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Founding Machine Learning Engineer Jobs in Cary, IL

Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Schaumburg, IL · On-site

$120K - $159K/yr

Senior Engineer Machine Learning Position Overview Paylocity is growing its Machine Learning Engineering organization! Our machine learning engineering team is responsible for developing ...

Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Schaumburg, IL · On-site

$120K - $159K/yr

Our machine learning engineering team is responsible for developing infrastructure and tooling to help enable data driven decisions and insights at scale for millions of Paylocity users. As a Senior ...

Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Schaumburg, IL · On-site

$120K - $159K/yr

Senior Engineer Machine Learning Position Overview Paylocity is growing its Machine Learning Engineering organization! Our machine learning engineering team is responsible for developing ...

This job will validate and develop machine learning models and algorithms to solve complex problems. You will work closely with senior engineers, data scientists, and product teams to enhance ...

This job will validate and develop machine learning models and algorithms to solve complex problems. You will work closely with senior engineers, data scientists, and product teams to enhance ...

Lead Machine Learning Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$105K - $139K/yr

Lead Machine Learning Engineers at Thoughtworks use modern architectures to develop end-to-end scalable machine learning systems and applications. They use their specialized depth and breadth of ...

New

Must-Have Skills 3+ years of ML engineering experience -- model training, fine-tuning, or post-training pipelines in research or production Strong Python and deep learning proficiency (PyTorch ...

Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$107K - $147K/yr

Hyatt seeks an extraordinary Machine Learning Engineer to help build the algorithmic assets and features that Hyatt guests, members, customers and internal users leverage to transform the guest ...

Machine Learning Engineer

Chicago, IL · Remote

$96K - $131K/yr

Develop and implement analytics techniques to transform data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages, visualization software, data modeling, and machine learning to ...

AI Machine Learning Engineer

Chicago, IL · Hybrid

$100K - $151K/yr

The Hartford is seeking AI Machine Learning Engineer to build Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) services for the Global Specialty Applied AI team. The Hartford is developing industryleading AI and ...

Career Renew is recruiting for one of its clients a Senior Machine Learning Engineer - this is a fully remote role for US/Canada based candidates. Salary range: 165-225K USD yearly plus benefits plus ...

Senior AI Machine Learning Engineer

Chicago, IL · Hybrid

$126K - $166K/yr

As a Senior Machine Learning Engineer , you will play a critical role in designing, building, and operationalizing productiongrade AI solutions-partnering closely with product, engineering, and ...

... engineers to implement, verify, and deploy ML inference solutions from proof-of-concept through production * Track and evaluate emerging research in neural architecture search, machine learning ...

... engineers to implement, verify, and deploy ML inference solutions from proof-of-concept through production * Track and evaluate emerging research in neural architecture search, machine learning ...

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Showing results 1-20

Founding Machine Learning Engineer information

See Cary, IL salary details

$32K

$130.6K

$196.3K

How much do founding machine learning engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for founding machine learning engineer in Cary, IL is $130,623.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $103,000.00 and $157,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Founding Machine Learning Engineer?

A Founding Machine Learning Engineer is one of the first technical team members at a startup who specializes in designing, building, and deploying machine learning systems. This role involves working closely with the founders to set the technical direction, build core AI products, and establish best practices for data and model development. In addition to hands-on coding and experimentation, a Founding Machine Learning Engineer often influences product decisions and helps shape the company's engineering culture. The role typically requires a blend of deep technical expertise, startup agility, and a willingness to tackle both high-level strategy and low-level engineering tasks.

What engineer makes $500,000 a year?

A founding machine learning engineer at top tech companies or successful startups can earn $500,000 or more annually, often including base salary, bonuses, and equity. Such roles typically require advanced skills in deep learning, data modeling, and experience with large-scale systems, along with a strong track record of innovation and leadership.

What are some unique challenges and expectations for a Founding Machine Learning Engineer in an early-stage startup?

As a Founding Machine Learning Engineer, you'll face the unique challenge of building the company's machine learning infrastructure from the ground up, often with limited resources and rapidly evolving requirements. You'll be expected to wear many hats, from designing and deploying models to setting up data pipelines and collaborating closely with product and engineering teams. Your role will also involve making critical decisions about technology stacks and best practices that will shape the company's technical direction. Additionally, you'll have significant influence on the company's culture and have ample opportunities for growth as the team expands.

