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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Senior Machine Learning Engineer - **Company:** Protagonist LLC - **Location:** Washington, DC, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $95,000.0 - $141,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Artificial Intelligence, Amazon Web Services, Data Analysis, Continuous Integration, Data Deduplication, Django Web Framework, Elasticsearch, Python (Programming Language), PostgreSQL, Machine Learning, Redis, Regression Testing, Azure Machine Learning, Search Technologies, Software Engineering, Pytorch, ReactJS, Large Language Models, Prompt Engineering, Indexer, SC Clearance, Kubernetes, Information Technology, HuggingFace, Apache Kafka, Machine Learning Operations, Restful APIs, Terraform, Docker - **Published:** August 24, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=4804a27a5b4219cf ## About the Role * U.S. person eligible to work on government contracts; active or prior SECRET clearance preferred * Bachelor's and 5 years of experience, or master's degree and 3 years of experience, in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or a related technical field * Proven track record building and deploying production ML systems, with deep NLP expertise (transformers, LLMs, embedding models) * Strong Python skills and fluency with PyTorch and the Hugging Face ecosystem * Hands-on experience with AWS (GovCloud experience a strong plus), Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform, and CI/CD pipelines * Experience with ML orchestration and experiment tracking (e.g., Metaflow, Argo Workflows, MLflow, or similar) * Experience with vector search and document indexing (OpenSearch/Elasticsearch or similar) * Experience building LLM applications, RAG, agents, prompt engineering, and evaluation * Skilled at scaling ML for multi-modal (text, image, video) and domain-specific applications, and working effectively across engineering, product, and business teams, * Experience integrating ML into full-stack products (Django/REST APIs, React frontends) or decision-support tools * Experience operating in compliance-constrained environments * Strong communicator and cross-functional collaborator * Self-starter who thrives in ambiguity and startup-like environments ## Description * Innovative Solutions: We co-develop cutting-edge solutions with our clients to address tough communication problems and capitalize on opportunities to make a tangible impact. * Data-Driven Insights: Our tools and methodologies provide actionable insights that help clients meet their communication objectives and stay ahead of global challenges. * Applied Expertise: We integrate our solutions within client organizations, leveraging our profound expertise to address critical issues and ensure sustainable success. Be Part of Something Bigger At Protagonist, you'll work on compelling projects that make a real difference. We seek talented individuals eager to contribute to our mission and grow alongside us. If you're passionate about communication, data analysis, and making an impact, we invite you to explore a career with Protagonist., Protagonist is looking for a Senior Machine Learning Engineer who builds production-ready systems for mission-critical work. You bring strong engineering discipline, systems thinking, and a bias toward scalable, well-architected solutions-owning the full ML lifecycle from design to deployment. You're a builder and strategic partner across engineering, product, and client-facing teams, expanding what AI can do at Protagonist. You stay curious and current with advances in ML, infrastructure, and software development., * Partner with product, engineering, and data science teams to identify high-impact NLP use cases and turn business needs into ML solutions that deliver measurable value * Own production NLP pipelines spanning narrative detection, NER, span classification, stance and characterization analysis, event extraction, deduplication, and knowledge-base entity linking over multi-language, noisy real-world text * Design, build, and operate production NLP pipelines, narrative detection, event classification, entity resolution and linking, deduplication - over multi-language, noisy real-world text at scale * Build and maintain ML workflows in Metaflow orchestrated on Argo Workflows and Kubernetes (EKS), including GPU-accelerated training and batch inference * Develop LLM-powered features on AWS Bedrock: RAG pipelines with vector search on OpenSearch, tool-using agents, and document-analysis workflows - within GovCloud/ITAR constraints * Fine-tune and deploy transformer models (classification, embeddings, entity linking) for domain-specific and foreign-language content * Establish ML evaluation frameworks regression testing, hallucination detection, quality metrics and define success criteria with product managers * Integrate ML services into our Django/PostgreSQL platform and event-driven infrastructure (Kafka, Redis, OpenSearch) * Lead technical discussions to align cross-functional teams on ML strategy, architecture, and implementation * Mentor others, share knowledge, and help evolve ML practices-balancing innovation with practical delivery ## Related Videos - [Navigating the AI Revolution in Software Development](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1266-navigating-the-ai-revolution-in-software-development) - [Reducing LLM Calls with Vector Search Patterns - Raphael De Lio (Redis)](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1714-reducing-llm-calls-with-vector-search-patterns-raphael-de-lio-redis) - [Docker Compose: Rediscovered](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1978-docker-compose-rediscovered) - [Optimizing Discovery: PostgreSQL's Role in Transforming GetYourGuide's Search](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1647-optimizing-discovery-postgresql-s-role-in-transforming-getyourguide-s-search) - [Machine Learning for Software Developers (and Knitters)](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/154-machine-learning-for-software-developers-and-knitters) - [Accelerating Authentication Architecture: Taking Passwordless to the Next Level](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/733-accelerating-authentication-architecture-taking-passwordless-to-the-next-level) ## Related Articles - [What Are Large Language Models?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/304-what-are-large-language-models) - [From Prototype to Production: Build AI Agents with This Free 4-Course Learning Path](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/655-from-prototype-to-production-build-ai-agents-with-this-free-4-course-learning-path) - [How to Become an AI Engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/331-how-to-become-an-ai-engineer) - [Prompt Engineering is a Job of the Past](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/342-prompt-engineering-is-a-job-of-the-past) - [The Prompt Engineer ✍️](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/216-the-prompt-engineer) - [MLOps And AI Driven Development](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/82-mlops-and-ai-driven-development)