Sr. Lead Machine Learning Engineer

Capital One is hiring a Senior Lead Machine Learning Engineer to join our Tysons Corner, Fairfax County team. In this full-time role, you'll architect and operationalize machine learning systems that power financial products, leading the technical direction of ML initiatives and mentoring engineers as we scale our AI capabilities across the enterprise.

About the Role

As a Sr. Lead Machine Learning Engineer, you'll shepherd machine learning applications from research phase through production deployment at scale. You'll work within collaborative, cross-functional teams to translate complex ML concepts into robust systems that deliver measurable business value. This is a hands-on leadership position where you'll combine deep technical expertise with strategic thinking to advance our machine learning platform and infrastructure.

What You'll Do

• Architect and design machine learning systems engineered for scale, reliability, and operational excellence
• Lead technical implementation of ML models, pipelines, and infrastructure, selecting and applying appropriate tools and methodologies
• Collaborate with data scientists, software engineers, and product managers to define requirements and deliver end-to-end solutions
• Establish best practices and technical standards for machine learning development and deployment
• Mentor and guide junior engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and innovation
• Evaluate and integrate emerging technologies and frameworks to continuously enhance our ML capabilities
• Optimize model performance, inference efficiency, and system reliability in production environments

What We're Looking For

• Senior-level expertise in machine learning engineering with a strong portfolio of production ML systems
• Mastery of programming languages commonly used in ML; deep knowledge of ML frameworks and libraries
• Proficiency in designing and implementing scalable data pipelines and ETL workflows
• Strong software engineering fundamentals: testing practices, version control, CI/CD, and system observability
• Proven ability to lead technical initiatives, make architectural decisions, and influence team direction
• Experience with cloud platforms and familiarity with MLOps, model serving, and production ML infrastructure
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills; ability to distill complex technical concepts for diverse audiences

How to Apply

To apply, complete your application directly on this page, or you'll be redirected to the employer's application platform to finish submitting there.