Lead Machine Learning Engineer - ML Infrastructure

Who we are

Samsara (NYSE: IOT) is the pioneer of the Connected Operations™ Cloud, which is a platform that enables organizations that depend on physical operations to harness Internet of Things (IoT) data to develop actionable insights and improve their operations. At Samsara, we are helping improve the safety, efficiency and sustainability of the physical operations that power our global economy. Representing more than 40% of global GDP, these industries are the infrastructure of our planet, including agriculture, construction, field services, transportation, and manufacturing — and we are excited to help digitally transform their operations at scale.

Working at Samsara means you’ll help define the future of physical operations and be on a team that’s shaping an exciting array of product solutions, including Video-Based Safety, Vehicle Telematics, Apps and Driver Workflows, and Equipment Monitoring. As part of a recently public company, you’ll have the autonomy and support to make an impact as we build for the long term.

About the role:

Samsara is the industry leader in AI for physical operations.

We're hiring a Lead Machine Learning Infrastructure Engineer to serve as the technical anchor for ML infrastructure across Samsara's Safety AI organization. You will own the architecture and evolution of our end-to-end ML platform — spanning training, experimentation, inference, and edge deployment across more than 2M deployed devices — and be the connective tissue between applied ML teams, security, and data platform. This role is not an execution role sitting under a technical lead; you are the technical lead. Your decisions shape platform direction, unblock multiple product teams, and translate directly into real-world safety outcomes for the industries that run our world.

We are open to calibrating this role at Staff, Senior Staff, or Principal level depending on the candidate's scope of experience — what matters most is end-to-end platform ownership and the ability to operate as the technical anchor for the organization.

This is a remote position open to candidates based in the United States.

You should apply if:

• You want to impact the industries that run our world: The software, firmware, and hardware you build will result in real-world impact—helping to keep the lights on, get food into grocery stores, and most importantly, ensure workers return home safely.
• You are a life-long learner: We have ambitious goals. Every Samsarian has a growth mindset as we work with a wide range of technologies, challenges, and customers that push us to learn on the go.
• You believe customers are more than a number: Samsara engineers enjoy a rare closeness to the end user and you will have the opportunity to participate in customer interviews, collaborate with customer success and product managers, and use metrics to ensure our work is translating into better customer outcomes.
• You are a team player: Working on our Samsara Engineering teams requires a mix of independent effort and collaboration. Motivated by our mission, we’re all racing toward our connected operations vision, and we intend to win—together.

In this role, you will: 

ML Platform & Infrastructure

• Set the technical strategy and own end-to-end delivery of Samsara's ML platform (training, experimentation, batch/online inference, edge) — making architectural decisions and being the accountability point across all platform layers for multiple Safety AI product teams.

Experimentation & Measurement

• Drive the design, launch, and iteration of Safety AI features (CV models, EcoDriving insights, LLM-based reporting) — not just enabling others to ship, but co-owning outcomes including safety metrics, reliability, and cost at production scale.

Inference & Edge Deployment

• Design and operate scalable online and batch inference systems (Ray, Spark), including deployment patterns, observability, SLOs, and unified training-to-production workflows.
• Partner with firmware and edge teams to package, validate, and deploy models to Samsara devices, and build feedback loops from edge to cloud for continuous improvement.

Reliability, Security & Operations

• Own reliability, observability, and security for ML systems across cloud and edge, including on-call practices, incident response, and infrastructure hardening.
• Own or co-own end-to-end technical delivery for high-priority or high-risk initiatives, from modeling and system design through production rollout.

Leadership & Culture

• Be the technical authority for ML infrastructure architecture across Safety AI — setting direction that cross-functional teams (applied ML, firmware, security, data platform) execute against, mentoring senior engineers and applied scientists, and ensuring platform decisions are made at the right level of abstraction with the right trade-offs.
• Drive strong developer experience through documentation and best practices, while contributing to and representing Samsara in open source communities (Ray, Spark, RayDP).
• Champion and role model Samsara’s cultural principles: Focus on Customer Success, Build for the Long Term, Adopt a Growth Mindset, Be Inclusive, Win as a Team.

