AI/ML Engineer III

Varstaff is looking for an AI/ML Engineer III

Role Overview & Leadership

• Technical Lead: Serve as the primary AI/ML expert for a fast-paced R&D prototyping team (JTF Sierra), bridging the gap between leadership's vision and day-to-day execution.
• Autonomy & Direction: Define technical architectures, requirements, and roadmaps for new prototypes with high autonomy and minimal oversight.
• Mentorship: Coach and upskill engineering peers with limited or developing AI/ML backgrounds.
• Risk & Project Management: Help identify staffing, tools, and data needs, while advising on technical risks, schedules, and manpower.

Technical Execution & Skills

• End-to-End Prototyping: Rapidly build, deploy, and optimize AI/ML models (including transformers, CNNs, RNNs, and reinforcement learning) from data ingestion to evaluation.
• Integration & Simulation: Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate ML prototypes into autonomous platforms, hardware, and existing products.
• Core Tech Stack: High proficiency in Python, C++, C#, or Java, and frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch.
• Testing & Validation: Establish frameworks to ensure models meet performance, safety, and compliance standards.

Experience & Education

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in a STEM field (Master’s in AI/ML preferred). Relevant experience may substitute for a degree.
• Experience: 6+ years in a related field (or 9+ years without a degree), with a track record of deploying production-ready AI/ML models.
• Industry Context: Experience in aerospace/defense, MLOps, edge AI, or real-time autonomous systems is highly preferred.