Machine Learning Engineer

Machine Learning Engineer – Direct HireLocation: Irvine, CA – Onsite / HybridCandidate Location: Southern California candidates onlyEmployment Type: Direct Hire / Full TimeCompensation: DOE (Depending on Experience)Start Date: ASAPBenefits: Medical, Paid Vacation, Paid Holidays, Stock OptionsAbout Intratek Computer, Inc.Intratek Computer, Inc. is a long-standing IT services and staffing firm headquartered in Irvine, California. Since 1989, we have provided advanced technology solutions—including networking, hardware/software support, professional staffing, web development, and helpdesk services—to Federal, State, County, and commercial clients nationwide.We are currently recruiting for a Machine Learning Engineer for a direct-hire opportunity with one of our valued technology clients in the Irvine, CA area. This is not a contract position.Our client develops advanced AI-based technology used to protect, authenticate, and track digital media. Their technology uses machine learning to embed invisible, machine-detectable information into digital content such as images, video, and other media.They are seeking a motivated Machine Learning Engineer who is interested in applying modern machine learning and deep learning techniques to real-world challenges involving digital watermarking, steganography, computer vision, and media provenance.Candidates do not need a Ph.D. or extensive senior-level industry experience. Candidates with a strong Bachelor's or Master's degree background in machine learning, computer science, computer vision, or a related field, combined with approximately 2–4 years of relevant experience, are encouraged to apply.Relevant machine learning experience gained through professional employment, graduate research, internships, university projects, or other significant hands-on technical work may be considered.Position OverviewThe Machine Learning Engineer will work closely with an experienced machine learning and engineering team to research, develop, test, and improve deep learning algorithms used to protect and authenticate digital media.This is an excellent opportunity for someone with a solid foundation in Python, machine learning, and deep learning who wants to work on challenging real-world AI problems while continuing to develop their technical expertise.The engineer will contribute to model development, experimentation, dataset preparation, performance evaluation, and the transition of successful machine learning solutions toward real-world applications and production environments.ResponsibilitiesCollaborate with the machine learning team to develop and test deep learning models for digital media applications.Assist in developing new approaches for watermarking, steganography, media authentication, and related machine learning problems.Train, test, evaluate, and improve machine learning models using PyTorch.Work with image, video, audio, or other digital media datasets.Assist with dataset collection, preparation, curation, augmentation, and validation.Benchmark new models against existing models and established performance metrics.Analyze model performance and identify opportunities for improvement.Participate in experimentation involving model architecture, training techniques, loss functions, and optimization strategies.Collaborate with software engineers to help transition machine learning models toward production environments.Document experiments, results, technical findings, and recommendations.Present findings and ideas to members of the technical team.Participate in technical discussions and contribute ideas regarding future machine learning approaches.Learn and apply new technologies as the company's products and research evolve.Required QualificationsBachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision, Data Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical field.Approximately 2–4 years of relevant machine learning experience through professional employment, research, internships, graduate work, or significant technical projects.Strong Python programming skills.Hands-on experience with PyTorch or a comparable deep learning framework.Solid understanding of machine learning and deep learning fundamentals.Experience training, testing, and evaluating machine learning models.Familiarity with dataset preparation and curation for training neural networks.Understanding of model evaluation, validation, and performance measurement techniques.Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.Strong communication and collaboration skills.Ability to explain technical concepts, approaches, and results clearly.Willingness to learn new technologies and work in a fast-moving technical environment.Must currently reside in Southern California and be able to work onsite or hybrid in Irvine, CA as needed.Preferred QualificationsThe following experience is helpful but not required:Computer vision or image-processing experience.Experience working with image, video, or audio machine learning applications.Exposure to deploying machine learning models into production.Experience with cloud-based machine learning environments.Experience optimizing models for inference or deployment.Familiarity with C or C++.Experience with OpenCV or similar image-processing libraries.Familiarity with image or video compression techniques.Knowledge of digital watermarking or steganography.Exposure to media provenance or digital content authentication.Experience with GPU-based model training.Graduate-level research involving machine learning, computer vision, or deep learning.Academic publications or research papers in machine learning or computer vision.Published research is welcomed but is not required.What We Are Looking ForOur client places significant value on candidates who demonstrate:Genuine interest in machine learning and emerging AI technologies.Strong technical fundamentals rather than expertise in every technology listed.Curiosity and willingness to experiment with new approaches.The ability to openly discuss both successful and unsuccessful technical approaches.Intellectual honesty and comfort acknowledging when something is unknown.A collaborative mindset and willingness to exchange ideas with teammates.Comfort working in a smaller technology environment where responsibilities may evolve.Ability to take ownership of technical problems while seeking input when appropriate.Willingness to respectfully challenge technical ideas and participate in constructive discussions.Flexibility and willingness to wear multiple hats as projects evolve.The team values authenticity, curiosity, collaboration, intellectual honesty, and problem-solving ability over polished or rehearsed interview responses.Technology FocusThe company's technology focuses on protecting and authenticating digital content using machine learning.Digital WatermarkingDigital watermarking involves embedding information into digital media such as images, video, audio, or documents.The technology can embed information that is invisible to humans while remaining detectable by specialized software. Effective watermarking systems are designed to remain detectable even after content has been resized, compressed, cropped, converted, or otherwise modified.Potential applications include:Media authenticationContent ownershipContent trackingLeak detectionDigital rights managementAI-generated content identificationMedia provenanceSteganographySteganography involves embedding information within digital media in a manner that is generally imperceptible to humans.Machine learning techniques can be used to embed and detect machine-readable information while maintaining the visual or perceptual quality of the original content.Media ProvenanceMedia provenance focuses on establishing and verifying the origin, history, and authenticity of digital content.Digital watermarking, metadata, machine learning, and cryptographic techniques can help organizations determine where content originated and whether it has been altered.Work LocationThis position is intended for Southern California-based candidates who can work with the team in the Irvine, CA area.The role may offer some hybrid flexibility, but candidates should be available to work onsite in Irvine as business and project needs require.Candidates outside Southern California are not being considered for this opening.Equal Opportunity EmployerIntratek Computer, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.Veterans PreferenceIntratek Computer, Inc. strongly encourages qualified veterans and transitioning military professionals to apply.