About Careertakes

👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, IT.

Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.

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What You’ll Do

This opportunity is for a Junior AI & Machine Learning Engineer / Software Programmer based in Blacksburg, VA. You’ll join early-career hiring programs and staffing engagements to build practical engineering skills and contribute to real projects for our confidential client.

• Work on entry-level machine learning and software engineering tasks, including data preparation, feature engineering, and model evaluation
• Write, test, and maintain clean code in Python or Java as part of a team
• Support data pipelines and ETL tasks; use SQL for data access and analysis
• Help implement basic full‑stack or DevOps workflows when assigned to those projects
• Collaborate with engineers, data practitioners, and mentors to move projects from prototype to production
• Document work, run unit tests, and participate in code reviews
• Participate in training and career-development sessions provided through the hiring program

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Who Should Apply

This role is designed for early-career candidates and those looking to transition into in-demand tech roles.

• Recent graduates with degrees in Computer Science, Engineering, Math, Statistics or related fields
• Candidates with limited professional experience, career gaps, or those re-entering the workforce
• Jobseekers with foundational programming knowledge (Python or Java) and basic SQL
• People motivated to learn practical ML and data engineering skills and to build a portfolio of work

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Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in CS, Engineering, Math, Statistics, or equivalent practical experience
• Experience writing code in Python or Java (coursework, projects, or internships accepted)
• Basic knowledge of SQL and data handling
• Willingness to learn modern ML and data engineering practices and follow mentorship
• Strong communication skills and ability to work on small teams

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Preferred (Nice-to-Have)

• Exposure to full‑stack development or DevOps concepts
• Coursework or project experience in machine learning, data analysis, or software development
• A small portfolio, GitHub repo, or project samples you can discuss in interviews
• Interest in data engineering, analytics, BI, or ML/AI pipelines

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Compensation & Location

• Salary range: $82,000 - $136,000 per year
• Employment type: Full time
• Location: Blacksburg, VA (on-site or local-hire; specific work location will be confirmed by the confidential client)

Actual benefits, PTO, and other compensation details depend on the confidential client and will be shared during the hiring process.

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How We Recruit

Careertakes works as a third-party recruiting platform to introduce prepared early-career candidates to our confidential client. Candidates who advance will be evaluated by humans; AI tools may be used to assist in resume screening but do not make final hiring decisions.

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Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency

Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.

If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.