Job Description

Become Part of the Torch.AI Journey! 

Torch.AI is a defense focused AI software company. Unlike traditional government contractors, our team of experts takes calculated risks to self-fund R&D behind the scenes and then sells complete products "off-the-shelf" to mission owners. We conduct deep research into understanding how AI and new data infrastructures can improve a growing array of national defense needs. This allows us to go from ideation to full capability deployment in weeks and months, instead of years. We’re passionate about solving complex problems. 

Torch.AI’s focus on the U.S. defense and national security industry offers you an unparalleled opportunity to contribute directly to the safety and well-being of our nation while building new innovative technologies. As a vital partner to the U.S. government and our allies, helping to shape global stability, we offer a dynamic environment to tackle complex challenges across multidisciplinary domains. With substantial investment in innovation, Torch.AI is at the forefront of developing AI, autonomous systems, and advanced national security solutions, founded on the premise that information is the new battlefield. Join us in our mission to help the most important organizations in the world Unlock Human Potential. 

The Role: Unlock Your Potential 

As an Senior AI/ML Engineer, Intelligence Analysis at Torch.AI, you will be at the forefront of building software that scales within and across Torch.AI’s platform capabilities and in support of customer programs. You will create AI-enabled analytical models which will are applied across an array of operational and research & development efforts directly for U.S. defense and national security programs and projects.

Each of our customers requires unique technical solutions to enable an asymmetric advantage on the battlefield. Torch.AI’s award winning, patented software helps remove common obstacles such as manual-intensive data processing, parsing, and analysis thereby reducing the cognitive burden of the warfighter. Our modular, end-to-end data data processing, orchestration and management platform supports a wide variety of military capabilities and operations. Customers enjoy enterprise-grade solutions 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 product development teams of defense and national security experts, veterans, experienced AI/ML software engineers. Your code will integrate elegant user experiences with unmatched back-end data processing capabilities by implementing responsive designs, optimizing application performance, and integrating with complex backend services and APIs. 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 approaches, and identify alternative approaches to delivering customers value across complex problem sets. The day-to-day workflow 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 refining 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.

What Sets This Role Apart 

• Our decentralized operating model puts every employee at the forefront of our customers’ missions. You’ll work within and across both nimble customer centric solutions teams and research and development teams.
• 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 work on a wide range of projects, 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 leader in data infrastructure AI in the market and compete against multi-billion-dollar incumbents and high-tech AI companies.
• We develop solutions directly supporting our nation’s warfighters, national security, and prosperity; the impact of your work is directly visible.

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.
• Hands-on experience with large-scale data, autonomous systems, and mission-critical applications.
• Subject matter expertise and proven success within the market segment.
• 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.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Awareness of ethical considerations and responsible AI practices.
• Entrepreneurial mindset and aptitude for interdisciplinary collaboration.

A Top Secret or Top Secret/SCI  security clearance  is required for this role. If you do not currently hold a clearance, but are interested in this work, other opportunities may be available. We encourage you to review other job postings and submit an application. 

We are headquartered in Leawood, KS. This role will directly support customers in the Arlington, VA region. 

Candidates in the Arlington, VA region can work remotely while not on customer site. 

Incentives

• Equity: All employees become 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 chance for professional advancement in a rapidly scaling 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 do 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. 

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