What is a founding ML engineer?

A founding machine learning engineer is a key technical team member involved in building and developing the company's initial machine learning systems and infrastructure. They typically have strong skills in programming, data modeling, and deploying ML models, often working closely with product teams during the startup or early-stage company formation. This role requires a combination of technical expertise and entrepreneurial mindset to shape the company's AI capabilities from the ground up.

Is a machine learning engineer still in demand?

Yes, machine learning engineers are in high demand due to the increasing adoption of AI and data-driven solutions across industries. They are sought after for their skills in algorithms, programming, and tools like Python and TensorFlow, with job growth expected to continue as AI applications expand.

Which 5 jobs will survive AI?

Founding Machine Learning Engineers are likely to continue playing a crucial role as AI advances, focusing on developing and deploying complex models that require specialized skills in programming, data science, and system architecture. Jobs that involve high levels of creativity, strategic decision-making, and human interaction—such as healthcare professionals, educators, skilled trades, and roles in management—are also expected to persist despite AI automation. These positions typically require emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and adaptability that AI cannot easily replicate.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Founding Machine Learning Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Founding Machine Learning Engineer, you need deep expertise in machine learning algorithms, software engineering, and data science, often supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with tools such as Python, TensorFlow or PyTorch, cloud platforms, and experience deploying ML models in production are typically required. Strong problem-solving abilities, entrepreneurial mindset, and excellent communication skills set standout candidates apart. These skills and qualities are vital for driving innovation, building scalable solutions from scratch, and collaborating within a fast-paced startup environment.
What cities near Cary, IL are hiring for Founding Machine Learning Engineer jobs? Cities near Cary, IL with the most Founding Machine Learning Engineer job openings:
Staff Machine Learning Engineer

Staff Machine Learning Engineer

Paylocity

Schaumburg, IL • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement

Re-posted 16 days ago


Paylocity rating

7.6

Company rating: 7.6 out of 10

Based on 68 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

161st of 449 rated business services


Job description

Description:

Paylocity is an award-winning provider of cloud-based HR and payroll software solutions, offering the most complete platform for the modern workforce. The company has become one of the fastest-growing HCM software providers worldwide by offering an intuitive, easy-to-use product suite that helps businesses automate and streamline HR and payroll processes, attract and retain talent, and build a strong workplace culture.


While traditional HR and payroll providers automate basic HR processes such as payroll and benefits administration, Paylocity goes further by developing tools that HR and businesses need to compete for talent and deliver against the expectations of the modern workforce.


We give our employees what they need to succeed, including great benefits and perks! We offer medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and a 401(k) match, as well as perks that support you, your family, and your finances. And if it’s career development you desire, we provide that, too! At Paylocity, people matter most and have always been at the heart of our business.


Help Paylocity enhance communication and enable employees to connect, collaborate, and create from anywhere with a position in Product & Technology!


Want to develop the strategies and principles needed to deliver compelling software? Join our team and help us enhance our all-in-one software platform, elevate our one-of-a-kind technology, and improve the employee experience.


Take your career to the next level at one of G2's Top 100 Software Companies. Explore our Product & Technology positions to see where you fit!


This is a fully remote position, allowing you to work from home or location of record within the U.S. with no in-office requirements. You must be available five days per week during designated work hours. The work arrangement for this role is subject to change based on business needs and individual performance. This may include adjustments to on-site requirements.


Position Overview


Paylocity is growing its Machine Learning Engineering organization! Our machine learning engineering team is responsible for developing infrastructure and tooling to help enable data driven decisions and insights at scale for millions of Paylocity users.


As a Staff Machine Learning Engineer in Product & Technology, you will help Paylocity build and deploy Machine Learning solutions, to help our teams build better products faster, more reliably, and at the scale we see in production for our customers. We develop machine learning models and infrastructure to support internal team strategies and collaborate closely with our data science organization to drive efficiency and best practices. Your primary focus will be to leverage your expertise in software development, machine learning algorithms, and data infrastructure to architect, develop, and optimize machine learning solutions. You will play a key role in driving the development of scalable and efficient machine learning models, contributing to the enhancement of product features, and the overall improvement of our infrastructure.


