Lead Machine Learning Engineer – AI Agents
Upwork
Python
Machine Learning Engineer, AI
ICF
full-time
Posted on:
Location Type: Remote
Location: Remote • Virginia • 🇺🇸 United States
Visit company websiteSalary
💰 $98,124 - $166,810 per year
Job Level
Mid-LevelSenior
Tech Stack
AWSAzureCloudGoogle Cloud PlatformNoSQLPythonPyTorchScikit-LearnSQLTensorflow
About the role
- Build and Integrate AI Solutions
- Design and implement AI-driven data pipelines and systems that integrate seamlessly with existing client infrastructure
- Develop production-ready ML solutions using modern frameworks and cloud platforms
- Architect scalable AI systems that prioritize reliability, maintainability, and performance
- Collaborate with software engineering teams to embed AI capabilities into production applications
- Implement MLOps best practices including model versioning, monitoring, and continuous deployment
- Create fast, compelling prototypes that demonstrate AI value to clients and stakeholders
- Translate client problems into concrete AI/ML solutions with quick turnaround times
- Experiment with emerging AI technologies and agentic tools (Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, AWS Q, etc.) to accelerate development
- Build proof-of-concept applications that showcase the art of the possible
- Participate in client meetings and calls, translating technical concepts into business value
- Work closely with project technical leads across multiple client engagements
- Communicate AI capabilities, limitations, and recommendations to both technical and non-technical audiences
- Gather requirements and provide technical consultation on AI feasibility and implementation approaches
- Fine-tune or train models when existing solutions don't meet client needs
- Evaluate and select appropriate pre-trained models and AI services
- Conduct model performance analysis and optimization
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or related technical field
- 5-8 years of overall professional experience
- 3-5 years of experience specifically focused on applied AI/ML
- 3-5 years of experience with Python and experience building production-grade code
- Hands-on experience with modern ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, Hugging Face)
- 2-3 years of experience with at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and their ML services
- Proven experience applying Generative AI technologies to solve client problems, including designing, prototyping, and deploying LLM-based or agentic AI solutions.
- Solid understanding of software engineering principles, version control (Git), and CI/CD practices
- Experience integrating ML models into production systems and data pipelines
- Proficiency in SQL and working with both relational and NoSQL databases
- Skilled in building fast, functional prototypes (1–2 weeks) and scaling them into stable, production-grade solutions through iterative development.
- Excellent communication skills with demonstrated ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
- Strong problem-solving skills and a builder's mindset
- US Citizenship or Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder) per Federal contract requirements
- Must be able to obtain and maintain Public Trust
- MUST RESIDE in the United States (U.S.), and the work MUST BE PERFORMED in the United States (U.S.), as this work is for a federal contract and laws do apply.
Benefits
- Generous vacation and retirement plans
- Comprehensive health benefits
- Flexible work location (fully remote)
- Ongoing training and development opportunities
- Friendly community with lots of social events
- Participation in charity initiatives
- Employee support program
- Opportunity to work on diverse, impactful projects across multiple industries
Applicant Tracking System Keywords
Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.
Hard skills
PythonMLOpsTensorFlowPyTorchscikit-learnHugging FaceSQLAWSAzureGCP
Soft skills
communication skillsproblem-solving skillsbuilder's mindset
Certifications
Bachelor's degree in Computer ScienceBachelor's degree in EngineeringBachelor's degree in Data Science
