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Senior Machine Learning Engineer Jobs in Woodbridge, VA

Protagonist

Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Washington, DC · On-site

$118K - $162K/yr

Protagonist is looking for a Senior Machine Learning Engineer who builds production-ready systems for mission-critical work. You bring strong engineering discipline, systems thinking, and a bias ...

Protagonist

Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Washington, DC · On-site

$118K - $162K/yr

Protagonist is looking for a Senior Machine Learning Engineer who builds production-ready systems for mission-critical work. You bring strong engineering discipline, systems thinking, and a bias ...

Pantheon Data

Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Reston, VA · On-site

$140K - $200K/yr

Position Overview Pantheon Data is seeking a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to design, build, and operate production AI systems for federal clients - including hybrid retrieval-augmented generation ...

Pantheon Data LLC

Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Reston, VA · Hybrid

$108K - $149K/yr

Position Overview Pantheon Data is seeking a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to design, build, and operate production AI systems for federal clients - including hybrid retrieval-augmented generation ...

Pantheon Data

Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Reston, VA · Remote

$140K - $200K/yr

Position OverviewPantheon Data is seeking a Senior Machine Learning Engineer to design, build, and operate production AI systems for federal clients - including hybrid retrieval-augmented generation ...

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All JobsMachine Learning Engineer JobsSenior Machine Learning Engineer JobsSenior Machine Learning Engineer Jobs in Woodbridge, VA

Senior Machine Learning Engineer information

See Woodbridge, VA salary details

$58.8K

$125.2K

$181.5K

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

As of Sep 5, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior machine learning engineer in Woodbridge, VA is $125,162.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $103,300.00 and $141,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a senior machine learning engineer do?

A Senior Machine Learning Engineer designs, develops, and implements machine learning models to solve complex problems. They are responsible for selecting appropriate algorithms, preprocessing data, and optimizing model performance. Additionally, they collaborate with data scientists, software engineers, and product teams to integrate machine learning solutions into production systems. Senior engineers also mentor junior team members and contribute to setting technical direction for machine learning projects.

What are some common challenges senior machine learning engineers face when deploying models to production, and how can they be addressed?

Senior Machine Learning Engineers often encounter challenges related to model scalability, maintaining performance in real-world scenarios, and ensuring reliable integration with existing systems. Addressing these challenges typically involves thorough testing, implementing robust monitoring for model drift, and collaborating closely with DevOps and software engineering teams to streamline deployment pipelines. Staying updated on best practices in MLOps and adopting tools for automated deployment and monitoring can greatly improve the reliability and efficiency of production models.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior machine learning engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Machine Learning Engineer, you need advanced knowledge of machine learning algorithms, statistical modeling, and programming languages like Python or Java, typically supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Experience with frameworks and tools such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, and cloud platforms, as well as familiarity with version control and CI/CD systems, is essential. Strong problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills help you collaborate effectively and mentor junior team members. These capabilities are crucial for designing scalable ML solutions and driving impactful results within complex, dynamic projects.

What is the difference between Senior Machine Learning Engineer vs Data Scientist?

AspectSenior Machine Learning EngineerData Scientist
Required CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in CS, ML, or related; experience with ML frameworksBachelor's/Master's in CS, Statistics, or related; strong analytical skills
Work EnvironmentDevelops and deploys ML models in production systemsAnalyzes data, builds models, and provides insights
Industry UsageTech, finance, healthcare, e-commerceResearch, finance, marketing, tech

While both roles require strong technical skills and knowledge of machine learning, Senior Machine Learning Engineers focus more on deploying scalable ML solutions in production environments, whereas Data Scientists primarily analyze data and develop models for insights. The roles often overlap but differ in their core responsibilities and focus areas.

What are the most commonly searched types of Machine Learning Engineer jobs in Woodbridge, VA?

The most popular types of Machine Learning Engineer jobs in Woodbridge, VA are:

What job categories do people searching Senior Machine Learning Engineer jobs in Woodbridge, VA look for?

The top searched job categories for Senior Machine Learning Engineer jobs in Woodbridge, VA are:

What cities near Woodbridge, VA are hiring for Senior Machine Learning Engineer jobs?

Cities near Woodbridge, VA with the most Senior Machine Learning Engineer job openings:

Senior Machine Learning Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Senior Machine Learning Engineer job openings in Woodbridge, VA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 75% Full Time, 22% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $125,162 per year, or $60.2 per hour.

Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Protagonist

Washington, DC • On-site

$118K - $162K/yr

Full-time

Posted 10 days ago

Job description

Join Our Talented Team at Protagonist

We fuse rigorous, methodologically sound analysis with our cutting-edge technology platform, Narrative Analytics®. This powerful combination enables us to quantitatively analyze open-source media, deliver strategic recommendations, and craft executive-level communication strategies for clients with missions that matter.

Why Us?

Our team is a vibrant mix of communication specialists, data scientists, and subject matter experts with extensive experience across U.S. Government agencies, non-profit organizations, and Fortune 500 companies. By joining Protagonist, you'll immerse yourself in a collaborative environment where innovation thrives, and your contributions truly matter.

What We Do
  • Innovative Solutions: We co-develop cutting-edge solutions with our clients to address tough communication problems and capitalize on opportunities to make a tangible impact.
  • Data-Driven Insights: Our tools and methodologies provide actionable insights that help clients meet their communication objectives and stay ahead of global challenges.
  • Applied Expertise: We integrate our solutions within client organizations, leveraging our profound expertise to address critical issues and ensure sustainable success.
Be Part of Something Bigger

At Protagonist, you'll work on compelling projects that make a real difference. We seek talented individuals eager to contribute to our mission and grow alongside us. If you're passionate about communication, data analysis, and making an impact, we invite you to explore a career with Protagonist.

Explore Your Future with Us!

Ready to take the next step in your career? Join us at Protagonist and be part of a team that's making a difference.

Job Description

Protagonist is looking for a Senior Machine Learning Engineer who builds production-ready systems for mission-critical work. You bring strong engineering discipline, systems thinking, and a bias toward scalable, well-architected solutions—owning the full ML lifecycle from design to deployment. 

You're a builder and strategic partner across engineering, product, and client-facing teams, expanding what AI can do at Protagonist. You stay curious and current with advances in ML, infrastructure, and software development. 

Responsibilities
  • Partner with product, engineering, and data science teams to identify high-impact NLP use cases and turn business needs into ML solutions that deliver measurable value 
  • Own production NLP pipelines spanning narrative detection, NER, span classification, stance and characterization analysis, event extraction, deduplication, and knowledge-base entity linking over multi-language, noisy real-world text 
  • Design, build, and operate production NLP pipelines, narrative detection, event classification, entity resolution and linking, deduplication — over multi-language, noisy real-world text at scale 
  • Build and maintain ML workflows in Metaflow orchestrated on Argo Workflows and Kubernetes (EKS), including GPU-accelerated training and batch inference 
  • Develop LLM-powered features on AWS Bedrock: RAG pipelines with vector search on OpenSearch, tool-using agents, and document-analysis workflows — within GovCloud/ITAR constraints 
  • Fine-tune and deploy transformer models (classification, embeddings, entity linking) for domain-specific and foreign-language content 
  • Establish ML evaluation frameworks regression testing, hallucination detection, quality metrics and define success criteria with product managers 
  • Integrate ML services into our Django/PostgreSQL platform and event-driven infrastructure (Kafka, Redis, OpenSearch) 
  • Lead technical discussions to align cross-functional teams on ML strategy, architecture, and implementation 
  • Mentor others, share knowledge, and help evolve ML practices—balancing innovation with practical delivery 
Requirements
  • U.S. person eligible to work on government contracts; active or prior SECRET clearance preferred 
  • Bachelor's and 5 years of experience, or master's degree and 3 years of experience, in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or a related technical field 
  • Proven track record building and deploying production ML systems, with deep NLP expertise (transformers, LLMs, embedding models) 
  • Strong Python skills and fluency with PyTorch and the Hugging Face ecosystem 
  • Hands-on experience with AWS (GovCloud experience a strong plus), Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform, and CI/CD pipelines 
  • Experience with ML orchestration and experiment tracking (e.g., Metaflow, Argo Workflows, MLflow, or similar) 
  • Experience with vector search and document indexing (OpenSearch/Elasticsearch or similar) 
  • Experience building LLM applications,  RAG, agents, prompt engineering, and evaluation 
  • Skilled at scaling ML for multi-modal (text, image, video) and domain-specific applications, and working effectively across engineering, product, and business teams 
Ideal Candidates 
  • Experience integrating ML into full-stack products (Django/REST APIs, React frontends) or decision-support tools 
  • Experience operating in compliance-constrained environments 
  • Strong communicator and cross-functional collaborator 
  • Self-starter who thrives in ambiguity and startup-like environments 
Join Us

If you're passionate about technology and making an impact, apply today! Protagonist is dedicated to fostering a welcoming and innovative environment where everyone's voice can make a difference.

Protagonist is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Salary Range: $95,000-$141,000 based on education and level of relevant experience.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.