Machine Learning Engineer Lead Specialist Engineer

Job Title: Machine Learning Engineer Lead Specialist Engineer

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Experience: 12+ Years

Employment Type: Contract

Interview Type: In-Person or Webcam

We are seeking a highly experienced Machine Learning Engineer Lead Specialist Engineer to oversee the design, development, and deployment of advanced machine learning models and AI-driven solutions. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in machine learning frameworks, data science practices, deep learning, and large-scale production deployment. This role involves leading complex AI initiatives, driving innovation, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and mentoring junior engineers to deliver high-quality solutions that support enterprise-level initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end development of machine learning models, from data exploration and feature engineering to training, validation, and deployment.
• Architect scalable ML pipelines and production-level model lifecycle management.
• Collaborate closely with data engineering, software development, and product teams to integrate ML models into enterprise systems.
• Evaluate, experiment, and implement new machine learning and deep learning methodologies and technologies.
• Analyze large datasets to extract insights and identify opportunities for improvement and automation.
• Perform model tuning, optimization, testing, and performance monitoring in production environments.
• Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and code review guidance for ML and data engineering teams.
• Develop and maintain documentation, standard operating procedures, and best practices for ML workflows.
• Ensure AI/ML solutions follow compliance, security, and performance standards.
• Engage in research and stay current with emerging trends in AI, data science, and MLOps technologies.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Engineering, or a related field.
• 12+ years of experience in machine learning engineering, AI systems development, or applied data science in enterprise environments.
• Strong programming expertise in Python and familiarity with libraries such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, and Keras.
• Proficiency in building and deploying ML models using cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
• Strong experience with MLOps tools such as MLflow, Kubeflow, SageMaker, or Databricks.
• Expertise in data processing frameworks such as Spark, Hadoop, Pandas, and SQL.
• Proven ability to deploy models into production and manage continuous monitoring and retraining cycles.
• Strong understanding of computer science fundamentals including algorithms, data structures, and system design.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Skills

• PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or related discipline.
• Experience with generative AI, LLMs, NLP, and reinforcement learning.
• Knowledge of microservices architecture and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Experience working in Agile environments.
• Exposure to real-time data streaming technologies such as Kafka or Flink.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to define solutions with minimal supervision.

Seniority Level: Mid-Senior level

Job Function: Engineering and Information Technology