelligent automation, contributing significantly from wherever you choose to work.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and optimize reinforcement learning algorithms and models.
• Develop and maintain robust RL training environments and simulation platforms.
• Apply RL techniques to solve challenging problems in areas such as robotics, game AI, resource allocation, and recommendation systems.
• Collaborate with researchers and engineers to integrate RL solutions into product features.
• Conduct rigorous experiments, analyze results, and iterate on model performance.
• Stay current with the latest advancements in RL research and apply them to practical applications.
• Develop and implement efficient data pipelines for RL training data.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to the team's technical growth within a remote setting.
• Ensure the scalability and reliability of deployed RL systems.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field with a strong focus on Reinforcement Learning.
• 5+ years of professional experience in machine learning engineering.
• Proven track record of developing and deploying RL algorithms (e.g., DQN, PPO, SAC).
• Strong programming skills in Python and experience with deep learning frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Familiarity with RL simulation environments (e.g., OpenAI Gym, MuJoCo).
• Solid understanding of core RL concepts, including value functions, policy gradients, and exploration strategies.
• Experience with large-scale data processing and distributed computing.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Proven ability to work independently and collaborate effectively in a remote-first team.

Benefits

• We offer a highly competitive salary, comprehensive health benefits, and a generous stock options package.
• Continuous professional development is encouraged through access to online courses, workshops, and conferences.
• You'll also receive a home office stipend and regular virtual team-building activities to foster connection.
• Join an innovative and supportive team dedicated to advancing the field of AI.
• This role is based in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape , but is executed remotely.