Carnegie Mellon University · 1 week ago
Machine Engineer - Autonomy Lab
Arlington, VA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
5+ years expCarnegie Mellon University is conducting research in applied artificial intelligence through its SEI AI Division. The role of Machine Engineer in the AI for Autonomy Lab involves leading engineering research to develop AI capabilities that meet critical U.S. government needs, focusing on autonomy systems and machine learning applications.
EducationHigher EducationUniversities
No H1B
Security Clearance Required
Responsibilities
You’ll work with and lead interdisciplinary teams to turn research results into prototype operational capabilities for government customers and stakeholders
You’ll conduct and lead novel prototyping in applied artificial intelligence with a focus on machine learning in autonomy and uncrewed systems (multi-domain)
You’ll work with AI Division leaders and colleagues to plan, develop, and carry out an overall research and engineering strategy, and to influence the national research and engineering agenda regarding future technology
You'll actively participate on teams of software developers, researchers, designers, and technical leads. You'll build relationships and collaborate with researchers, government customers, and other stakeholders to understand challenges, needs, possible solutions, and research and engineering directions
You'll contribute to improving the overall technical capabilities of the team by mentoring and teaching others, participating in design (software and otherwise) sessions, and sharing insights and wisdom across the SEI AI Division
Qualification
Required
BS in Computer Science or related discipline with eight (8) years of experience; MS in the same fields with five (5) years of experience; PhD in Computer Science with two (2) years of experience
You must be able and willing to work onsite at an SEI office in Pittsburgh, PA or Arlington, VA 5 days per week
Flexible to travel to other SEI offices, sponsor sites, conferences, and offsite meetings on occasion. Moderate (25%) travel outside of your home location
You will be subject to a background investigation and must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Department of War security clearance
You have performed extensive research or engineering activities in applied machine learning and artificial intelligence
You have worked with tools, techniques, algorithms, software, and programming languages for deep learning, reinforcement learning, statistics, sensors and sensor fusion, planning, computer vision, or related areas
You have demonstrated applying systems engineering principles and collaborated across multi-disciplinary project teams
You have supported multiple phases of the engineering lifecycle and understand the requirements for successful deployment and operation of complex systems
You have profound understanding of machine learning principles and have experience in applying machine learning techniques to real-world problems, showcasing a track record of successful implementations
You have designed and implemented complex machine learning functions and architectures tailored to specific autonomous systems
You are familiar with simulation environments and their role in training and testing machine learning models
You have a strong understanding of robotics principles and design techniques for air, sea, or land-based vehicles
You have experience applying machine learning within these domains and understand the related implications and challenges
Your experience includes areas such as sensor fusion, navigation, object search/tracking, collision avoidance, multi-agent collaboration, and human-machine teaming
You have designed and conducted test and evaluation activities for ML components to assess operational fit and readiness
You have experience working with model experimentation software, such as MLFlow or Weights & Biases for rigorous model development and selection
You have strong development experience and can design and implement software and systems resources for packaging and managing requirements for AI and ML prototypes
You frequently use tools like Docker to manage software resources and pipeline orchestration
You may have experience building applications in cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, Google Cloud Platform)
You have strong written and verbal communication skills and can interact collaboratively and diplomatically with customers and colleagues
You grasp the big picture, direction, and goals of an effort while focusing great attention to detail
You can present complex ideas to people who may not have a deep understanding of the subject area
You can meet deadlines while multi-tasking–sometimes under pressure and with shifting priorities
You are creative and curious, and you are inspired by the prospect of collaborating with premier members of the technical staff and other visionaries at Carnegie Mellon and other universities and organizations
You quickly learn new procedures, techniques, and approaches
You are forward-looking and can connect research and engineering with practical challenges
You possess broad technical interests along with a deep knowledge of a particular field such as machine learning, autonomy and adaptive systems, or data analytics
Preferred
You have a track record of synthesizing lessons learned from research or engineering activities for publication
You have a reputation for the highest level of research and engineering integrity
You have demonstrated contributions and have published research, code (e.g., models, data, software applications), or technical perspectives
You are familiar with technical challenges and emerging trends in computing and information science, and you are aware of opportunities in industry and government
You have led technical projects and have experience collaborating across research teams and mentoring other researchers
You have formulated and delivered successful research and engineering proposals to funding agencies and led the resulting projects
You have worked or are familiar with Navy, Marine, Air Force, Army, Space Force, DARPA, IARPA, Service Labs, or other government research sponsors
Company
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university that offers degrees in technology, arts, and various other fields.
5001-10000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$488.58MKey Investors
ICANNAppalachian Regional CommissioneBPF Foundation
2025-05-29Grant· $0.45M
2024-09-05Grant· $0.5M
2024-08-29Grant· $0.05M
Leadership Team
Angela Blanton
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Amy Coutu
Assistant Vice President, Enterprise Applications
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