Senior Staff data science engineer

Sandisk•Milpitas, CA

1h•$172,783 - $286,178•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a Senior Staff AI/ML Engineer to lead the design, development, and deployment of advanced AI/ML and Generative AI solutions that drive innovation across our engineering, manufacturing, and business operations. This role requires deep expertise in machine learning engineering, data science methodologies, and large-scale AI systems, combined with strong domain intuition in semiconductor/NAND environments. You will operate at the intersection of data, models, and real-world systems, translating complex, high-impact problems into scalable AI solutions.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, or a related quantitative field
8–12+ years of experience in AI/ML engineering, data science, or related domains
Strong expertise in Python and modern ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn)
Strong expertise in Statistical modeling, experimentation, and data science methodologies
Strong expertise in Scalable ML system design and production deployment
Proven track record of delivering production-grade AI/ML systems with measurable business impact

Nice To Haves

PhD in a relevant field (e.g., Machine Learning, AI, Statistics, Operations Research, Electrical Engineering) with significant industry experience
Deep experience applying AI/ML in complex, real-world systems (e.g., semiconductor, manufacturing, or large-scale operational environments)
Hands-on experience with Generative AI / LLM systems (RAG, prompt engineering, evaluation frameworks, fine-tuning)
Hands-on experience with MLOps platforms (MLflow, Azure ML, Kubeflow, or equivalent)
Hands-on experience with Distributed data platforms (Spark, Databricks)

Responsibilities

Develop advanced machine learning, statistical, and optimization models to solve complex business and engineering problems
Apply end-to-end data science rigor: problem framing, feature engineering, modeling, validation, and impact measurement
Work with large-scale datasets (e.g., process, yield, test, operational data) to derive actionable insights
Integrate domain knowledge (semiconductor/NAND processes, constraints, variability) directly into model design and interpretation
Design and deploy GenAI solutions (LLMs, RAG pipelines, agent-based systems) for engineering and operational use cases
Build knowledge-driven systems leveraging enterprise data (documents, logs, process data)
Develop evaluation frameworks to ensure quality, grounding, and reliability of GenAI outputs
Apply GenAI to enable decision support, automation, and productivity at scale
Architect production-grade AI/ML systems, including: Data pipelines and feature engineering frameworks, Model training and experimentation platforms, Real-time and batch inference systems
Design systems that balance accuracy, scalability, latency, and cost efficiency
Establish patterns for integrating AI into existing enterprise platforms and workflows
Build and scale MLOps pipelines (CI/CD, model registry, monitoring, drift detection)
Ensure reproducibility, observability, and governance of AI systems
Lead efforts to operationalize models into reliable, maintainable production systems
Partner with cross-functional teams (engineering, manufacturing, product, IT) to translate requirements into solutions
Mentor engineers and data scientists in advanced modeling, system design, and GenAI capabilities

Benefits

paid vacation time
paid sick leave
medical/dental/vision insurance
life, accident and disability insurance
tax-advantaged flexible spending and health savings accounts
employee assistance program
supplemental life and AD&D
legal plan
pet insurance
critical illness
accident and hospital indemnity
tuition reimbursement
transit
the Applause Program
employee stock purchase plan
Sandisk's Savings 401(k) Plan
Short-Term Incentive (STI) Plan
Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program (restricted stock units (RSUs) or cash equivalents)