Minimum requirements for the role:

• 10+ years in machine learning engineering, with demonstrated tech lead ownership of at least two major ML platform domains (distributed training, data/research infrastructure, cloud inference, or feature engineering) serving multiple product teams at scale.
• Proven record of shipping ML-powered features end-to-end — from design through production and iteration — with measurable impact on product or business metrics (not just building internal tooling).
• Hands-on Ray and Kubernetes expertise in production environments; Spark experience strongly preferred. Able to be a credible peer to the most senior engineers on the team.
• Deep understanding of ML fundamentals beyond pipelines: evaluation methodology, dataset design, ablation, drift, and the ability to review and redirect modeling approaches — you bridge research and engineering, not just serve them.
• Demonstrated cross-org technical leadership around platform decisions, and influencing roadmap and go/no-go calls based on throughput, latency, and cost trade-offs.
• Experience navigating science-engineering tension — knowing when to hold the platform line and when to adapt for research velocity, and communicating that clearly to both sides.

An ideal candidate also has:

• Prior contributions to open source projects (Ray, Spark, RayDP, or Kubernetes).
• Experience with enterprise security/compliance in ML environments.
• Background working with edge/on-device ML and firmware/embedded teams.

The compensation range shown spans approved pay zones for this role. Your primary work location determines the range applicable to you, which may be narrower than the full range displayed.

The range of annual base salary for full-time employees for this position is below. Please note that base pay offered may vary depending on factors including your city of residence, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. This role is also eligible for an initial RSU grant with no vesting cliff, and ongoing refresh opportunities tied to performance, subject to plan terms and conditions. Learn more about our total rewards and benefits below.

Total Rewards

At Samsara, we build for the people who keep the global economy moving. We want owners, not passengers, which is why our rewards are designed to fuel high-impact builders. Our compensation program delivers above-market total compensation through a combination of base salary, performance-based bonus/variable pay, and equity (for eligible roles) in a high-growth public company. We meaningfully differentiate pay for our top performers, who have the opportunity to earn above-market compensation that can outpace the broader market over time.

Beyond compensation, we provide the foundations that enable long-term success: a flexible, employee-led remote model, a professional development stipend, comprehensive health and parental leave plans, and more. If you’re ready to build for the long term and own the outcome, your journey starts here.

Flexible Working 

At Samsara, we embrace a flexible working model that caters to the diverse needs of our teams. Our offices are open for those who prefer to work in-person and we also support remote work where it aligns with our operational requirements. For certain positions, being close to one of our offices or within a specific geographic area is important to facilitate collaboration, access to resources, or alignment with our service regions. In these cases, the job description will clearly indicate any working location requirements. Our goal is to ensure that all members of our team can contribute effectively, whether they are working on-site, in a hybrid model, or fully remotely. All offers of employment are contingent upon an individual’s ability to secure and maintain the legal right to work at the company and in the specified work location, if applicable.

Belonging at Samsara

At Samsara, we welcome everyone regardless of their background. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, and other characteristics protected by law. We depend on the unique approaches of our team members to help us solve complex problems and want to ensure that Samsara is a place where people from all backgrounds can make an impact.

Accommodations 

Samsara is an inclusive work environment, and we are committed to ensuring equal opportunity in employment for qualified persons with disabilities. Please email accessibleinterviewing@samsara.com or click here if you require any reasonable accommodations throughout the recruiting process.

Our Commitment to Authenticity

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Fraudulent Employment Offers

Samsara is aware of scams involving fake job interviews and offers. Please know we do not charge fees to applicants at any stage of the hiring process. Official communication about your application will only come from emails ending in @samsara.com, @us-greenhouse-mail.io or @mail3.guide.co. For more information regarding fraudulent employment offers, please visit our blog post here.