Our team is:

  • Building infrastructure that can power ML and AI features for millions of users
  • Building and deploying platform-wide recommendations to help companies follow HR best practices and allow employees to get the most out of our platform (Paylocity AI page)
  • Baking AI Ethics into all of our processes as a first-class citizen (Blog Post)
  • Working in a collaborative fully remote environment with a desire to share ideas and continuously improve
  • Invested in staying current in machine learning engineering by applying the newest tools, technologies, and practices
  • Excited to work on cutting-edge technology!


Primary Responsibilities

  • Collaborate closely with internal teams such as Data Science, Data Engineering, Paylocity’s Cloud Center of Excellence (CCOE), DevOps, and Delivery Platforms to understand requirements and ensure alignment of machine learning engineering solutions with overall business objectives and priorities.
  • Leverage cutting-edge big data technologies on AWS utilizing Databricks and Spark to develop scalable and efficient machine learning solutions for millions of users.
  • Create automated data and modeling pipelines, collaborating with internal teams to ensure smooth integration and deployment of machine learning software features.
  • Lead the optimization of CI/CD workflows, ensuring scalability and resilience while addressing complex challenges in automation in partnership with DevOps and Delivery Platforms.
  • Proactively identify and resolve issues/bugs, ensuring AppSec vulnerabilities are identified and corrected, working closely with Application Security and CCOE teams.
  • Drive the adoption of best practices in machine learning engineering across teams, contributing to the development of formal training programs and materials for MLE tool adoption.
  • Actively participate in cross-functional meetings and discussions, providing feedback, commentary, requirements, and questions to ensure alignment and drive project success.


Education and Experience


The below represents the primary duties of the position, others may be assigned as needed. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

  • Bachelor’s degree with 8 years of machine learning engineering or similar experience at software companies; or, advanced degree (master’s or PhD) in machine learning engineering, data engineering, computer science, engineering, statistics, mathematics, data science, or other quantitative field, with 3 years of demonstrated machine learning engineering success or similar experience.
  • Experience in building production-grade machine learning models and infrastructure in Python.
  • Strong background in advanced Python and big data technologies
  • Experience with cloud infrastructure (i.e., AWS, GCP, or Azure).
  • Demonstrated experience with Infrastructure as Code (IAC) tools (i.e. CDK, Pulumi, etc.).
  • Demonstrated ability to leverage machine learning engineering to drive business results.
  • Skilled at translating business problems into machine learning engineering problems and communicating the results to non-technical audiences.
  • Able to work in a collaborative environment with a desire to share your ideas.
  • Able to work independently and complete tasks with high quality, but unafraid to seek out suggestions from other team members.
  • Strong understanding of data engineering and software engineering fundamentals.
  • Self-motivated, adaptable, and highly detail oriented.


Preferred Skills

  • Professional or academic experience in HR, social science or psychology
  • Contributions to open-source software in Python
  • Enthusiastic about how machine learning and infrastructure can lead to a superior customer experience.
  • Be invested in staying current in machine learning and infrastructure by applying new technologies and practices. • Ability to sit for extended periods: The role requires sitting at a desk or workstation for long periods, typically 7-8 hours a day.
  • Use of computer and phone systems: The employee must be able to operate a computer, use phone systems, and type. This includes using multiple software programs and inquiries simultaneously.


Physical requirements

  • Ability to sit for extended periods: The role requires sitting at a desk or workstation for long periods, typically 7-8 hours a day.
  • Use of computer and phone systems: The employee must be able to operate a computer, use phone systems, and type. This includes using multiple software programs and inquiries simultaneously.

Paylocity is an equal-opportunity employer. Paylocity is committed to the full inclusion of all individuals. We recruit, train, compensate, and promote regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law. At Paylocity, we believe diversity makes us better.
We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, culture, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion or spiritual belief, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique. We actively cultivate these differences through our employee resource groups (ERGs), employee experiences, perspectives, talents, and approaches to drive innovation in the software and services we provide our customers.

We comply with federal and state disability laws and make reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. To request reasonable accommodation in the job application or interview process, please contact accessibility@paylocity.com. This email address is exclusively designated for such requests, aligning with federal and state disability laws. Please do not send resumes to this email address, as they will be removed.

The base pay range for this position is $146,600 - $272,200 /yr; however, base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. This position is eligible for an annual bonus and restricted stock unit grant based on individual performance in addition to a full range of benefits outlined here . This information is provided per the relevant state and local pay transparency laws for the location in which this position will be performed. Base pay information is based on market location. Applicants should apply via www.paylocity.com/careers.

Requirements:



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