November 15, 2023 · 7 min read

Machine learning software engineer job description

Machine learning software engineers use data to train models. AI is often involved, too. These models are then used to automate processes like image classification, market forecasting, and so much more.

Companies across the world are looking to hire machine learning engineers who can help them build machine learning systems. These engineers typically possess strong programming skills, knowledge of data science, and expertise in statistics.

Unfortunately, this popularity means machine learning software engineers are in high demand, and hiring the right developer for your company can take time and effort.

The good news is that help is at hand. Here at Gun.io, we’ve helped hundreds of companies hire talented developers, and this blog’s machine learning software engineer job description template can help you attract highly skilled programmers.

Writing a concise machine learning engineer job description that attracts suitable candidates is essential when hiring a developer. The specifics you list will help candidates assess whether they’re the right fit for your company.

Don’t worry if this sounds overwhelming. Here at Gun.io, we know a thing or two about hiring developers. That’s because we’ve helped companies of all shapes and sizes – from Fortune 500s to startups – hire talented programmers by tapping into our network. As a result, we can help you craft the perfect machine learning job description.

Machine learning software engineer job description

This machine learning job description will do three things:

It will introduce candidates to your company’s culture and values
It will help candidates understand what the role will entail
It will get candidates excited about the possibility of working for your company!

You’re welcome to copy and edit this template as you see fit.

Okay, so let’s start with a detail that’s easy to overlook: The job title.

Job title

Think of your job title like a newspaper headline. It’s the first thing candidates see before reading your machine learning engineer job description, so it must capture their attention. After all, you want to attract candidates and get them to click through.

So how do you do this?

You want to keep the title short, but there’s a line. Make it too short, and you won’t capture a candidate’s attention. For example, a broad title like “Software Engineer” won’t stand out on a job board.

Instead, you should thread in qualifiers. Qualifiers can be things like seniority level and the type of machine learning engineer you’re looking for (front-end, back-end, full-stack).

Other technical qualifiers can also help, like required languages or frameworks. So can non-technical qualifiers, such as whether the role is full-time, part-time, or freelance. The role’s location (remote or office-based) is also worth mentioning.

A good example of a job title is “Junior Machine Learning Software Engineer – Internal Systems – Back-End (Remote)”. It details the seniority level, type of work, and location.

Now that you’ve got your job title, it’s time to start crafting your machine learning software engineer job description.

About the company

You want to make a strong first impression with your machine learning job description. One way to do this is by talking about your company in a way that gets candidates excited about what you do. Paint your company in its best light and highlight what makes it a great workplace.

This section can highlight key information about your company’s culture, size, mission, goals, and perks. These include benefits, office hours, or remote working possibilities. Anything that makes your company stand out.

Unlike most companies, we also try to inject humor into our job descriptions when recruiting at Gun.io. We’ll let you judge whether that’s working for us! (See below.)

Here’s one we made earlier:

About Gun.io

Gun.io is a technology company that connects great companies and proven software engineers who are the world’s best-hired guns. Our mission is to create joy through connection, collaboration, and achievement for the world’s professional class.

We believe that the current system for hiring and being hired as a software engineer isn’t working. For hirers, the process is long and time-intensive, typically requiring a developer from their team to pause their other work and manage technical vetting. On the other side, job seekers must wade through recruiter spam, repetitive interviews, code tests, and cryptic job descriptions just to answer the question: is this a job I want and would be good at?

Gun.io’s vetting and matching are designed and run by a team of developers passionate about fixing technical hiring. Each job posted to the Gun.io platform is vetted by a senior developer, and each new job seeker who joins the platform has a 1-1 conversation with a member of the team so we can personally pitch them to clients they’d love.

We believe in excellence, taking risks, and speaking the truth, and we take a talent-first approach to everything we do. Our fully-remote team is highly collaborative and indulgently nerdy. You’ll love working with Gun.io if:

You’re passionate about making talent and opportunity more accessible for all, especially those outside of the Silicon Valley bubble.
You have exceptional follow-through and organizational skills, and value teammates with the same.
You love chasing big ideas, pitching them to stakeholders, and taking the initiative to implement and test them.
You consider yourself to be a linchpin, not a cog.
You’re very nerdy about something. Star Wars, a particular subreddit, Web3, backyard chickens, famous guitar history, anything.
Career growth and financial success are core motivations for you.
You thrive in remote office environments.
You’re looking for a team culture that is curious, respectful, supportive, and at least once a day, hilarious.

About this role

You’re hiring a machine learning software engineer (or three), and these devs know what a ML job entails. They’ve done it before. But what does a ML role mean to you?

You want to get to the point on your machine learning software engineer job description. State what you’re looking for and what tasks a successful applicant will do when they join your company. One or two sentences should do the trick.

Here’s a sample:

To help drive our mission, our Programming team is looking for a Junior Machine Learning Engineer. This developer will use programming skills to help us build and train machine learning models.

Machine learning engineer developer responsibilities

This section is arguably the most important part of the machine learning software engineer job description.

You want to be clear about the responsibilities associated with the role, so list them all. Be concise and clarify what you expect from a candidate if they join your company.

Here’s how it might look:

Design machine learning systems
Research and implement appropriate ML algorithms and tools
Develop machine learning applications according to requirements
Select appropriate datasets and data representation methods
Run machine learning tests and experiments
Define validation strategies
Perform statistical analysis and fine-tuning using test results
Train and retrain systems when necessary
Extend existing ML libraries and frameworks
Keep abreast of developments in the field
Collaborate with data scientists, administrators, data analysts, data engineers, and data architects on production systems and applications
{{Add other responsibilities here that are relevant}}

Machine learning engineer requirements

Alright, it’s time for the nitty-gritty details. What will your machine learning engineer do on the job?

This section lists all the professional qualifications a candidate needs to apply for this role. It also includes mandatory technical skills.

Try not to go over the top here. For example, only include skills or years of experience if it’s a dealbreaker. Also, be realistic. Most candidates don’t have 20+ years of experience, so asking for this will significantly reduce your talent pool.

Here’s a sample:

2+ years of proven experience as a machine learning engineer or similar role
Understanding of data structures, data modeling and software architecture
Deep knowledge of math, probability, statistics and algorithms
Ability to write robust code in Python, Java, and R
Deep understanding of machine learning frameworks (like Keras or PyTorch) and libraries (like scikit-learn)
Proficient in OpenCV
Excellent communication skills
Ability to work in a team
Outstanding analytical and problem-solving skills
{{Make sure to mention any frameworks, libraries, or any other technology relevant to your project}}

Benefits of this role for machine learning engineers

It’s time to seal the deal!

In this section of your machine learning software engineer job description, you can list the additional benefits/perks a candidate will receive by joining your company.

Here’s a sample:

{{Career & growth opportunities}}
{{Attractive salary and 401k matching}}
{{Medical Insurance}}
{{Remote working opportunities}}
{{Incentives and perks, such as the office’s location and flexible vacation allowance}}