Senior AI/ML Engineer (Leawood, KS & Arlington, VA)

Become Part of a Meaningful Mission

Torch.AI is a defense-focused AI-software company on a mission to become the leading provider of critical data infrastructure for U.S. Defense and National Security. We deliver advanced AI and data software capabilities directly to customer mission owners to meet flexible, user-defined specifications and enable a decision advantage for the warfighter. We’re passionate about solving complex problems that improve national security, support our warfighters, and protect our nation. Join us in our mission to help organizations Unlock Human Potential.  

The U.S. defense and national security industry offers an unparalleled opportunity to contribute to the safety and well-being of the nation while engaging with cutting-edge technologies. As a vital sector that shapes global stability, it offers a dynamic environment to tackle complex challenges across multidisciplinary domains. With substantial investment in innovation, the industry is at the forefront of developing AI, autonomous systems, and advanced national security solutions, each founded on the premise that information is the new battlefield. If this type of work is of interest, we’d love to hear from you.

The Environment: Unlock Your Potential   

As a Senior AI/ML Engineer at Torch.AI, you will be at the forefront of building software that scales across Torch.AI’s platform capabilities. Your software will be deployed across an array of operational and research & development efforts for mission-critical customer programs and projects.

Each of our customers requires unique technical solutions to enable an asymmetric advantage on the battlefield. Torch.AI’s patented software helps remove common obstacles such as manual-intensive data processing, parsing, and analysis, thereby reducing cognitive burden for the warfighter. Our end-to-end data processing, orchestration, and fusion platform supports a wide variety of military use cases, domains, operations, and echelons. Customers enjoy enterprise-grade capabilities that meet specialized needs.

Torch.AI encourages company-wide collaboration to share context, skills, and expertise across a variety of tools, technologies, and development practices. You’ll work autonomously while driving coordinated, collaborative decisions across cross-functional teams comprised of defense and national security experts, veterans, business leaders, and experienced software engineers. Your code will advance back-end data orchestration and graph-compute capabilities to deliver elegant data and intelligence products. You will have the opportunity to harden and scale existing platform capabilities, tools, and technologies, while also working to innovate and introduce new iterative capabilities and features which benefit our company and customers.  

Successful candidates thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, and mission-driven environment. We hire brilliant patriots. You’ll be encouraged to think creatively, challenge conventional thinking, and identify alternative approaches for delivering value to customers across complex problem sets. Your day-to-day will vary, adapting to the requirements of our customers and the technical needs of respective use cases. One day, you may be supporting the development of a new proof of capability concept for a new customer program; another you may be focused on optimizing system performance to help scale a production deployment; the next you may be working directly with customers to understand their requirements with deep intellectual curiosity.     

• Our flat operating model puts every employee at the forefront of our customers’ missions.
• We value customer intimacy, unique perspectives, and dedication to delivering lasting impact and results. You’ll have the opportunity to work on the frontlines of major customer programs and influence lasting success for Torch.AI and your teammates.  
• You’ll have the opportunity to gain experience across a wide range of projects and tasks, from designing and demonstrating early capabilities and prototypes to deploying large-scale mission systems.   
• You’ll contribute directly to Torch.AI’s continued position as a market leader for data infrastructure AI and compete against multi-billion-dollar incumbents and high-tech AI companies. 

Critical Skills 

• B.S. or M.S. degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.    
• Strong proficiency in Python, including experience building services with Flask.  
• 8-10+ years of experience working with model libraries such as ScikitLearn, spaCy, and Hugging Face.   
• Experience with MLOps including preparing data, training, evaluating, and deploying models.  
• Design, build, and maintain scalable data pipelines and infrastructure to support our data-driven initiatives.  
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to understand data requirements, architect robust solutions, and ensure the integrity, reliability, and efficiency of our data systems.  
• Responsible for cross-account AI model development and refinement, as well as providing cross-account support as needed.  
• Provide technical leadership to a team comprising skilled platform engineers tasked with creating, developing, and upholding our data infrastructure platform.  
• Contribute to the strategic vision and guiding the trajectory for data and AI endeavors in harmony with corporate goals.  
• Engage in frequent communication and interaction with senior executives and technical architects to align customer requirements with AI/ML development efforts.  
• Research, establish, and maintain the MLOps infrastructure needed to ensure the reliability and availability of the ML pipelines.  
• Research, train, and evaluate vector embeddings and transformer models to enhance the platform's entity resolution capabilities.  
• Develop graph retrieval augmented generation approaches to complement the platform's leading search retrieval methods.  
• Proven experience mentoring junior engineers by providing guidance, code reviews, and technical leadership to foster professional growth. 
• Demonstrated ability to lead a development team, drive technical decisions, and ensure best practices are followed in software architecture and implementation. 

