Applied Machine Learning Engineer

Salary: $146000 - 189000 per year Requirements: We require U.S. citizenship and prefer candidates who hold an active Secret Clearance. We are seeking a bachelors degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related STEM discipline. We need at least 3 years of applied machine learning experience in production environments. We value hands-on experience making technical decisions across RAG, fine-tuning, lightweight adaptation, training data selection, and model evaluation. We look for a strong grasp of model failure modes, overfitting, and distribution shift. We require experience deploying machine learning in settings where correctness and reliability are critical. We need the ability to explain ML risks and limitations clearly to engineers who are not ML specialists. Preferred experience includes simulation, autonomous systems, aerospace, or defense programs. Preferred exposure includes guidance, navigation, or control systems. Preferred background includes hybrid ML and classical system architectures. Preferred familiarity includes regulated or compliance-driven software environments. Preferred candidates may have an active or prior DoD security clearance. Responsibilities: We evaluate when machine learning is appropriate, and when non-ML approaches are the better engineering choice. We advise teams on the tradeoffs between retrieval-augmented generation, fine-tuning, and targeted model training. We help define heuristics for selecting models, evaluating performance, and determining retraining needs. We identify and reduce ML failure modes in both system and simulation environments. We collaborate with GNC, software, and infrastructure teams to integrate ML safely into mission-critical solutions. Technologies: AI Support Machine Learning Security More: We support mission-critical aerospace and defense programs from our onsite location in Chandler, Arizona. In this role, we work closely with software, infrastructure, simulation, and GNC engineering teams to help shape safe, reliable, and practical AI and machine learning decisions for safety- and reliability-constrained systems. We are Infinia Search, a relationship-driven search firm built on talent, ambition, curiosity, and a strong work ethic, and we focus on creating exceptional outcomes for our clients and candidates. last updated 26 week of 2026