AI/ML Engineer I

Summary

Torch.AI builds government-owned reasoning infrastructure that enables machine reasoning at scale for defense, national security, and operational environments. The AI/ML Engineer I will implement and evaluate machine learning components, support data and NLP pipelines, build AI services, and learn deployment and model lifecycle practices under senior guidance.

Responsibilities

• Implement and evaluate machine learning components under senior guidance, focusing on operational performance rather than academic novelty
• Support data preparation, labeling, preprocessing, and feature engineering across structured and unstructured datasets
• Contribute to retrieval, embedding, or LLM-enabled pipelines with mentorship
• Assist in building prototype and production-ready AI services using frameworks such as PyTorch, scikit-learn, or modern NLP toolkits
• Execute experiments for NLP/NLU workflows including classification, entity extraction, semantic search, and retrieval
• Support model evaluation using measurable metrics aligned with latency, accuracy, and mission constraints
• Learn foundational deployment patterns including containerization, API exposure, monitoring, and model lifecycle practices
• Participate in code reviews, sprint planning, documentation, and disciplined software development practices

Skills

• * B.S. in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or related technical field
• * 1–3 years of experience in software engineering or applied ML (internships included)
• * Proficiency in python
• * Strong Python fundamentals and ability to write clean, testable code
• * Familiarity with at least one ML/NLP library (e.g., scikit-learn, spaCy, PyTorch, TensorFlow, Transformers)
• * Foundational understanding of ML workflows: data preprocessing, training loops, validation, and evaluation metrics
• * Ability to work in ambiguous problem spaces and iterate quickly with guidance
• * Strong communication skills and willingness to collaborate across engineering disciplines
• U.S. citizenship is required for all positions. Torch.AI does not sponsor employment visas
• * Limited travel (<10%) may be required for some roles
• * Exposure to LLMs, embeddings, semantic search, or retrieval pipelines
• * Familiarity with vector databases and/or graph-based data systems
• * Experience working with constrained environments (edge devices, low-SWaP hardware)
• * Understanding of real-time or latency-sensitive ML systems
• * Exposure to defense, ISR, or mission-oriented problem domains
• * Experience integrating ML outputs into operational workflows
• Basic understanding of APIs, containerization, or cloud environments is preferred but not required

Qualifications

Must Haves

• * B.S. in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or related technical field
• * 1–3 years of experience in software engineering or applied ML (internships included)
• * Proficiency in python
• * Strong Python fundamentals and ability to write clean, testable code
• * Familiarity with at least one ML/NLP library (e.g., scikit-learn, spaCy, PyTorch, TensorFlow, Transformers)
• * Foundational understanding of ML workflows: data preprocessing, training loops, validation, and evaluation metrics
• * Ability to work in ambiguous problem spaces and iterate quickly with guidance
• * Strong communication skills and willingness to collaborate across engineering disciplines
• U.S. citizenship is required for all positions. Torch.AI does not sponsor employment visas
• * Limited travel (<10%) may be required for some roles

Nice to Haves

• * Exposure to LLMs, embeddings, semantic search, or retrieval pipelines
• * Familiarity with vector databases and/or graph-based data systems
• * Experience working with constrained environments (edge devices, low-SWaP hardware)
• * Understanding of real-time or latency-sensitive ML systems
• * Exposure to defense, ISR, or mission-oriented problem domains
• * Experience integrating ML outputs into operational workflows
• Basic understanding of APIs, containerization, or cloud environments is preferred but not required

Benefits

• Quarterly performance bonuses
• Equity participation within the first 12 months
• Unlimited PTO + 11 paid company holidays
• Professional development in a high-growth, mission-driven environment
• Weekly in-office catering at HQ
• 401(k) plan (no current employer match, but under consideration)
• PPO, HSA, and TRICARE Supplement medical options
• Above-market HSA contributions
• HSA, FSA, and Dependent Care FSA options
• Dental and vision plans above national averages
• Employer-paid life insurance (1× salary)
• Employer-paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• Voluntary Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity coverage
• Up to $300/month in tax-advantaged commuter benefits
• Some hybrid/remote positions across the Arlington, VA, Washington, DC, and Maryland (DMV) region are available