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Senior Reinforcement Learning Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Research Scientist Senior

Indianapolis, IN · On-site +1

$94K - $119K/yr

Research Scientist Senior This role requires associates to be in-office 1 - 2 days per week ... Develops scalable machine learning and reinforcement learning systems that improve healthcare ...

Research Scientist Senior

Chicago, IL · On-site +1

$101K - $129K/yr

Research Scientist Senior This role requires associates to be in-office 1 - 2 days per week ... Develops scalable machine learning and reinforcement learning systems that improve healthcare ...

Our systems leverage modern ML and GenAI techniques, including LLMs, reinforcement learning, multi ... About the Role We are looking for a Senior Machine Learning Tech Lead to drive ranking and ...

As a Senior Machine Learning Engineer on the Data Mining team, your mission is to build the "Brain ... Reinforcement Learning for Data Discover : Build RL-based policy learning and reasoning systems for ...

Research Scientist Senior

Atlanta, GA · On-site +1

$94K - $120K/yr

Research Scientist Senior This role requires associates to be in-office 1 - 2 days per week ... Develops scalable machine learning and reinforcement learning systems that improve healthcare ...

Research Scientist Senior

Grand Prairie, TX · On-site +1

$93K - $118K/yr

Research Scientist Senior This role requires associates to be in-office 1 - 2 days per week ... Develops scalable machine learning and reinforcement learning systems that improve healthcare ...

Senior Machine Learning Engineer

$125K - $165K/yr

About the Opportunity As a Senior Machine Learning Engineer, you will bring your expertise in ... Familiarity with reinforcement learning or bandit models Nice to Have * Experience with Java and ...

Senior Robot Learning Engineer

Boston, MA · On-site

$113K - $155K/yr

They are seeking a Senior Robot Learning Engineer to develop core AI technologies for future AI ... Reinforcement Learning and Imitation Learning for manipulation. • Planning and control algorithms ...

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Senior Reinforcement Learning information

See salary details

$25K

$80.3K

$163.5K

How much do senior reinforcement learning jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 3, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior reinforcement learning in the United States is $80,287.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $41,500.00 and $103,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges faced by Senior Reinforcement Learning professionals when deploying models in real-world environments?

Senior Reinforcement Learning professionals often encounter challenges such as ensuring model robustness when transferring algorithms from simulated to real-world environments, handling limited or noisy data, and managing the computational demands of training complex models. Additionally, safety and interpretability are critical, as real-world deployments can have significant impacts if models behave unpredictably. Close collaboration with domain experts and engineering teams is essential to address these challenges and ensure successful, scalable deployments.

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

To thrive as a Senior Reinforcement Learning Engineer, you need deep expertise in machine learning, reinforcement learning algorithms, and programming languages such as Python, often supported by an advanced degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, and RL-specific libraries, as well as experience with high-performance computing and cloud platforms, is typically required. Strong problem-solving abilities, collaboration, and communication skills help distinguish top performers in this role. These skills ensure the development of efficient, robust RL models and effective teamwork on complex AI projects.

What is the difference between Senior Reinforcement Learning vs Data Scientist?

AspectSenior Reinforcement LearningData Scientist
Required CredentialsAdvanced degrees in CS, ML, or related fields; experience with RL frameworksDegree in CS, Statistics, or related; strong analytical skills
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, AI teams, tech companies focusing on ML projectsBusiness analytics, data analysis, and modeling in various industries
Employer & Industry UsageTech firms, AI startups, research institutionsFinance, healthcare, marketing, tech, and more

While both roles require strong analytical skills and technical knowledge, Senior Reinforcement Learning specialists focus on developing RL algorithms and models, often in AI research settings. Data Scientists analyze data to inform business decisions across industries. The roles overlap in data handling and programming but differ in their core focus and application areas.

What does a Senior Reinforcement Learning Engineer do?

