Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning Research and Development Engineer
Company websitepsu.edu (Penn State University, opens in new tab)
Base salary $146,040 to $318,840
Employer-published annual base salary, USD. Advertised base range in Reston, VA
You apply on the employer's own site. Six Figure Work does not handle applications.
- LocationReston, VA
- WorkplaceWorkplace not stated
- Status at last checkSource accepting applications when checked
- Last checked (59 min ago) · observed since
About this job
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.
Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.
POSITION SPECIFICS
We are seeking highly motivated Research and Development Engineers to join our Research Artificial Intelligence of the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. You will assist in providing customers with state-of-the-art visualization and decision support. The primary focus will be researching and developing feasible algorithmic solutions to our sponsor’s complex problems given large sets of multivariate data.
Located in State College, PA or Reston, VA
ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.
You will:
- Design and implement machine learning systems, models, and schemes
- Research and apply state-of-the-art machine learning prototypes to sponsor specific domains
- Search and select appropriate data sets before performing data collection and data modeling
- Visualize data for deeper insights
- Generate and present technical research reports and briefings
- Perform statistical analysis in support of pattern of life and anomaly detection
- Perform data fusion and correlation
- Build high quality software prototypes integrated with our various research and pre-production software environments
- Collaborate with other ARL staff and sponsors
- Supervise the work of lower-level staff and undergraduate student
- Perform tasks of a larger scope and lead specific tasks within the project scope
Required skills/knowledge includes:
- Data science/algorithm development
- Data science / Machine Learning languages to include Python
- Research, development and implementation of machine learning models
Preferred skills/knowledge includes:
- Active TS/SCI Clearance
- Master’s degree
- Training and optimizing ML algorithms on GPU hardware architectures, specifically NVIDIA based
- Working with geo-spatial data
- Statistics, multivariable calculus, and linear algebra
- Exploratory data analysis and visualization
- Data science / Machine Learning tools to include Pandas, PyTorch/TensorFlow, NumPy, MatPlotLib, PostGreSQL, FastAPI
- Software Development tools to include Git, Docker, Kubernetes, SSH
Your work location will be fully on-site State College PA or Reston, VA. Questions related to flexible work should be directed to the hiring manager during the interview process.
MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS
If filled as R&D Engineer - Artificial Intelligence (ARL) - Principal Professional, this position requires:
Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science
19+ years of relevant experience
Required Certifications:
None

If filled as R&D Engineer - Artificial Intelligence (ARL) - Advanced Professional, this position requires:
Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science
5+ years of relevant experience
Required Certifications:
None

If filled as R&D Engineer - Artificial Intelligence (ARL) - Senior Professional, this position requires:
Bachelor's Degree - Engineering or Science
14+ years of relevant experience
Required Certifications:
NoneARL’s purpose is to research and develop innovative solutions to challenging scientific, engineering, and technology problems in support of the Navy, the Intel Community (IC), and other federal government customers.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on ARL, visit our website at www.arl.psu.edu.
BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES
Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.Notice regarding employment at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL):
Employees must be eligible to obtain a government security clearance, participate in the ARL drug testing program, and comply with electronic and physical monitoring requirements applicable to federal contractors. ARL operates in a secure information environment involving Unclassified, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and Classified information. Personal electronic devices brought onsite must be registered and may be restricted from certain areas. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.SALARY & BENEFITS
The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $146,040.00 - $318,840.00. This salary range includes an adjustment based on required geographic work location.Salary Structure - Information on Penn State's salary structure
Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page.
CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS
Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.
EEO IS THE LAW
Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.
Federal Contractors Labor Law Poster
PA State Labor Law Poster
Penn State Policies
Copyright Information
Hotlines
Source: Penn State University on Workday · View original posting (opens in new tab)
Pay in context
This role's base floor ($146,040) is above 43% of the 345 Data & ML roles in Virginia listed on this site; 1 other lists the same floor. Their median floor is $149,800; the middle half runs from $119,400 to $182,500.
Only jobs on this site count, and each one publishes a base salary of $100,000 or more, so this compares six-figure jobs with each other, not with the whole market. Computed Nov 7, 2026.
This listingArtificial Intelligence / Machine Learning Research and Development Engineer$146,040 to $318,840
Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning Research and Development Engineer$146,040 to $318,840
Data Engineer – Data Architecture for Data Science & Machine Learning$146,040 to $318,840
Manufacturing Technology Engineer$140,004 to $265,704
Operations Research and Development Engineer$140,004 to $231,000
Electro-Optics Materials and Device Engineer$140,004 to $265,704
Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning Lead Verification and Validation Engineer$140,004 to $265,704
Chart as a table
| Role | Published base |
|---|---|
| Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning Research and Development Engineer (this listing) | $146,040 - $318,840 |
| Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning Research and Development Engineer | $146,040 - $318,840 |
| Data Engineer – Data Architecture for Data Science & Machine Learning | $146,040 - $318,840 |
| Manufacturing Technology Engineer | $140,004 - $265,704 |
| Operations Research and Development Engineer | $140,004 - $231,000 |
| Electro-Optics Materials and Device Engineer | $140,004 - $265,704 |
| Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning Lead Verification and Validation Engineer | $140,004 - $265,704 |
Observed changes
- First observed on the employer's board
- Began meeting the published-salary criteria
- Observed since
- Employer-stated posting date
- 2026-08-17
Where this pay comes from
Location as the employer wrote it: Reston, VA
The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $146,040.00 - $318,840.00. This salary range includes an adjustment based on required
- Method
- Employer text, read with fixed rules and re-verified
- Checked
- Rule set
- us-base-v2
The pay passage appears in the employer's own job text. Fixed, deterministic rules located it, and the passage below was checked against the stored copy of the posting.
What we verified
- The pay figures come from the employer's own listing, quoted exactly above.
- The pay is an annual base salary in US dollars with a minimum of at least $100,000.
- The role was publicly listed on the employer's job board when last checked.
We do not verify what the employer will actually offer, whether the employer is still recruiting for the role, or anything beyond what the employer published. Full methodology.