AI​/ML Engineer III

Varstaff is looking for an
AI/ML Engineer III
.

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.

Education & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Applied Statistics, or a related STEM discipline plus6+ years
of related experience.

A minimum of9+ 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 Tensor Flow 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/Dev Ops workflows.