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Machine Learning Ops Engineer Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

Role Summary We are seeking a highly motivated Machine Learning Engineer with a strong background in model architecture design and algorithm development, ideally with experience in scientific domains ...

Role Summary We are seeking a highly motivated Machine Learning Engineer with a strong background in model architecture design and algorithm development, ideally with experience in scientific domains ...

Oversee teams of data scientists, modelers, and ML engineers to deliver innovative and scalable ... Knowledge of ML Ops, model governance, and lifecycle management best practices. * Demonstrated ...

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 ...

Showing results 21-40

Machine Learning Ops Engineer information

See Illinois salary details

$30.5K

$124.8K

$187.5K

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

As of Sep 11, 2026, the average yearly pay for machine learning ops engineer in Illinois is $124,780.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $98,400.00 and $150,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a machine learning ops engineer?

A Machine Learning Ops Engineer (MLOps Engineer) focuses on deploying, monitoring, and maintaining machine learning models in production. They bridge the gap between data science and software engineering, ensuring models run efficiently, reliably, and at scale. Their responsibilities include automating workflows, managing infrastructure, and ensuring CI/CD pipelines for ML models. They work with tools like Kubernetes, Docker, and cloud platforms to streamline model deployment. Ultimately, an MLOps Engineer ensures that machine learning models are operationalized and continuously improved in a real-world environment.

What does a machine learning ops engineer do?

A typical day for a Machine Learning Ops Engineer involves collaborating with data scientists to streamline the deployment of models, building and maintaining scalable infrastructure on cloud services, and automating workflows with CI/CD tools. You may troubleshoot issues in production environments, monitor model performance, and implement solutions for model versioning and retraining. Often, you’ll work closely with software engineers, DevOps teams, and data analysts to ensure seamless integration of machine learning solutions into products. This cross-functional role keeps you engaged with cutting-edge technology and provides opportunities to influence both technical and business outcomes.

What skills and qualifications are needed to be a machine learning ops engineer?

To thrive as a Machine Learning Ops Engineer, you need a solid grasp of machine learning concepts, cloud platforms, software engineering, and DevOps practices, typically supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Experience with tools like Docker, Kubernetes, TensorFlow, CI/CD pipelines, and certifications such as AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty are highly valuable. Strong problem-solving skills, communication, and the ability to work collaboratively across data science and engineering teams set top candidates apart. These skills ensure reliable deployment, scalability, and optimization of machine learning models in production environments.

Are machine learning ops engineers in demand?

Machine Learning Ops Engineers are in high demand due to the increasing adoption of AI and machine learning across industries. They are needed to develop, deploy, and maintain scalable ML systems, often requiring skills in cloud platforms, automation, and tools like Kubernetes and TensorFlow. The role is expected to grow as organizations prioritize AI-driven solutions and infrastructure automation.
Infographic showing various Machine Learning Ops Engineer job openings in Illinois as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 80% Full Time, 18% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $124,780 per year, or $60 per hour.

Machine Learning Engineer

Oakbrook Terrace, IL • On-site

Darwill, Inc.
Marketing • 201 - 500 employees

Full-time

Posted 16 days ago


Job description

Overview
Darwill is a nationally recognized print and marketing communications firm based in the west suburbs of Chicago. As a premier provider of complex, data-driven marketing solutions, we help CMOs and marketing leaders drive measurable performance through advanced analytics, automation, and AI-powered insights.
We are seeking a Machine Learning Engineer (MLOps) to support the productionization of traditional machine learning models (e.g., propensity and segmentation models) while also building and maintaining the core data pipelines on Databricks that power our analytics and modeling platforms.
This role is intentionally scoped for a mid-level engineer: someone with enough experience to work independently and make sound engineering decisions, but who is still hands-on, execution-focused, and eager to grow. This is not an entry-level position, and it is not a principal or architect-level role.
Location
Chicago, IL area (Oak Brook / West Suburbs)
Hybrid work model with 1-2 days onsite per week required
Reports To
VP of Data Engineering & Data Science
Responsibilities / Essential Functions
Data Engineering & Platform Foundations
  • Design, build, and maintain ETL pipelines in Databricks using Spark and Delta Lake
  • Independently implement data transformations, joins, and aggregations across large, multi-source datasets
  • Build and maintain data validation and quality checks to ensure reliability of downstream analytics and ML workflows
  • Optimize Databricks jobs for performance, scalability, and cost efficiency
  • Write and maintain clear technical documentation for data pipelines and tables

ML Engineering & MLOps
  • Partner closely with Data Scientists to support traditional ML model development, including feature engineering, training, validation, and deployment
  • Productionize propensity, ranking, and segmentation models used in large-scale marketing campaigns
  • Build and maintain repeatable ML pipelines for training, batch scoring, and inference
  • Implement model versioning, experiment tracking, and reproducibility standards
  • Support model performance monitoring, drift detection, and retraining cycles

Deployment, Monitoring & Operations
  • Deploy data pipelines and ML workflows into production environments serving millions of records
  • Implement monitoring and alerting for data and ML pipelines
  • Support A/B testing and model performance evaluation in partnership with Data Science
  • Troubleshoot production issues independently and collaborate effectively when escalation is needed

GenAI (Secondary / Directional)
  • Contribute to GenAI initiatives as capacity allows
  • Stay informed on emerging AI technologies and tooling
  • (GenAI is not the primary focus of this role today.)

Required Qualifications
Experience
  • 3-6 years of professional experience in machine learning engineering, data engineering, or a closely related role
  • Experience working in production environments with minimal day-to-day supervision
  • Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with Data Scientists and translate models into production systems

Technical Skills (Must-Have)
Data Engineering & Platform
  • Apache Spark (PySpark, SparkSQL)
  • Databricks (ETL pipelines, workflows, Delta Lake)
  • Strong SQL skills (complex queries, joins, window functions, optimization)
  • Experience building and maintaining scalable data pipelines

Programming & Machine Learning
  • Python (pandas, numpy, scikit-learn; experience with XGBoost or LightGBM preferred)
  • Feature engineering and data preparation for ML models
  • Working knowledge of supervised learning models (classification, regression, ranking)

MLOps & Production
  • Experience deploying ML models into production
  • Model versioning and experiment tracking (e.g., MLflow or similar)
  • Monitoring data quality and model performance in production
  • Supporting retraining and validation workflows

Cloud & Tooling
  • Experience with a major cloud platform (Databrick, AWS)
  • Familiarity with workflow orchestration tools (Databricks Workflows or similar)

Preferred Qualifications (Nice-to-Have)
  • Experience with propensity modeling, customer segmentation, or marketing analytics
  • Exposure to CI/CD concepts for data and ML pipelines
  • Experience with Docker or containerized deployments
  • Exposure to GenAI, LLMs, or RAG-based systems
  • Master's degree in Computer Science, Statistics, or a related field
  • Seniority Level
    Associate
  • Industry
    • Marketing Services
  • Employment Type
    Full-time
  • Job Functions