84.51˚ · 2 weeks ago
Lead AI/ML Engineer (P3227)
Chicago, IL
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$121K/yr - $201K/yr
4+ years exp84.51° is a retail data science, insights and media company. As a Lead AI/ML Engineer on the Labs team, you will serve as a hands-on technical lead responsible for implementing robust code and guiding the architectural direction of ML/AI/optimization-based systems, mentoring junior engineers, and collaborating with cross-functional partners to scale AI/ML capabilities across Kroger.
Management Consulting
Hiring Manager
Sarah Small-Sadler
Responsibilities
Serve as a hands-on developer responsible for building and maintaining end-to-end ML, AI, and optimization-based solutions
Lead technical design, implementation, and review processes for POCs and production-ready systems
Lead end-to-end solution lifecycle—from rapid prototyping through to scaling and hand-off to production teams in partnership with other data scientists and engineers within Labs and across the business
Partner with researchers and data scientists to co-develop, scale, and operationalize new algorithms
Architect and implement robust ML(AI)Ops pipelines that support experimentation, deployment, and monitoring
Build reusable ML components and APIs that enable modularity and scalability across business areas
Evaluate and adopt emerging technologies and tooling that can enhance experimentation and delivery speed
Drive technical best practices in code quality, documentation, observability, and team knowledge sharing
Drive experimentation and benchmarking to select performant solutions that balance complexity and business value
Contribute to Labs’ collaborative, research-forward culture by learning, sharing, and mentoring both junior and senior engineers and researchers on industry-leading and cutting-edge technologies
Lead and participate in code reviews and technical architecture planning to ensure adherence to preferred patterns and standards
Represent Labs in technical forums; proactively mentor junior and peer engineers
Collaborate with product and business stakeholders to align technical execution with innovation goals
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Applied Mathematics, or a related field
4+ years experience developing ML, AI, or optimization systems, including production deployment and scaling
Strong software engineering fundamentals and daily coding experience in Python
Deep proficiency in Python and fluency in NumPy, pandas, PySpark and at least 3 of the following ML and Optimization libraries - PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn, and Pyomo
Hands-on experience architecting and productionizing at least one type of optimization problem (e.g., network optimization, vehicle routing, scheduling, facility location, or resource allocation)
Practical experience with at least one industry-standard optimization solver such as Gurobi, CPLEX, OR-Tools, Pyomo, PuLP, CBC, or SCIP
Hands-on experience designing CI/CD and MLOps workflows using tools such as MLflow, Azure ML, or Databricks
Familiarity with cloud platforms (Azure preferred), containerization (Docker), and orchestration (Kubernetes)
Experience with modern software development practices including testing, logging, observability, and version control
Ability to lead projects through ambiguity and collaborate in highly cross-functional teams
Preferred
Strong track record of partnering with researchers to translate early-stage ML ideas into deployable systems
Experience prototyping and scaling AI solutions in applied environments
Experience designing experiment platforms or reusable ML/optimization infrastructure
Demonstrated leadership in evaluating trade-offs between performance, complexity, and maintainability
Familiarity with real-time or batch data processing systems
Leadership in navigating trade-offs between performance, complexity, and long-term maintainability
Benefits
Health: Medical: with competitive plan designs and support for self-care, wellness and mental health. Dental: with in-network and out-of-network benefit. Vision: with in-network and out-of-network benefit.
Wealth: 401(k) with Roth option and matching contribution. Health Savings Account with matching contribution (requires participation in qualifying medical plan). AD&D and supplemental insurance options to help ensure additional protection for you.
Happiness: Paid time off with flexibility to meet your life needs, including 5 weeks of vacation time, 7 health and wellness days, 3 floating holidays, as well as 6 company-paid holidays per year. Paid leave for maternity, paternity and family care instances.
Company
84.51˚
84.51° helps companies create sustainable growth by putting the customer at the center of everything.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
84.51˚ has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (18)
2024 (23)
2023 (29)
2022 (39)
2021 (26)
2020 (17)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Mario DiMercurio
Director, Product - Platform Components
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