Machine Learning Engineer - Advanced AI and Cognitive Systems
 HRL LABORATORIES, LLC | |
 United States, California, Calabasas | |
 Oct 21, 2025 | |
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General Description:
Join a dynamic research team pushing the boundaries of intelligent systems. This role offers the opportunity to make an immediate impact on high-profile, mission-driven projects involving machine learning, generative AI, cognitive modeling, and human-machine teaming. You will support shaping the future of adaptive software systems through cutting-edge R&D and prototype development.
Key Responsibilities:
Lead and contribute to research, engineering, and software development efforts in the following areas: Develop intelligent, adaptive AI systems by designing algorithms for sensor data processing, LLM and multimodal reasoning, and human-AI collaboration; apply cognitive science to improve explainability, trust, and performance in real-world settings.
Additional responsibilities include:
Solving complex customer challenges and contributing to technical proposals.
Authoring invention disclosures, research publications, and customer briefings.
Demonstrating prototypes and supporting marketing of organizational capabilities.
Required skills & expertise:
Candidates should have research or development experience in one or more of the following areas:
Software Engineering
: Experience building scalable systems, APIs, and containerized environments (Docker, Kubernetes).
LLMs & NLP
: Deep understanding of transformer architectures, prompt engineering, fine-tuning, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).
Human-Machine Interaction
: Familiarity with cognitive architectures, user modeling, neurophysiological sensing, and human subjects research methods.
Data Analytics
: Strong skills in data wrangling, feature engineering, and statistical modeling using Python.
Machine Learning & AI
: Expertise in supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning; hands-on experience with PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX.
Required Education:
MS or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Math, Cognitive Science, or related fields.
3-5 years of experience in applied ML or AI research, preferably in high-stakes or mission-critical domains.
Experience with government-funded R&D programs (e.g., DARPA, IARPA, ARPA-H) is a plus.
Soft skills:
Strong interdisciplinary communication and collaboration skills.
Ability to work in fast-paced, exploratory research environments.
Curiosity-driven mindset with a passion for solving complex problems.
Special Requirements:
U.S. Citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain a US Government Security Clearance, or permanent resident status required.
Compensation:
The base salary range for this full-time position is $132,765 - $165,983 + bonus + benefits.
Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range during the hiring process. Please note that the compensation details listed reflect the base salary only, and do not include potential bonus or benefits.
We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.
"This position must meet export control compliance requirements. To meet export control compliance requirements, a "U.S. Person" as defined by 22 C.F.R. *120.62 is required. "U.S. Person" includes U.S. Citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, or asylee." That are US Person.
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