ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Director Machine Learning Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

Albi

Senior Machine Learning Engineer (LLMs)

Chicago, IL · On-site

$126K - $166K/yr

Direct collaboration with a small team of smart, kind, motivated engineers * An environment that ... Equipment and learning budget to help you do your best work and keep up with the frontier

Albi

Senior Machine Learning Engineer (LLMs)

Chicago, IL · On-site

$126K - $166K/yr

Direct collaboration with a small team of smart, kind, motivated engineers * An environment that ... Equipment and learning budget to help you do your best work and keep up with the frontier

The Hartford

Director of Data Science

Chicago, IL · On-site +1

$153K - $229K/yr

Dir Data Science - GD06AE We're determined to make a difference and are proud to be an insurance ... Drive modernization through advanced modeling techniques, machine learning, and AI to enhance ...

CNA

Senior AI & ML Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$72K - $141K/yr

... Director or above Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities: * Expertise in data engineering and ETL migration from legacy to modern platforms * Expertise in building machine learning platforms and data ...

Cna

Senior AI & ML Engineer

Chicago, IL · Hybrid

$72K - $141K/yr

... Director or above Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities: * Expertisein data engineering and ETL migration from legacy to modern platforms * Expertisein building machine learning platforms and data ...

Grainger Businesses

AI Enablement Lead

Chicago, IL · Hybrid

$176K - $294K/yr

This role sits within our Grainger Technology Group and reports to the Director, Machine Learning Platform & Operations. You will operate as a player-coach, combining deep technical expertise with ...

Inmar

Director, Data Science (MarTech)

Chicago, IL · On-site

The Director, Data (MarTech) is responsible for applying data exploration and visualization, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and other data science techniques to explore, create, and ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsDirector Machine Learning JobsDirector Machine Learning Jobs in Illinois

Director Machine Learning information

See Illinois salary details

$34.9K

$89.1K

$136.6K

How much do director machine learning jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 28, 2026, the average yearly pay for director machine learning in Illinois is $89,085.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $69,300.00 and $102,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a $900,000 AI job?

A $900,000 AI job typically refers to senior roles such as Director of Machine Learning or Chief AI Officer, which involve leading AI strategy, managing teams, and developing advanced models. These positions often require extensive experience, expertise in machine learning frameworks, and strong leadership skills, with compensation reflecting high-level responsibilities and industry demand.

Which 3 jobs will survive AI?

For a Director of Machine Learning, roles that require complex problem-solving, strategic oversight, and domain expertise are likely to persist, such as AI research scientists, data science managers, and AI ethics specialists. These positions involve high-level decision-making, creativity, and understanding of nuanced human contexts that are difficult for AI to fully replicate. Skills in leadership, critical thinking, and advanced technical knowledge will remain valuable in these roles.

Is ML a high paying job?

Machine Learning (ML) roles, including positions like ML Engineer or Data Scientist, are generally among the higher-paying jobs in the tech industry due to the specialized skills required, such as programming, statistics, and experience with tools like TensorFlow or PyTorch. Salaries vary based on experience, location, and company size but tend to be significantly above average for many other roles in technology and data analysis.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Director Machine Learning position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Director Machine Learning, you need advanced expertise in machine learning, statistics, data science, and leadership, typically supported by a master's or Ph.D. in a related field and several years of relevant industry experience. Familiarity with tools such as Python, TensorFlow or PyTorch, cloud platforms, and data management systems, as well as certifications like AWS Certified Machine Learning or Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer, are commonly required. Exceptional communication, strategic thinking, and team management skills distinguish top candidates in this role. These capabilities are essential for driving organizational AI initiatives, fostering high-performing teams, and delivering impactful business solutions.

How much does an AI director make?

An AI director's salary typically ranges from $120,000 to $200,000 annually, depending on experience, industry, and location. Senior roles with advanced skills in machine learning, deep learning, and leadership often command higher compensation, especially in tech hubs or large organizations.

What is a Director Machine Learning job?

A Director of Machine Learning leads teams in developing and deploying machine learning models to solve business challenges. They define the AI strategy, oversee research, and ensure models are scalable and ethical. This role requires expertise in machine learning, data science, and leadership, as well as collaboration with cross-functional teams. Directors also stay updated on industry advancements and drive innovation within their organizations.

