Defense ML Engineer Deploy & Scale AI Systems

Tagup is a defense technology company founded at MIT that is delivering logistics decision advantage with next-generation AI. We’re growing rapidly and are looking for change-makers passionate about delivering innovative technologies to solve the most challenging problems in the world’s highest stakes environments. This is an exciting opportunity to engage in meaningful work that strengthens national security and contributes to the success of U.S. and allied forces. Join us in shaping the future of defense logistics for a safer tomorrow. We are seeking a Machine Learning Engineer to join our Salt Lake City team and help shape the next generation of AI-driven defense and aviation systems. In this role, you’ll go beyond building models — you’ll design, deploy, and scale AI solutions that directly support mission-critical operations. This is not a typical ML position. You’ll work at the intersection of cutting-edge research and real-world application, creating models and infrastructure that deliver measurable improvements in reliability, efficiency, and performance. If you’re motivated by solving complex technical challenges and want your work to make a tangible impact on national security and aviation safety, we want to hear from you. What You’ll Do Develop, train, and optimize ML models for large-scale applications. Build pipelines for data ingestion and model deployment. Work with engineers and subject-matter experts to refine solutions. Conduct testing and validation to ensure reliability. Co-author technical reports on data analysis and model performance. Continuously improve ML infrastructure and workflows. Collaborate with customers to identify new data sources and the industrial processes they will support; some customer travel may be required. What We’re Looking For 4+ years of machine learning experience, with strong Python skills and proficiency in frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow. Proven ability to deploy ML models into production and work with large, complex datasets. Hands-on experience with MLOps tools and practices, including Kubernetes, MLflow, and CI/CD pipelines. Experience building and managing cloud infrastructure as code (AWS, Azure, or GCP) with tools such as Terraform or Ansible. Familiarity with datastores (MySQL, Postgres, or MongoDB) and prior exposure to aviation, defense, or other safety-critical environments is a plus. Salary The estimated salary range for this position is between $125,000 and $165,000 annually. We strive to provide a competitive salary and benefits package that aligns with our employees’ experience and qualifications. Our primary objective is to attract and retain top talent, and we firmly believe in compensating our employees fairly for their invaluable contributions. As a rapidly expanding technology company, we extend part-ownership to all team members through an Employee Stock Option Plan. Additionally, we offer comprehensive health insurance benefits, access to the company’s 401K plan, and foster a team-oriented work environment with regular company outings! Why Join Us? This is your opportunity to move beyond academic experiments and build AI models that make a real difference in defense and industry. At Tagup, you’ll work with a world-class, agile team in a supportive environment that encourages rapid iteration and continuous learning. Tagup is an equal opportunity employer and individuals seeking employment with us are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law. Citizenship : Due to the nature of our work with the U.S. Department of Defense, applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor visas at this time. #J-18808-Ljbffr