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AI/ML Engineer III

Englewood, CO
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Varstaff is looking for an AI/ML Engineer III.

About the Job

In this role, you will serve as the technical lead and primary driver for AI/ML development on a fast-paced prototyping team (Sierra Nevada Company’s Joint Task Force Sierra - JTF Sierra). You will bridge the gap between high-level vision from technology directors and day-to-day execution, driving rapid proof-of-concept builds, demonstrations, and prototypes focused on autonomy, perception systems, and analytics.

As the primary AI/ML expert on the team, you will set technical direction, define architecture and requirements without regular direct oversight, manage technical risks, mentor growing engineers, and shape the organization’s long-term AI/ML capabilities.

What We’re Looking For

Education & Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Applied Statistics, or a related STEM discipline plus 6+ years of related experience.

    • In lieu of a degree: A minimum of 9+ years of related experience is required.

    • Higher-level degrees may substitute for years of experience.

  • Ability to mentor, coach, and "upskill" engineers with developing AI/ML backgrounds.

  • Proven experience delivering rapid prototypes or research models under tight schedule pressure and comfort working with evolving, ambiguous requirements.

Must-Have Skills

  • Technical Expertise: Advanced machine learning proficiency across supervised, unsupervised, reinforcement (e.g., PPO, Actor/Critic), and generative AI models (e.g., transformers).

  • Frameworks & Languages: Strong proficiency in Python, C++, C#, or Java, along with ML frameworks like TensorFlow or PyTorch.

  • Architecture & Deployment: Hands-on experience architecting end-to-end ML systems (ANNs, CNNs, RNNs), data pipelines, training, model deployment, optimization, and evaluation.

  • Domain Applications: Experience with signal processing, computer vision, and planning algorithms to advance autonomous system functionality.

  • Leadership & Execution: Proven track record leading projects, shaping technical tradeoffs, managing technical risks, establishing validation frameworks, and preparing briefings/trade studies for stakeholders.

Nice-to-Have Skills (Preferred)

  • Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related field.

  • Experience building or scaling an AI/ML function within a small or maturing team.

  • Background in Aerospace & Defense industries, including knowledge of cybersecurity, regulatory requirements, or edge AI/hardware acceleration (e.g., CUDA, TensorRT).

  • Experience integrating ML models into embedded, real-time, or autonomous platforms, plus familiarity with multimodal sensor fusion.

  • Hands-on experience with MLOps, GPU programming, high-performance computing, and Agile/DevOps workflows.