Staff Machine Learning Engineer - Team Lead (Active Secret Clearance)

Role overview Lead and contribute to the design and delivery of machine learning systems intended to remain dependable in real-world use. You’ll work across data preparation, analytics, model development, and end-user delivery, while serving as a technical point of contact for customers and engineering teams. The role combines hands-on engineering, team leadership, and field engagement, with customer feedback informing future solutions.

Responsibilities - Define, scope, and drive delivery plans for complex production systems. - Design and build solutions across data shaping, analytics, machine learning, and end-user experiences. - Lead, manage, and mentor cross-functional engineers working across office, remote, and customer settings. - Explain technical decisions and system behavior clearly to engineers and external stakeholders. - Engage directly with customers, including in the field, to understand hard problems and shape implementation. - Apply software engineering practices to deliver and sustain production systems.

Requirements - Advanced degree in data science, machine learning, computer science, or a related field, plus at least 10 years of relevant experience. - Active U.S. Secret-level or higher security clearance and U.S. citizenship. - Strong Python skills and proficiency in at least one systems programming language. - Experience building, training, evaluating, or optimizing machine learning models for deployment. - Knowledge of algorithms, data structures, production analytics, design patterns, and cloud software engineering. - Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and communicate complex technical topics clearly.

Nice to have - Kubernetes and horizontally scaled systems experience. - Familiarity with messaging systems such as NATS, Kafka, or RabbitMQ. - Experience building AI agents and workflows, handling varied data types, or delivering systems in secure government environments.

Benefits and work setup Remote or hybrid work is available from an office in Austin, Texas. Travel may reach 25% of working time. Compensation includes a stated base range of $210,000–$260,000 per year, with equity and cash bonuses. Benefits include health coverage, optional life and disability coverage, HSA and FSA plans, a 401(k), unlimited paid time off, and paid parental leave.