A Senior Reinforcement Learning Engineer designs, develops, and implements advanced machine learning algorithms that enable systems to learn optimal behaviors through trial and error. They work on complex problems such as robotics, game AI, recommendation systems, and automated decision-making. In addition to coding and model development, they often lead research initiatives, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and mentor junior engineers. Their role requires deep knowledge of reinforcement learning theory, practical experience with machine learning frameworks, and strong programming skills.
More about Senior Reinforcement Learning jobs
What cities are hiring for Senior Reinforcement Learning jobs? Cities with the most Senior Reinforcement Learning job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Reinforcement Learning jobs? The most popular types of Reinforcement Learning jobs are:
What states have the most Senior Reinforcement Learning jobs? States with the most job openings for Senior Reinforcement Learning jobs include:
Infographic showing various Senior Reinforcement Learning job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 17% Full Time, and 83% Part Time. Highlights an 92% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $80,287 per year, or $38.6 per hour.
Research Scientist Senior

Research Scientist Senior

Elevance Health

Indianapolis, IN • On-site, Remote

$94K - $119K/yr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 17 days ago


Elevance Health rating

7.7

Company rating: 7.7 out of 10

Based on 346 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

180th of 277 rated insurance


Job description

Research Scientist Senior

This role requires associates to be in-office 1 - 2 days per week, fostering collaboration and connectivity, while providing flexibility to support productivity and work-life balance. This approach combines structured office engagement with the autonomy of virtual work, promoting a dynamic and adaptable workplace. Ideal candidates will be able to report to one of our Pulse Point locations in Indianapolis, IN, Atlanta, GA, Grand Prairie, TX, Chicago, IL or New York, NY. Alternate locations may be considered if candidates reside within a commuting distance from an office.

Please note that per our policy on hybrid/virtual work, candidates not within a reasonable commuting distance from the posting location(s) will not be considered for employment, unless an accommodation is granted as required by law.


The Research Scientist Senioris responsible for prospective and retrospective health economic research activities. Responsible for leadership in assessing scientific research that contributes to the transformation of health outcomes research to achieve a substantial national/global leadership. This role will focus on the design, development, evaluation, and deployment of advanced machine learning and reinforcement learning systems that optimize healthcare and operational decision-making.

How you will make an impact:

  • Leads the assessment of scientific research that contributes to the transformation of health outcomes research to achieve substantial national and global leadership.

  • Acts as a technical authority within the organization and nationally/globally.

  • Publishes finding and conclusions in recognized scientific publications and presents research at scientific conferences and forums. Leads projects that generate project extensions.

  • Leads research project operations activities to include project conceptualization, project planning, leading project teams, and proposal defense presentations.

  • Leads the proposal development process, project pricing, and project milestone forecasting.

  • Ensures the quality and timeliness of deliverables to research clients.

  • Serves as a hands-on individual contributor building scalable AI/ML solutions and production-grade decision intelligence systems in highly regulated healthcare environments.

  • Develops scalable machine learning and reinforcement learning systems that improve healthcare outcomes, operational efficiency, and member experience through adaptive learning and advanced analytics.

  • Demonstrates deepexpertisein machine learning, reinforcement learning, predictive analytics, and intelligent decision systems.

  • Applies strong research discipline and evidence-based methodologies to complex healthcare and operational problems.

  • Successfully delivers scalable machine learning solutions from concept through deployment and measurable operational impact.

  • Partners effectively across business, research, engineering, analytics, and product teams.

  • Evaluates emerging AI technologies and translates innovation into scalable business value.

  • Communicates highly technical concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.

  • Leads prospective and retrospective health economic and outcomes research initiatives using healthcare administrative datasets including pharmacy and medical claims.

  • Designs and develops machine learning, predictive modeling, and reinforcement learning solutions for healthcare optimization and intelligent decision systems.

  • Builds and operationalizes production-grade ML systems.

  • Partners closely with engineering, architecture, analytics, product, and business teams to deploy AI-driven recommendations and decision systems into operational workflows.

