Senior Research Engineer – AI/ML

ARA Career•Raleigh, NC

About The Position

Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) is actively seeking a highly qualified Research Engineer for the development of advanced AI/ML algorithms for the Intelligence and Defense communities. Application areas include software tool development, physics-based modeling, machine learning, simulation and optimization, probabilistic modeling, computer vision, and intelligent agents. The scientist / engineer will join a multi-disciplinary collaborative team of engineers and scientists. We are seeking an experienced Research Engineer to join our team. The ideal candidate will have an active interest in applying math/statistics/physics/engineering concepts to solve multi-disciplinary problems. Candidate will have strong analytical skills and will be capable of translating ideas and proposed solutions into software tools and algorithms. The candidate should be familiar with improving/optimizing/tuning existing algorithms as well as development of new algorithms from scratch. This will include software design, software development, and debugging / issue resolution. The candidate should demonstrate a hands-on approach to problem solving and must be willing to actively participate in evaluation of algorithm and system performance. Strong critical thinking, problem solving, and debugging skills are required. Scientists / engineers who are passionate about applying their expertise to solve problems of national importance, have a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and are seeking opportunities for personal and professional growth in a stable environment are strongly encouraged to apply.

Requirements

U.S. Citizenship (No exceptions; green card holders are not eligible)
Current TS/SCI clearance or TS/SCI eligible
BS in Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, or a related field with 10-12 years of relevant work experience
Experience in one or more of the following areas: machine learning, physics-based modeling, simulation and optimization, uncertainty quantification, surrogate modeling and model reduction, computer vision, and intelligent agents
Strong foundation in software development and experience with Python, Java, and/or C++
Experience going from problem statement to prototype to production-ready algorithms
Strong communication and collaboration skills, capable of working effectively in a dynamic, team-oriented environment

Nice To Haves

Passion, a continuous desire to learn, and teamwork
PhD or MS in Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, or a related field
Experience in cloud-based, parallel, or distributed computing
Experience developing generative AI, agentic AI, and/or LLM-based systems
Experience leading small teams of researchers and engineers
Experience with proposal development and sponsor interactions
Ability and desire to quickly learn new domains