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Founding Machine Learning Engineer Jobs in Santa Clara, CA

Advatix Inc.

Machine Learning Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$110 - $165/hr

Not Available Role Summary We are looking for a highly skilled Machine Learning Engineer / Research Engineer to join our founding team and help develop intelligent systems that transform how hardware ...

Tapestry

Machine Learning Engineer

Mountain View, CA · On-site

About the role: We're looking for an early career Machine Learning Engineer to join our team. In this role you will build and deploy state of the art machine learning models to solve complex ...

Winaxis

Machine Learning Engineer

Fremont, CA · On-site

Machine Learning Engineer Location: Fremont, CA (Local) Onsite interview Duration: 12+ Mos H1B Only h1 candidate About the Role: Our direct client is hiring a Machine Learning Engineer for their ...

Pattern AI

Machine Learning Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site +1

Company Description PatternAI is an automated machine learning platform that reveals critical patterns in data for narrow business problems. We're seeking an outstanding ML Engineer to join our data ...

Pattern AI

Machine Learning Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

Company Description PatternAI is an automated machine learning platform that reveals critical patterns in data for narrow business problems. We're seeking an outstanding ML Engineer to join our data ...

MM International

Machine Learning Engineer

Fremont, CA · On-site

Machine Learning Engineer Location: Fremont, CA once the documents are verified, a Codility assessment will be shared with the candidate, where they need to score a minimum of 70% and post that, a ...

Apple

Machine Learning Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

Description Apple's Video Computer Vision (VCV) Face and Body technologies team is looking for a skilled Machine Learning Engineer with experience developing ML models for computer vision and ...

Apple

Machine Learning Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

Description Apple's Video Computer Vision (VCV) Face and Body technologies team is looking for a skilled Machine Learning Engineer with experience developing ML models for computer vision and ...

Skild AI

Machine Learning Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

Position Overview We are looking for a Machine Learning Engineer to be responsible for designing and implementing cutting-edge reinforcement learning algorithms, conducting experiments, and ...

BeeGenius

AI/Machine Learning Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

BeeGenius is building the future of work, and they are seeking an AI/Machine Learning Engineer to join their team. In this role, you will be responsible for developing and implementing machine ...

Abaka AI

Machine Learning Engineer

Mountain View, CA · On-site

The Machine Learning Engineer will design and develop scalable training pipelines for multimodal AI systems, collaborate with data engineering and research teams, and influence core decisions around ...

Cynet Systems

Machine Learning Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$55 - $60/hr

Machine Learning Engineer Job Location: San Jose CA Job Type: Contract Job Overview: Pay Range: $55.00hr - $60.00hr Requirement/Must Have: * 3+ years of professional experience building and deploying ...

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All JobsFounding Machine Learning Engineer JobsFounding Machine Learning Engineer Jobs in Santa Clara, CA

Founding Machine Learning Engineer information

See Santa Clara, CA salary details

$37K

$151.2K

$227.3K

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

As of Aug 28, 2026, the average yearly pay for founding machine learning engineer in Santa Clara, CA is $151,231.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $119,200.00 and $182,000.00 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 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 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.

Are founding machine learning engineers still in demand?

Founding machine learning engineers remain in high demand as companies seek to develop AI-driven products and services. They often require strong skills in deep learning, data modeling, and proficiency with tools like TensorFlow or PyTorch, with demand driven by growth in AI applications across industries.

How much does a founding machine learning engineer make?

A founding machine learning engineer typically earns between $100,000 and $180,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and company size. Equity and bonuses may also be part of the compensation package, especially in startup environments where they play a significant role in total earnings.

What are popular job titles related to Founding Machine Learning Engineer jobs in Santa Clara, CA?

For Founding Machine Learning Engineer jobs in Santa Clara, CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Founding Machine Learning Engineer jobs in Santa Clara, CA look for?

The top searched job categories for Founding Machine Learning Engineer jobs in Santa Clara, CA are:

What cities near Santa Clara, CA are hiring for Founding Machine Learning Engineer jobs?

Cities near Santa Clara, CA with the most Founding Machine Learning Engineer job openings:

Founding Machine Learning Engineer jobs near you

Founding Machine Learning Engineer

Mountain View, CA • On-site

Clera
1 - 10 employees
Learn more about Cleraexternal

$220K - $300K/yr

Full-time

Posted 6 days ago

Job description

About the Role

This is a founding-team ML engineering role at an early-stage AI data and services company, building core machine learning systems from scratch for frontier AI labs and enterprises. You'll bridge research and production engineering, owning the full ML lifecycle while directly shaping technical culture and infrastructure.

What You'll Do

  • Build and optimize end-to-end ML pipelines, from data ingestion through to deployment.

  • Implement and fine-tune LLMs, embeddings, and generative models for real-world applications.

  • Develop efficient training and inference systems leveraging distributed compute.

  • Partner with data and product teams to translate ideas into measurable ML impact.

  • Contribute to model monitoring, evaluation, and continual learning frameworks.

  • Establish best practices in model versioning, reproducibility, and scalability.

What We're Looking For

  • 3–10 years of experience as an ML Engineer, Applied Scientist, or Research Engineer.

  • Proficiency in Python and at least one major ML framework: PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX.

  • Strong grasp of ML fundamentals — data preprocessing, feature engineering, model training, and optimization.

  • Hands-on experience with distributed systems, cloud ML infrastructure (AWS, GCP, or Azure), and MLOps tooling such as Weights & Biases or MLflow.

  • Comfort working with large datasets and high-throughput systems.

  • Strong bias for action, ability to work autonomously, and genuine eagerness to build from the ground up.

Compensation & Benefits

Base salary range: $220,000 – $300,000 USD annually. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Location

On-site in Mountain View, California, United States.