Senior Machine Learning Engineer
Kinetic Open · verified Oct 22, 2026 At a glance
Senior Machine Learning Engineering role at Kinetic. Costa Mesa · full-time · no salary stated · we estimate $181,150–$247,500 across the United States.
Kinetic has not published a salary for this role. The figure below is our estimate, not theirs.
aimlroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Build PyTorch training workflows, losses and augmentations, then assess vision models for segmentation and detection
- Shape datasets by setting labeling guidance, preparing splits, checking data quality and tracking versions
- Run ablations and other targeted tests, record results clearly and share what the findings mean
- Export trained models, add basic inference code and tests, and help profile performance
- Work with backend, operations and labeling teams to resolve edge cases and close feedback loops
What you bring
- Hands-on practice training and evaluating segmentation and detection models with PyTorch
- Working knowledge of vision transformers, including self-attention, positional encodings and models such as ViT or DETR
- Practical experience with 2D and 3D data, including point clouds, camera geometry or calibration
- Proficiency in Python and the listed vision and transformer tools, including Detectron2 or MMDetection
Who this fits
This senior role suits an independent, detail-focused engineer who can investigate data anomalies, document experiments and explain trade-offs. You’ll join a small production-minded ML team based in Orange County or Oakland.
From the employer
About Kinetic
Kinetic Automation is building a network of automated repair centers for modern vehicles. The auto industry is transitioning from mechanically complex vehicles to mechanically simple ones with complex software and technology. Kinetic aims to be the primary infrastructure-as-a-service for servicing future vehicles with our robotic repair centers, powered by our proprietary software and AI. We are a strong team of experienced robotics + automotive + shared mobility enthusiasts who have worked in self-driving, mapping, lidar, motorsport, and ride-sharing. We are a venture backed startup (Series B) with a clear go-to-market strategy and meaningful revenue.
About the role
You will be a part of a small, production-minded ML team based in Orange County/Oakland. You’ll collaborate with other engineers and researchers to develop, evaluate, and help deploy vision models for tasks like semantic/instance segmentation and object/damage detection across 2D and 3D data.
Experience & Skills Required
- Deep ML / CV Fundamentals: You need hands-on experience training and evaluating deep models for segmentation and detection (PyTorch). You must understand how Transformer/LLM building blocks map to vision (ViT/DETR/Mask2Former) and have practical exposure to 2D/3D data, point clouds, and camera geometry
- Curiosity & Strict Attention to Detail: You are obsessed with corner cases. You have a sharp eye for data anomalies, run rigorous ablations, keep meticulous experiment logs, and can clearly communicate trade-offs
- AI-Empowered, Not AI-Dependent: We strongly encourage leveraging AI tools (Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude) to maximize your efficiency. However, you must 100% understand the underlying details of the code you ship. We are looking for strong independent thinkers and debuggers, not someone who simply passes along AI outputs without deep comprehension
- Working knowledge of transformer and LLM building blocks applied to vision, including self-attention, positional encodings, tokenization, and mapping these ideas to vision models (e.g., ViT, DETR, Mask2Former)
- Practical exposure to 3D/depth data, including familiarity with point clouds, camera geometry (intrinsics/extrinsics), basic calibration, and multi-view geometry
- Proficiency in Python and the relevant tech stack: PyTorch, torchvision, Detectron2 or MMDetection/Segmentation, and Hugging Face Transformers
- Experience with Python services (FastAPI/Flask), Docker, and AWS services (S3, Batch/EC2, ECR) is preferred.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to write tidy PRs, experiment logs, and short design notes to ensure reproducibility
Responsibilities
- The Work: Implement training loops, curate datasets, drive high-priority experiments, and partner with cross-functional teams to close feedback loops from edge cases
- The Stack: PyTorch, Detectron2 / MMDetection / Segmentation, Hugging Face Transformers, Python (FastAPI), Docker, AWS
- Collaborate on model development by implementing training loops, losses, augmentations, and evaluations using PyTorch
- Keep current with the industry by summarizing relevant papers and PRs, and proposing small, testable improvements
- Contribute to datasets by helping define labeling guidelines, curating splits, running quality checks, and maintaining data versioning
- Run experiments to track metrics, perform ablations, write clear experiment notes, and present findings.
- Provide production support by exporting models, writing basic inference code, adding tests, and assisting with performance profiling
- Work cross-functionally, partnering with backend engineers on APIs, containers, and CI, and with ops/labeling teams on edge cases and feedback loops
Benefits
- Competitive salary and equity package
- Comprehensive health and dental insurance
- Retirement savings plan.
- Paid time off and holidays
Kinetic is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or any protected attribute. We encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply and join us in our mission. If you require accommodation at any stage of the application process due to a disability, please let us know.