ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Machine Learning Data Associate Jobs in Goleta, CA

AppFolio

Sr. Machine Learning Engineer

Santa Barbara, CA · On-site

$112K - $154K/yr

Who We Are Looking For We're hiring a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to design and ship the next ... Familiarity with RAG over structured business data and tool-using agents over API surfaces. * Prior ...

AppFolio

Sr. Machine Learning Engineer

Santa Barbara, CA · On-site

$112K - $154K/yr

Who We Are Looking For We're hiring a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to design and ship the next ... Familiarity with RAG over structured business data and tool-using agents over API surfaces. * Prior ...

AppFolio, Inc.

Sr. Machine Learning Engineer

Santa Barbara, CA · On-site +1

$116K - $159K/yr

Who We Are Looking For We're hiring a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to design and ship the next ... Familiarity with RAG over structured business data and tool-using agents over API surfaces. * Prior ...

Toyon

Deep Learning Algorithm Developer

Goleta, CA

$120K - $200K/yr

... AI) / Machine Learning (ML) techniques. Experience in Computer Vision is desired for current openings. Our researchers apply AI/ML techniques to develop data processing automation solutions for ...

Umbra

Staff Data Platform Engineer

Santa Barbara, CA · On-site

$127K - $153K/yr

Develop and optimize data models, data warehouses, lakehouse patterns, and dbt transformations to support internal analytics, machine learning applications, and operational decision-making * Build ...

Umbra

Staff Data Platform Engineer

Santa Barbara, CA · On-site

Develop and optimize data models, data warehouses, lakehouse patterns, and dbt transformations to support internal analytics, machine learning applications, and operational decision-making * Build ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsMachine Learning Data Associate JobsMachine Learning Data Associate Jobs in Goleta, CA

Machine Learning Data Associate information

See Goleta, CA salary details

$10

$20

$33

How much do machine learning data associate jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 12, 2026, the average hourly pay for machine learning data associate in Goleta, CA is $20.22, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $16.59 and $21.54 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a machine learning data associate?

Machine Learning Data Associates are professionals who support the development of machine learning models by preparing, labeling, and validating data sets. Their work ensures that data used for training algorithms is accurate, consistent, and properly annotated. They may also assist with data cleaning, quality checks, and sometimes basic data analysis tasks. This role is crucial in industries where high-quality labeled data is essential for building effective AI systems.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a machine learning data associate?

To thrive as a Machine Learning Data Associate, you need strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and a basic understanding of data annotation and labeling processes, often supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with data management tools, annotation platforms, and sometimes scripting languages like Python is typically required. Strong communication, collaboration, and problem-solving abilities help you work efficiently with data science teams and ensure high-quality outcomes. These skills and qualities are crucial for producing accurate datasets that directly impact the effectiveness of machine learning models.

How does a machine learning data associate typically collaborate with data scientists and engineers within a project team?

As a Machine Learning Data Associate, you play a vital role in supporting data scientists and engineers by annotating, cleaning, and organizing large datasets to ensure high data quality. You'll frequently communicate with team members to clarify labeling guidelines, provide feedback on data inconsistencies, and report any edge cases encountered during annotation. This collaboration ensures that the datasets used for training machine learning models are accurate and comprehensive, directly impacting the success of the project. Expect regular team meetings and ongoing feedback loops to maintain alignment with evolving project requirements.

What is the difference between Machine Learning Data Associate vs Data Analyst?

AspectMachine Learning Data AssociateData Analyst
Required SkillsData cleaning, labeling, basic programming, understanding of ML workflowsData interpretation, visualization, statistical analysis
Work EnvironmentTech companies, AI startups, research labsBusiness, finance, marketing, healthcare sectors
Common CertificationsData Science certifications, Python, SQLExcel, Tableau, SQL certifications

The main difference is that Machine Learning Data Associates focus on preparing and labeling data specifically for machine learning models, while Data Analysts interpret data to generate insights for business decisions. Both roles require strong data skills and often overlap, but their primary objectives and work environments differ.

How do I become a machine learning data associate?

To become a machine learning data associate, candidates typically need a high school diploma or equivalent, with some roles preferring a bachelor's degree in computer science, data science, or related fields. Relevant skills include data annotation, understanding of machine learning concepts, and proficiency with tools like Excel, SQL, or data labeling platforms. Gaining experience through internships or certifications can improve job prospects in this field.

