Staff Machine Learning Engineer

We're looking for a Staff Machine Learning Engineer to help lead the development of advanced AI systems at Workiva. In this role, you'll drive the design and implementation of intelligent infrastructure and agentic architectures-powering scalable, production-ready applications of LLMs and Generative AI across our platform.

As a technical leader, you'll work cross-functionally to solve complex engineering challenges, from fine-tuning models to deploying distributed systems that support the full ML lifecycle. You'll mentor others, shape architectural decisions, and play a key role in translating cutting-edge research into high-impact product capabilities.

If you thrive at the intersection of systems, data, and AI-and want to build real-world, user-facing solutions that make a difference, we'd love to connect. Explore the possibilities of Workiva's Generative AI at Workiva and join us in pushing the boundaries of enterprise AI.

What You'll Do

• Fine-tune large language models (open-source and commercial) to detect patterns, headers, and the hidden logic buried in real-world spreadsheets

• Design autonomous and semi-autonomous agents that can plan, reason, and adapt-until even the nastiest cell is understood

• Pair-program with product, platform, and design teammates-no silos here. You'll work across the stack, and across ideas

• Run experiments, measure quality, and collaborate closely with the team to improve model performance-especially when tackling the toughest, most tangled spreadsheets

What You'll Need

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or related field (advanced degrees welcome)

• 4+ years of experience in machine learning engineering or related software roles

Preferred Qualifications

• LLM Fine-Tuning Mastery - You've fine-tuned Transformer models (GPT-*, LLaMA, Mistral, Claude, etc.) and can talk trade-offs between LoRA and full fine-tuning, tokenizer quirks, and when to RAG vs. prompt

• Agentic AI Experience - You've built or orchestrated agents (LangChain, CrewAI, AutoGPT, or custom frameworks) that handle multi-step tasks, recover from errors, and don't spontaneously combust

• Systems Thinking + Shipping Chops - You love whiteboarding distributed architectures and also get joy from shipping Dockerfiles, Terraform, and clean code that runs in prod

• Polyglot Engineering Skills - Fluent in Python (our AI lingua franca) and experienced in at least one statically typed language like Go, TypeScript, Rust, or Java

• Data-Wrangling Mojo - You know your way around Pandas, Apache Arrow, DuckDB, or similar-and have turned CSV confetti into structured gold

• Startup Mindset, at Scale - You bias toward action, navigate ambiguity well, and know when to move fast vs. when to measure twice

• Security & Ethics Awareness - You think critically about data privacy, hallucinations, and bias-before the headlines hit

• Clear Communication - You can explain deep learning concepts to non-ML folks (and the office dog), and believe transparency builds trust

• Testing is Sacred - You write unit tests, integration tests, and break-your-own-stuff tests because quality isn't optional

Travel Requirements and Working Conditions

• Willingness to travel up to 10% for team and corporate meetings, fostering relationships and representing company interests

• Reliable internet access for any period of time working remotely, as we embrace flexible work arrangements

How You'll Be Rewarded

A discretionary bonus typically paid annually

Restricted Stock Units granted at time of hire

401(k) match and comprehensive employee benefits package

The salary range represents the low and high end of the salary range for this job in the US. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience and other relevant factors.

Employment decisions are made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other protected characteristic.

Workiva is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. To request assistance with the application process, please email talentacquisition@workiva.com.

Workiva employees are required to undergo comprehensive security and privacy training tailored to their roles, ensuring adherence to company policies and regulatory standards.

Workiva supports employees in working where they work best - either from an office or remotely from any location within their country of employment.