What We Value  

• Industry experience, preferably within the defense industry and/or intelligence community or related sectors, a plus.
• Ability to convey complex technical concepts to stakeholders.   
• Capability to work collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams.   
• Awareness of ethical considerations and responsible AI practices.   
• Experience with vector databases, LLMs, and prompt engineering.  
• Understanding of distributed computing principles and experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) and big data technologies (e.g., Hadoop, Kafka, Hive, HBase).  
• Proficiency in relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL) and distributed storage systems (e.g., Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage).  
• Hands-on experience with containerization and orchestration tools (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) and DevOps practices (CI/CD, infrastructure as code).  
• Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.  

Security Clearance

We are hiring for multiple positions for each role. Some roles require a Secret, Top Secret, or Top Secret/SCI Security Clearance on Day 1. If you do not currently hold a clearance but are interested in this role and believe you are eligible for a clearance, we still encourage you to submit an application. 

Work Location

We are hiring for roles at our headquarters in Leawood, KS and remotely in the Arlington, VA region. Candidates in the Arlington, VA region may work remotely while not on customer site. Candidates in the Leawood, KS region may require some limited travel to customer sites (<10% depending on role).

Incentives

• Equity: All employees are eligible to participate in the company equity incentive program within their first 12 months of employment. We are proud that 100% of our employees are equity-owning partners at Torch.AI.
• Competitive salary and annual performance bonus opportunities.
• Unlimited PTO.
• 11 paid holidays each year.
• Incredible professional development and learning opportunities in a fast-paced high-tech environment and exciting industry.
• Weekly in-office catering in our Leawood HQ.
• Relocation assistance to Leawood, KS available. 

Benefits

Torch.AI values employee well-being and, in turn, offers exceptional benefits options which greatly exceed regional and national averages for similar companies. 

401k Plan

• Torch.AI offers a 401k plan through John Hancock. While the company does not offer employee matching, we offer 3% profit sharing for all employees who elect to participate in the 401k plan. Profit sharing is calculated based on company performance at the end of each calendar year and distributed to 401k accounts at the start of each calendar year.

Medical 

• Three medical options: PPO, HSA, and TRICARE.
• Torch.AI’s HSA contribution is 250%–350% higher than average employer contributions in Kansas City and Arlington regions.
• Only ~18% of employers offer TRICARE Supplement plans. 

Spending Accounts

• Above-market employer funding and flexibility.
• HSA: Triple-tax advantage
• FSA: $50-$3,300 annual contribution, $660 rollover
• Dependent Care FSA: $100-$5,000, pre-tax savings on child/dependent care.

Dental 

• High Plan annual maximum is ~2.6x higher than the national average. 
• High Renaissance Plan: $5,000 annual max, 50% ortho up to $1,000.
• Low Renaissance Plan: $1,000 annual max, no ortho.

Vision 

• Frame allowance is 25-35% higher than typical employer-sponsored plans.
• Vision through Renaissance with VSP Choice network: $0 exams, lenses covered in full, and $180 frame allowance

Life Insurance

• Employer-paid 1x base salary and additional voluntary options for employees and spouses, compared to most employers who only cover $50k basic life on average.

Disability & Illness 

• Torch.AI ranks in the top 10% of regional employers for disability benefits 
• Short-Term Disability (employer paid): 60% income, up to $2,000/week
• Long-Term Disability (employer paid): 60% income, up to $5,000/month

Voluntary Benefits

• Robust Voluntary plans offer direct pash payout flexibility and wellness incentives.
• Accidental Insurance
• Critical Illness
• Hospital Indemnity
• Commuter Benefits: up to $300/month tax-free for transit/parking

Torch.AI is an Equal Opportunity /Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, protected veteran status or status as an individual with a disability.  

These positions are being reviewed and filled on a rolling basis, and multiple openings may be available for each role.