AI/ML Computer Science Research and Development Engineer

Penn State University•University Park, IL

6d•$121,704 - $231,000•Onsite

About The Position

Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory (ARL), within its Comprehensive Software Solutions (CSS) Department, seeks a researcher to conduct innovative research and develop technical capabilities in artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, and generative AI, particularly in adversarial, safe, and/or agentic AI. CSS applies software concepts, techniques, and languages to challenges for ARL sponsors and internal needs. ARL’s work supports the Navy, the Department of Defense, and the Intelligence Community. The position involves developing research concepts into impactful technical capabilities, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams, and designing, prototyping, and evaluating mission-focused solutions. The role may be filled at either the R&D Engineer - Software (ARL) - Senior Professional level, which requires a bachelor’s degree in engineering or science and 14 or more years of relevant experience, or the Advanced Professional level, which requires a bachelor’s degree in engineering or science and 5 or more years of relevant experience. No certifications are required for either level. The position is fully on-site in State College, Pennsylvania, and may involve periodic travel to remote locations for testing. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and eligible to obtain a government security clearance. Employment also requires successful completion of background checks, participation in ARL’s drug testing program, and compliance with electronic and physical monitoring requirements. The role is in a secure information environment, and personal electronic devices brought onsite must be registered and may be restricted in certain areas.

Requirements

Strong foundation in supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning.
Hands-on model development using frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX.
Proficiency in Python and scientific computing libraries such as NumPy, Pandas, and SciPy.
Experience with data preprocessing, feature engineering, and structured and unstructured datasets.
Understanding of statistics, probability, optimization, and linear algebra.
Ability to design and implement deep neural networks, including CNN, RNN, or Transformer architectures.
Familiarity with training and evaluating models on GPU-accelerated hardware.
Ability to build reproducible experiments and maintain clear documentation.
Experience integrating AI/ML models into software systems or prototypes.
Knowledge of model validation, benchmarking, and performance-tuning best practices.
Strong problem-solving skills and ability to turn research questions into practical ML tasks.
Knowledge of version control, testing, and modern software engineering practices.
Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to interdisciplinary teams.
Demonstrated research, publications, or impactful project contributions in AI/ML.
For the Senior Professional level: bachelor’s degree in engineering or science and at least 14 years of relevant experience.
For the Advanced Professional level: bachelor’s degree in engineering or science and at least 5 years of relevant experience.
U.S. citizenship and eligibility to obtain a government security clearance.
Successful completion of required background checks, participation in the ARL drug testing program, and compliance with applicable electronic and physical monitoring requirements.

Nice To Haves

Master’s or doctorate in computer science, software engineering, artificial intelligence, machine learning, mathematics, or a closely related field.
Experience with explainable AI, trustworthy AI, or robust/adversarial ML.
Background working with large-scale datasets, streaming data, or multimodal sensor data.
Experience with deployment practices such as Docker, containerized ML services, or ML pipeline tools.
Experience in applied research environments or mission-focused systems development.
Current eligibility for access to classified information at the TS/SCI level or higher; clearance eligibility may be subject to a government background investigation for upgrade if required.

Responsibilities

Conduct advanced research in AI/ML, software engineering, computational systems, or related fields.
Develop novel methods, models, and technologies addressing emerging AI challenges relevant to ARL’s sponsors.
Communicate results through technical reports, publications, and presentations to stakeholders, scientists, software engineers, and external sponsors.
Contribute to publications, white papers, technical memos, and study plans, especially in AI/ML.
Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to design, prototype, and evaluate mission-focused solutions.
Perform larger tasks individually or as part of a group, and lead tasks.