Is a Machine Learning Data Associate a good job?

A Machine Learning Data Associate role involves preparing and managing data for machine learning models, often requiring skills in data cleaning, annotation, and familiarity with tools like Python or SQL. It can be a good entry-level position for those interested in AI and data science, offering opportunities to develop technical skills and gain industry experience. Compensation and job satisfaction vary depending on the employer and location, but it generally provides a solid foundation for a career in machine learning or data analysis.

What cities near Goleta, CA are hiring for Machine Learning Data Associate jobs?

Cities near Goleta, CA with the most Machine Learning Data Associate job openings:

Machine Learning Data Associate jobs near you
Infographic showing various Machine Learning Data Associate job openings in Goleta, CA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 77% Full Time, 18% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $42,052 per year, or $20.2 per hour.

Principal Machine Learning Engineer

Santa Barbara, CA • On-site, Remote

AppFolio, Inc.
See more jobs at AppFolio, Inc.external

Full-time

Re-posted 15 days ago

AppFolio rating

7.2

Company rating: 7.2 out of 10

Based on 8 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

Job description

Description
Hi, We're AppFolio
We're innovators, changemakers, and collaborators. We're more than just a software company - we're building the AI-native platform where the real estate industry comes to do business. We're transforming Property Management; how property managers operate, how residents live, and how intelligence flows across an entire industry.
Realm-X is AppFolio's AI-native platform powering this transformation. It enables a new generation of intelligent capabilities across our products, including Realm-X Assistant (copilot), Flows (AI Agentic workflows) and Performers (autonomous AI Agents). Realm-X serves as both a foundation for internal teams to build and scale AI-powered products, and a core layer delivering intelligent, high-impact experiences directly to our customers.
At its core, Realm-X is built on a structured domain ontology and a set of shared business primitives-such as transactions, actions, reports, metrics, and skills-that enable AI systems to deeply understand and operate across the full context of property management workflows. This foundation allows us to build context-aware, action-oriented AI systems that go beyond simple assistance to power real automation and decision-making.
Who We Are Looking For
We're seeking a Principal Machine Learning Engineer to help define and lead the next generation of AI systems within Realm-X, and to drive AppFolio's long-term autonomous Real Estate Performance Management (RPM) platform - autonomous AI agents that can deliver property management performance.
This is a company-impact role. You will own mission-critical AI capabilities, shape long-term technical strategy, and act as a technical visionary and advisor across teams and leadership.
You'll operate at the intersection of traditional machine learning, deep learning, and generative AI, building systems that go beyond AI assistance into execution, automation, and optimization.
This role is for someone who doesn't just build systems - but redefines how they should be built.
Your Impact
  • Architect & Lead: Help define the technical vision and architecture for AI systems across Realm-X in partnership with senior leadership.
  • Scale Intelligent AI Agents: Design and deploy advanced AI Agentic systems that combine reasoning, planning, and execution, including multi-agent orchestration across specialist agents (e.g., maintenance, leasing, accounting, collections).
  • Improve the Foundation: Establish platform primitives and abstractions to enable context-aware, action-oriented AI that goes beyond simple assistance to true automation. Improve the standards for end-to-end ML systems: data collection, model training, evaluation, deployment, and inference infrastructure.
  • Production Excellence: Architect and build scalable, multi-modal, and real-time AI applications, ensuring high-quality deployment standards.
  • ML for Autonomous Property Management: Drive AppFolio's transition toward autonomous property management operations. Use existing LLMs today and instrument the proprietary data collection now that will let us selectively train, fine-tune, and RL-optimize open source LLM and SLM for the RPM domain - optimizing performance, latency, and cost.
  • Reinforcement Learning for Agent Policies: Build the data and feedback loops needed to enable Reinforcement Learning over agent action policies in the partially observable, high-stakes property management environment.