Minimum Requirements:

Requires a PhD in health service research, biostatistics, epidemiology, health policy, economics or related field, or a clinical degree such as an MD or PharmD with residency or fellowship research training and a minimum of 10 years of increasing responsibility as a subject matter expert to research teams in health outcomes projects conducting research using health plan administrative databases (pharmacy and medical claims) with excellence demonstrated by extensive publication of articles and presentation or research at national and international conferences, and serving as a technical subject expert on health services research panels; or any combination of education and experience which would provide an equivalent background.

Preferred Skills, Capabilities and Experiences:

  • Hands-on expertise with Python and modern ML frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, Scikit-learn, or Ray highly preferred.

  • Experience building end-to-end machine learning systems and production AI infrastructure highly preferred.

  • Experience with reinforcement learning, predictive modeling, recommendation systems, or adaptive decision systems highly preferred.

  • Experience with cloud-native ML environments, distributed computing, and MLOps practices highly preferred.

  • Experience with healthcare AI, clinical decision support, or intelligent automation systems in regulated industries highly preferred.

  • Experience operationalizing Generative AI or LLM-enabled workflows preferred.

For candidates working in person or virtually in the below location(s), the salary* range for this specific position is $156,464 to $256,032.

Locations: Chicago, IL, New York, NY

In addition to your salary, Elevance Health offers benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). The salary offered for this specific position is based on a number of legitimate, non-discriminatory factors set by the Company. The Company is fully committed to ensuring equal pay opportunities for equal work regardless of gender, race, or any other category protected by federal, state, and local pay equity laws.

* The salary range is the range Elevance Health in good faith believes is the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. This range may be modified in the future and actual compensation may vary from posting based on geographic location, work experience, education and/or skill level. Even within the range, the actual compensation will vary depending on the above factors as well as market/business considerations. No amount is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable under the terms and conditions of the applicable policies and plans. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company's sole discretion, consistent with the law.

Please be advised that Elevance Health only accepts resumes for compensation from agencies that have a signed agreement with Elevance Health. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of Elevance Health.

Who We Are

Elevance Health is a health company dedicated to improving lives and communities - and making healthcare simpler. We are a Fortune 25 company with a longstanding history in the healthcare industry, looking for leaders at all levels of the organization who are passionate about making an impact on our members and the communities we serve.

How We Work

At Elevance Health, we are creating a culture that is designed to advance our strategy but will also lead to personal and professional growth for our associates. Our values and behaviors are the root of our culture. They are how we achieve our strategy, power our business outcomes and drive our shared success - for our consumers, our associates, our communities and our business.

We offer a range of market-competitive total rewards that include merit increases, paid holidays, Paid Time Off, and incentive bonus programs (unless covered by a collective bargaining agreement), medical, dental, vision, short and long term disability benefits, 401(k) +match, stock purchase plan, life insurance, wellness programs and financial education resources, to name a few.

Elevance Health operates in a Hybrid Workforce Strategy. Unless specified as primarily virtual by the hiring manager, associates are required to work at an Elevance Health location at least once per week, and potentially several times per week. Specific requirements and expectations for time onsite will be discussed as part of the hiring process.

The health of our associates and communities is a top priority for Elevance Health. We require all new candidates in certain patient/member-facing roles to become vaccinated against COVID-19 and Influenza. If you are not vaccinated, your offer will be rescinded unless you provide an acceptable explanation. Elevance Health will also follow all relevant federal, state and local laws.

Elevance Health is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, citizenship status, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, genetic information, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other status or condition protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. Applicants who require accommodation to participate in the job application process may contact elevancehealthjobssupport@elevancehealth.com for assistance.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws, including, but not limited to, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act.

Prospective employees required to be screened under Florida law should review the education and awareness resources at HB531 | Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.


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About Elevance Health

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Elevance Health is a health company dedicated to improving lives and communities - and making healthcare simpler. A Fortune 20 company with a longstanding history in the healthcare industry, we are looking for leaders at all levels of the organization who are passionate about making an impact on our members and the communities we serve. You will thrive in a complex and collaborative environment where you take action and ownership to solve problems and lead change. Do you want to be part of a larger purpose and an evolving, high-performance culture that empowers you to make an impact?

Industry

Health care and social assistance

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Indianapolis, IN, US

Year founded

2004

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