AI ML Engineer

As an AI ML Engineer at SAIC, your primary duties will include collaborating with cross-functional teams to define project objectives, designing and developing advanced AI/ML models, and translating business challenges into technology solutions. You will also provide mentorship to junior members, optimize infrastructures for ML deployment, and ensure documentation of processes and methodologies for compliance.

To qualify for the AI ML Engineer position at SAIC, candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree with 9 years of experience, a Master’s with 7 years, or a PhD with 4 years of relevant experience. An active Top Secret/SCI clearance with Polygraph is required, along with expertise in ML frameworks like TensorFlow and familiarization with cloud computing services such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.

SAIC actively engages in R&D to stay at the forefront of AI/ML technology. In the role of AI ML Engineer, you will be encouraged to explore new advancements, introduce best practices, and work with vendors to validate and test AI models, ensuring the integrity and quality of our solutions.

An AI ML Engineer at SAIC should be proficient in ML frameworks such as TensorFlow and PyTorch, programming languages like Python and R, and familiar with cloud computing platforms. Knowledge of DevOps practices, especially MLOps and CI/CD pipelines for AI/ML, is highly beneficial as well.

The AI ML Engineer at SAIC will primarily work in South Riding, VA, collaborating with various teams, including those from the Intelligence Community. Strong communication and interpersonal skills will be essential for engaging with stakeholders and mentoring junior staff effectively.

When answering this question, provide specific examples of projects where you utilized these frameworks. Highlight your approach to model design, training, and evaluation, emphasizing any challenges you faced and how you overcame them.

Discuss various methods you use to keep your skills sharp, such as following reputable AI/ML blogs, taking courses, or attending industry conferences. This demonstrates your commitment to ongoing learning and adaptability in a rapidly evolving field.

Consider sharing a specific example where you encountered a difficult problem. Focus on your thought process, the methodologies you applied, and the impact of your solution, showcasing your analytical and problem-solving skills.

Highlight your communication skills by detailing how you simplify concepts using relatable analogies and clear visuals. Emphasize the importance of framing AI/ML opportunities in terms of business value to ensure that stakeholders understand the benefits.

Explain that data preprocessing is crucial for improving the performance of machine learning models. Discuss methods like normalization, handling missing values, and feature extraction, stressing how these steps can affect model accuracy and efficiency.

Talk about specific cloud platforms you've used and describe how they helped streamline your AI/ML projects. Discuss aspects like scalability, infrastructure management, and leveraging cloud-based tools for model deployment and collaboration.

Outline the key facets such as understanding the problem domain, selecting the right features, evaluating model performance metrics, and iterating based on feedback. This showcases your thorough and strategic approach to AI/ML model design.

Share your understanding of MLOps, emphasizing how CI/CD processes can ensure smooth model deployment and version control. Discuss any hands-on experience you've had with these practices to highlight your technical skills.

Describe methodologies like cross-validation, splitting datasets, and using metrics such as accuracy, precision, and recall to evaluate your models. Emphasize the importance of robust testing in ensuring model reliability.

Discuss effective mentoring strategies that you've employed, such as one-on-one sessions, collaborative projects, and providing constructive feedback. Stress the importance of fostering a learning environment to help juniors grow their skills.