What are the primary responsibilities and challenges faced by a Director of Machine Learning on a daily basis?

A Director of Machine Learning is typically responsible for overseeing the development and deployment of machine learning solutions, mentoring technical teams, setting strategic direction for AI initiatives, and ensuring the alignment of projects with organizational goals. Challenges often include balancing innovative research with business priorities, navigating evolving technology landscapes, and coordinating efforts across data science, engineering, and stakeholder teams. This role requires regular collaboration with product managers, executives, and cross-functional departments to prioritize initiatives and communicate complex technical concepts. Successful directors excel at fostering a culture of continuous learning, optimizing team productivity, and staying ahead in a fast-paced, rapidly changing field.

What are the most commonly searched types of Machine Learning jobs in Illinois? The most popular types of Machine Learning jobs in Illinois are:
What are popular job titles related to Director Machine Learning jobs in Illinois? For Director Machine Learning jobs in Illinois, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Director Machine Learning jobs in Illinois look for? The top searched job categories for Director Machine Learning jobs in Illinois are:
What cities in Illinois are hiring for Director Machine Learning jobs? Cities in Illinois with the most Director Machine Learning job openings:
Director Machine Learning jobs near you
Infographic showing various Director Machine Learning job openings in Illinois as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 1% As Needed, 80% Full Time, 14% Part Time, 3% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 87% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $89,085 per year, or $42.8 per hour.

Senior Machine Learning Engineer (LLMs)

Albi

Chicago, IL • On-site

$126K - $166K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 21 days ago

Job description

We’re building deeply integrated LLMs into a real product used daily by restoration companies running thousands of jobs. This is not a “prompt engineer” role. You’ll design, train, and ship domain-specific language models that automate real workflows and move real revenue.

You will:

  • Own end‑to‑end LLM systems: architecture, training, evals, and iteration
  • Fine‑tune and extend existing models (LoRA, instruction tuning, RLHF)
  • Build and maintain data pipelines from product databases, documents, APIs, and logs
  • Ship reliable, monitored, production models with clear guardrails
  • Collaborate closely with product and engineering to turn messy real‑world problems into working systems
  • Build and coordinate the AI engineering team
  • Use Claude Code as a core tool for development, refactors, tests, and experiments

This is for you if:

  • “How does this actually work under the hood?” is your default question
  • You’re fine sitting with a hard problem for days and reading papers on weekends to figure it out
  • If there’s something interesting to learn or solve, it doesn’t matter if it’s Saturday or 1 a.m., you’re in
  • You build side projects nobody asked for and write cleaner code than anyone requires
  • You’re quietly competitive, self‑taught in at least one major skill, and think in systems
  • You’re slightly allergic to meetings without a clear purpose or owner

Requirements

  • 5+ years of real world experience in ML / AI engineering
  • Proven experience training or substantially contributing to training LLMs (not just calling APIs)
  • Deep understanding of transformers, attention, and training dynamics
  • Strong Python plus PyTorch or JAX
  • Experience with large‑scale data pipelines and experiment tracking
  • Hands‑on fine‑tuning (LoRA, instruction / SFT, RLHF or similar)
  • Comfortable using Claude Code as part of your daily workflow
  • Able to explain complex systems simply to non‑technical stakeholders and go deep with experts
  • Track record of owning projects end‑to‑end and mentoring other engineers

Nice to have:

  • Distributed training (FSDP, DeepSpeed, Megatron, etc.)
  • Inference optimization (quantization, speculative decoding, vLLM, Triton)
  • Experience shipping LLM features in production SaaS
  • Open‑source contributions or published work or patents in ML / NLP
  • Microsoft Foundry experience

Benefits

  • Competitive salary (based on experience and location)
  • Generous PTO
  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • 401(k) plan
  • High ownership and autonomy over your work
  • Direct collaboration with a small team of smart, kind, motivated engineers
  • An environment that values deep work, clear thinking, and real impact
  • Regular team events and off‑sites
  • Equipment and learning budget to help you do your best work and keep up with the frontier