Principal Machine Learning (ML) Engineer

This is a U.S. based position. All of the programs we support require U.S. citizenship to be eligible for employment. All work must be conducted within the continental U.S.

Who we are:

Raft (https://goraft.tech) is a customer-obsessed non-traditional small business with purposeful focus on Distributed Data Systems, Platforms at Scale, and Complex Application Development, with headquarters in Reston, VA. Our range of clients include innovative federal and public agencies leveraging design thinking, cutting edge tech stack, and cloud native ecosystem. We build digital solutions that impact the lives of millions of Americans.

We’re looking for an experienced Principal Machine Learning (ML) Engineer to support our customer and join our passionate team of high-impact problem solvers. You will work cross-functionally to help our customer design, plan, implement, and guide enterprise strategies. In this role, you will be a technical advisor who will help to lead and direct the execution of the cloud strategy by combining expertise and business insights. You will partner with other teams to drive strategic initiatives for solutions. 

About the role:

We are seeking a machine learning expert who can assist us in extracting valuable insights from customer data. As the lead, you will oversee all aspects of the process, including data collection, cleaning, pre-processing, model training, and production deployment. You are well-versed in MLOps.

We are looking for a candidate who is passionate about artificial intelligence and keeps up with the latest advancements in this field. Initially, this role will require the candidate to work independently with customers, assisting them in developing new business opportunities until a suitable long-term project for growth is identified.

What we are looking for:

• Deep understanding of Neural Nets, Heuristics, and Operations Analysis Algorithms
• Designing, developing, and researching Machine Learning systems, models, and schemes
• Studying, transforming, and converting data science prototypes into production ready systems
• Searching and selecting appropriate data sets before performing data collection and data modeling
• Performing statistical analysis and using results to improve models
• Training and retraining ML systems and models as needed
• Identifying differences in data distribution that could affect model performance in real-world situations
• Visualizing data for deeper insights
• Analyzing the use cases of ML algorithms and ranking them by their success probability
• Understanding when your findings can be applied to business decisions
• Enriching existing ML frameworks and libraries
• Verifying data quality and/or ensuring it via data cleaning

Highly preferred:

• Demonstrated ability to introduce new technology into organizations to further their ability to drive value from data using AI/ML

Clearance Requirements:

• Ability to obtain a Secret Security Clearance

Position Type and Location:

• Remote

What we will offer you:

• Highly competitive salary
• Fully covered healthcare, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) and company match
• Unlimited PTO + 11 paid holidays
• Education & training benefits
• Annual budget for your tech/gadgets needs
• Monthly box of yummy snacks to eat while doing meaningful work
• Remote, hybrid, and flexible work options
• Team off-site in fun places!
• Generous Referral Bonuses
• And More!

Our Vision Statement: 

We bridge the gap between humans and data through radical transparency and our obsession with the mission. 

Our Customer Obsession: 

We will approach every deliverable like it's a product. We will adopt a customer-obsessed mentality. As we grow, and our footprint becomes larger, teams and employees will treat each other not only as teammates but customers. We must live the customer-obsessed mindset, always. This will help us scale and it will translate to the interactions that our Rafters have with their clients and other product teams that they integrate with. Our culture will enable our success and set us apart from other companies.

How do we get there? 

Public-sector modernization is critical for us to live in a better world. We, at Raft, want to innovate and solve complex problems. And, if we are successful, our generation and the ones that follow us will live in a delightful, efficient, and accessible world where out-of-box thinking, and collaboration is