Job Description
Job Title: Staff Machine Learning Engineer
Location: Chicago, IL / Lake Forest, IL (Hybrid - 2 days per week) or Remote (US)
About The Company
We are a leading broad line distributor with operations primarily in North America, Japan and the United Kingdom. Serving more than 4.5 million customers worldwide, we keep the world working by delivering products and solutions through innovative technology and deep customer relationships. Known for our commitment to service and award-winning culture, we had 2024 revenue of $17.2 billion across our two business models.
Job Summary
We are looking for a Staff Machine Learning Engineer to join our Machine Learning Team within our Technology Group. The ideal candidate will be an experienced ML engineering professional with deep expertise in data pipeline automation, model deployment, and MLOps practices. This role will involve leading the development of scalable, automated processes for large-scale data analysis, model training, validation, and deployment, while empowering machine learning scientists to improve our products and operational efficiency.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead ML Infrastructure Development : Lead the development of scalable, automated processes for large-scale data analysis, model training, validation, and model deployment, ensuring production-grade reliability and maintainability.
- Design and Maintain Data Pipelines : Design and maintain robust ETL pipelines and automate critical system operations to support reliable data flow and model performance for both structured and unstructured data.
- Implement MLOps Best Practices : Ensure production-grade reliability and maintainability of deployed ML solutions using best practices in software engineering and ML Ops, including deployment, monitoring, and maintenance of ML models in production environments.
- Drive Innovation and Collaboration : Oversee the implementation and continuous improvement of machine learning and operations research models in collaboration with machine learning scientists, and evaluate and integrate emerging technologies to drive innovation and align solutions with strategic ML goals.
- Communicate and Document : Present technical concepts and solution strategies to cross-functional stakeholders, including leadership, through clear communication and visual storytelling. Create and maintain architectural diagrams and documentation to support system design, scalability, and knowledge sharing across teams.
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field
- Experience: 5+ years of experience in processing and building data pipelines for both structured and unstructured data
- Skills:
- Proficiency in Python and Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform (preferred) or CloudFormation for creating ML pipelines and infrastructure
- Hands-on experience developing custom integrations between cloud-based systems using APIs and inference servers
- Expertise in creating Docker containers and leveraging them to train deep learning models in cloud environments
- Solid understanding of software engineering best practices, including version control and CI/CD tools (e.g., GitHub, GitHub Actions)
- Experience automating workflows using orchestration tools such as Astronomer, Airflow, or Databricks Asset Bundles
- Exposure to deep learning techniques, modeling frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras), and modern machine learning methodologies and best practices
- Experience mentoring or leading junior MLOps/ML Engineering resources
- Proven ability to deploy, monitor, and maintain ML models in production environments
- Experience collaborating with data scientists to transition research models into production-ready solutions
- Hands-on experience with AWS cloud services
- Other: For candidates based in the Chicago area, we require candidates to be in the office 2 days per week in Chicago or Lake Forest, IL. We will also consider highly qualified remote candidates or support partial relocation for candidates willing to move to Chicago. We are not offering OPT sponsorship for this role.
- Master's degree in a technical field or equivalent practical experience
- Experience developing web applications that integrate with ML models
- Experience with model experimentation and evaluation, including hyperparameter tuning, validation, and performance analysis
- Experience supporting and developing solutions within the Databricks platform
- Competitive Salary: $150k-$200k for remote positions; candidates who reside in Chicago or Lake Forest, IL (compensation depends on factors such as geographic work location, relevant experience, and skills)
- Health and Wellness: Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans with coverage starting on day one of employment, plus 6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist to support your emotional wellbeing
- Work-Life Balance: 18 paid time off (PTO) days annually for full-time employees (accrual prorated based on employment start date) and 6 company holidays per year
- Professional Development: Tuition reimbursement, student loan refinancing, and free access to financial counseling, education, and tools
- Additional Perks : 6% company contribution to a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan each pay period with no employee contribution required, employee discounts, maternity support programs, nursing benefits, up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents and up to 4 weeks paid leave for non-birth parents