Machine Learning Engineer II

About the role

Michigan Technological University is seeking a Machine Learning Engineer II for the Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI) department. At MTRI, we develop advanced technologies that help our nation better understand, sense, and operate within complex natural and human-made environments. Our work spans multidisciplinary research and applied development, advancing ideas from foundational concepts to mission-relevant prototypes.

Responsibilities

• Develop and evaluate ML algorithms for mission-relevant applications
• Support advancement of ML capabilities from applied research concepts to working prototype demonstration
• Design, implement, and evaluate ML models for structured, unstructured, or sensor-derived data
• Create data processing pipelines, feature extraction workflows, and training/evaluation frameworks
• Apply sound experimental methodologies to assess model performance and robustness
• Work with cross-functional teams (software, sensing, systems engineering) to develop prototype ML systems
• Contribute to technical documentation, reports, and proposal development activities
• Commit to learning about continuous improvement strategies and applying them to everyday work
• Actively engage in University continuous improvement initiatives
• Apply safety-related knowledge, skills, and practices to everyday work

Requirements

• Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience with Bachelor’s degree, OR minimum of 1 year of relevant experience with a Master’s degree
• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or related technical field
• Desirable: 4-10 years of experience in a related technical field, experience with remote sensing, RF data, or sensor-derived datasets, experience with MLOps, CI/CD, or model lifecycle management, familiarity with cloud or on-prem compute environments, experience with distributed computing or GPU acceleration

Qualifications

• Ability to obtain a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) security clearance, which requires United States citizenship
• Experience developing ML models and working with modern ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow)
• Proficiency in Python and scientific computing libraries
• Experience with data processing, model evaluation, and experimental design
• Familiarity with software development practices and version control
• Ability to design, implement, and evaluate ML models for structured, unstructured, or sensor-derived data
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Skills

• Active government security clearance at Secret-level or higher
• Exposure to DoD or DARPA-funded research environments
• Ability to lead the execution of well-defined technical tasks, including planning, implementation, and reporting
• Ability to provide technical input to proposal sections, including methods, data approaches, or evaluation strategies
• Ability to serve as a technical resource to junior staff or team members in a limited domain

Benefits

The position offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience and qualifications. The University provides a range of benefits including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off.

Pay

The starting salary for this position is $85,000 per year.

Schedule

This position is full-time and works standard business hours.