Qualifications
  • Systems thinker: You think in terms of systems, platforms, and long-term leverage, not just features.
  • Production builder: You've built and scaled ML/AI systems in production with meaningful business impact.
  • Ambiguity: You operate effectively in high ambiguity, turning unclear problems into a clear direction.
  • Influence: You've led or influenced large, cross-team technical initiatives.
  • Originality: You introduce new ideas, architectures, or paradigms - not just implement existing ones.
  • Owner-operator: You bring a founder / owner-operator mindset: you take ownership, act with urgency, and focus on outcomes.
  • Pace: You have a strong desire to move fast and deliver impact, while maintaining sound engineering judgment.
  • Collaboration: You are humble, collaborative, and low-ego, and you elevate those around you.
  • Sustainability: You value work-life balance as a foundation for sustained high performance.
  • Vertical conviction: You bring genuine interest in winning a specific industry vertical (real estate) rather than chasing horizontal AI hype.

Must Have
  • Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or a related field (required).
  • 10+ years of experience building software systems, with significant focus on ML/AI (or equivalent impact).
  • Combined academic and industry track record: Published research and shipped production systems.
  • Deep ML expertise: Traditional Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Generative AI / LLMs (prompting, fine-tuning, RAG, agents, tool and skills use).
  • LLM post-training: Direct, hands-on experience with LLM post-training - SFT, RLHF, DPO, and/or RL - at non-trivial scale.
  • Full ML lifecycle: Strong understanding of data extraction, model training, evaluation, deployment, and integration into production software.
  • Core stack: Expert in Python, PyTorch, NumPy, AWS, Docker, SQL, embeddings, and RAG.
  • Agent tooling: Experience with LangChain, LangGraph, and LLM observability tools (LangSmith).
  • Production ML at scale: Experience designing and operating production-grade ML systems at scale.
  • Ontology & knowledge graphs: Applied experience with ontology-driven systems, knowledge graphs, or semantic layers used to model business domains for AI systems.
  • AI-native engineering: Proficiency with AI coding tools and workflows (e.g., Copilot, ChatGPT, code generation tools).

Nice to Have
  • Reinforcement Learning depth: Deep RL expertise applied to sequential decision-making under partial observability.
  • Experience designing evaluation and benchmarking systems for AI.
  • Background in distributed systems and real-time architectures.
  • Experience building platforms used by multiple engineering teams.
  • Contributions to industry thought leadership (publications, talks, open source, etc.).

Location
Find out more about our locations by visiting our site.
All late-stage candidates complete an in-person meeting with an AppFolian as part of our hiring process.
Compensation & Benefits
The compensation that we reasonably expect to pay for this role is: $264,000 - $330,000 base pay. The actual compensation for this role will be determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to the candidate's skills, education, experience, and internal equity.
Please note that compensation is just one aspect of a comprehensive Total Rewards package. The compensation range listed here does not include additional benefits or any discretionary bonuses you may be eligible for based on your role and/or employment type.
Regular full-time employees are eligible for benefits - see here.
#LI-KB1
About AppFolio
AppFolio is the technology leader powering the future of the real estate industry. Our innovative platform and trusted partnership enable our customers to connect communities, increase operational efficiency, and grow their business. For more information about AppFolio, visit appfolio.com.
Why AppFolio
Grow We enable a culture of high performance, where delivering results is recognized by opportunities for growth and compelling total rewards. Our challenging and meaningful work drive the growth of our business, and ourselves.
Learn We partner with you to realize your potential by investing in you from the start. We're cultivating a team of big thinkers through coaching and mentorship with our best-in-class leaders, and giving you the time and tools to develop your skills.
Impact We are creating a world where living in, investing in, managing, and supporting communities feels magical and effortless, freeing people to thrive. We do this by innovating with purpose while cultivating a culture of impact. We learn as much from each other as we do our customers and our communities.
Connect We excel at hybrid work by fostering an environment that feels flexible, personal and connected, no matter where we are. We create space to fuel innovation and collaboration, and we come together to celebrate, connect, and succeed.
Paddle as One.
Learn more at appfolio.com/company/careers
Statement of Equal Opportunity
At AppFolio, we value diversity in backgrounds and perspectives and depend on it to drive our innovative culture. That's why we're a proud Equal Opportunity Employer, and we believe that our products, our teams, and our business are stronger because of it. This means that no matter what race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identification, national origin, age, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, or veteran status, you're always welcome at AppFolio.

What AppFolio employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom

Apply