Senior Machine Learning Engineer
Amgen · United States
- Hybrid
- Full-time
- $150,000 / year
- United States
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Job highlights
- Build high-impact AI proofs-of-concept.
- Translate business needs into AI solutions.
- Design modern AI systems with LLMs.
- Validate feasibility, value, and risks.
- Create reusable technical assets for scaling.
About the role
About Amgen's Mission
Amgen is driven by a mission to serve patients living with serious illnesses. Since 1980, we have pioneered biotech, focusing on Oncology, Inflammation, General Medicine, and Rare Disease, reaching millions of patients annually. We are advancing a pipeline of medicines for cancer, heart disease, inflammatory conditions, rare diseases, and obesity. Joining Amgen means making a lasting impact on patients' lives while transforming your career in a collaborative, innovative, and science-based culture.About the AI & Data Innovation Lab
The Artificial Intelligence & Data organization's AI & Data Innovation Lab is a hub for exploration and innovation. We integrate and accelerate new technologies and methods to deliver measurable value and competitive advantage. Our goal is to prove what's possible, de-risk uncertainty, and build the foundation for scaling AI solutions responsibly.What You Will Do as a Senior Machine Learning Engineer
As a Senior Machine Learning Engineer, you will help build high-impact AI proofs-of-concept that are credible, scalable, secure, and designed for production. This role blends AI engineering, software engineering, cloud and data architecture, product thinking, and business partnership. You will be a hands-on builder comfortable with ambiguity, collaborating closely with product managers and business stakeholders, making pragmatic technical decisions, and elevating the engineering standards for others. Success involves not only shipping code but also creating reusable patterns, validated architectures, and clear evidence to guide Amgen's scaling decisions.Key Responsibilities:
- Build scalable AI proofs-of-concept demonstrating a clear path from prototype to enterprise-scale solutions.
- Partner with product managers, business stakeholders, platform teams, and engineers to translate business needs into practical AI solutions with measurable value.
- Design and implement modern AI systems using LLMs, agentic workflows, retrieval-augmented generation, data pipelines, APIs, cloud-native services, and enterprise platforms.
- Rapidly validate feasibility and value by assessing technical risk, data readiness, integration complexity, user experience, security, performance, cost, and business impact.
- Create reusable technical assets such as reference architectures, components, documentation, decision records, and handoff materials to enable scaling of successful POCs.
- Elevate the team's technical bar through strong engineering practices, mentoring, improving delivery patterns, and taking ownership in uncertain, fast-paced work.
What We Expect Of You
We seek an individual with the following qualifications:Basic Qualifications:
- Doctorate degree
- OR Master’s degree and 2 years of relevant experience
- OR Bachelor’s degree and 4 years of relevant experience
- OR Associate’s degree and 8 years of relevant experience
- OR High school diploma / GED and 10 years of relevant experience
Preferred Qualifications:
- 4-6 years of relevant experience in AI engineering, machine learning engineering, software engineering, data engineering, cloud engineering, or related technical roles.
- Demonstrated experience building full-stack AI-powered applications beyond experimentation, designed for scalability, security, evaluation, and maintainability.
- Strong understanding of modern AI application architecture, including LLMs, retrieval-augmented generation, embeddings, vector databases, agentic workflows, tool use, orchestration frameworks, and AI evaluation methods.
- Experience defining and applying evaluation methods for AI solutions (accuracy, reliability, hallucination risk, latency, usability, safety, cost, fitness for use).
- Ability to translate ambiguous business problems into practical technical approaches, make sound tradeoffs, and rapidly validate feasibility, value, risks, and path to scale.
- Experience with AWS Cloud, data pipelines, integration architecture, containers, CI/CD, observability, and secure development practices.
- Strong software engineering foundation, preferably with Python, including testing, version control, modular design, documentation, and maintainable code.
- Demonstrated ability to responsibly use AI tools to improve engineering productivity, explore technical solutions, automate tasks, and enhance delivery.
- Excellent communication, ownership, and cross-functional leadership skills, partnering effectively with product managers, business stakeholders, platform teams, and AI/software engineers.
What You Can Expect From Us
We are committed to your professional and personal growth and well-being. Our competitive benefits and collaborative culture support your journey.Salary and Benefits:
The expected annual salary range for this role in the U.S. (excluding Puerto Rico) is posted. Actual salary varies based on skills, experience, and qualifications. Amgen offers a Total Rewards Plan including:- Comprehensive employee benefits package (Retirement and Savings Plan with generous company contributions, group medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, flexible spending accounts).
- Discretionary annual bonus program (or sales incentive plan for field sales).
- Stock-based long-term incentives.
- Award-winning time-off plans.
- Flexible work models where possible (refer to Work Location Type in job posting).
Application Information:
Amgen does not have an application deadline; applications are accepted until a candidate is selected. Sponsorship for this role is not guaranteed.Diversity and Inclusion:
Amgen fosters an inclusive environment of diverse, ethical, committed, and accomplished people. We are an Equal Opportunity employer and consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, or any other protected status. We provide reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities.Key skills/competency
- Machine Learning Engineer
- Artificial Intelligence
- LLMs
- Proof-of-Concept
- Cloud Architecture
- Data Pipelines
- Software Engineering
- Python
- AWS
- Agile Methodologies
Skills & topics
- Machine Learning Engineer
- AI
- Artificial Intelligence
- LLM
- Proof of Concept
- Cloud Engineering
- Data Engineering
- Software Engineering
- Python
- AWS
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight experience with LLMs, cloud platforms (AWS), and Python development. Quantify achievements in AI proof-of-concept development.
- Showcase AI expertise: Emphasize your understanding of modern AI architectures like RAG, agentic workflows, and evaluation methods.
- Demonstrate collaboration: Provide examples of partnering with product managers and business stakeholders to deliver value.
- Prepare for technical questions: Be ready to discuss scalable AI system design, CI/CD, and secure development practices.
- Research Amgen's innovation: Understand their AI & Data Innovation Lab's goals and how your skills align with their mission.
Technical preparation
Master LLM concepts and applications.,Practice building scalable AI POCs.,Familiarize yourself with AWS services.,Strengthen Python coding and testing.
Behavioral questions
Describe handling ambiguity in projects.,How do you partner with stakeholders?,Share an example of raising technical bar.,Discuss ownership and accountability.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the key responsibilities for a Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Amgen?
- The Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Amgen is responsible for building scalable AI proofs-of-concept, translating business needs into practical AI solutions, designing modern AI systems using technologies like LLMs and retrieval-augmented generation, validating feasibility and value, creating reusable technical assets, and mentoring the team. The role emphasizes a blend of AI engineering, software engineering, and cloud architecture.
- What educational background is required for the Senior Machine Learning Engineer role at Amgen?
- Amgen offers multiple pathways for educational requirements. Candidates can qualify with a Doctorate degree, or a Master's degree with 2 years of relevant experience, a Bachelor's degree with 4 years of relevant experience, an Associate's degree with 8 years of relevant experience, or a High School diploma/GED with 10 years of relevant experience.
- What are the preferred technical qualifications for this Senior Machine Learning Engineer position?
- Preferred qualifications include 4-6 years of relevant experience, demonstrated full-stack AI application development, a strong understanding of modern AI architectures (LLMs, RAG, vector databases), experience with AI evaluation methods, proficiency in AWS Cloud, data pipelines, Python, and software engineering best practices. Experience with CI/CD, observability, and secure development is also highly valued.
- How does Amgen approach AI development and innovation?
- Amgen's AI & Data Innovation Lab focuses on exploring and integrating new technologies and methods to deliver measurable value and competitive advantage. They move quickly to prove possibilities, de-risk uncertainties, and build the foundation for scaling AI solutions responsibly, with a strong emphasis on making AI proofs-of-concept credible, scalable, secure, and production-ready.
- What career growth opportunities are available for a Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Amgen?
- Amgen offers significant opportunities for professional and personal growth. The company provides a comprehensive benefits package, a competitive salary, stock-based incentives, and award-winning time-off plans. The collaborative and science-based culture supports career development, allowing individuals to make a lasting impact while transforming their careers.
- Does Amgen offer sponsorship for the Senior Machine Learning Engineer role?
- Sponsorship for this role is not guaranteed. Candidates should be aware that Amgen's policy on sponsorship for this position does not offer a guarantee, and it is advisable to inquire further if sponsorship is a requirement for your application.
- What is the application deadline for the Senior Machine Learning Engineer position at Amgen?
- Amgen does not have a fixed application deadline for this position. They will continue accepting applications until a sufficient number of candidates are received or a suitable candidate is selected. This means it's beneficial to apply as soon as possible if you are interested.