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Hire a fractional machine learning engineer

Fractional ML engineer

A fractional machine learning engineer is a senior engineer who works for you part of the week. They train models, build data pipelines and keep models running in your product. To hire a fractional machine learning engineer, send your requirement and we send you a shortlist.

Send your requirement
  • No deposit to get started
  • Every requirement read by us
  • A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
  • One agreement, one invoice

What a fractional machine learning engineer does

A machine learning engineer builds and runs models on your own data. They prepare the data, train and tune the models, and put them live so the product can use them. They also keep the models accurate as the data changes. That last part, often called MLOps, is where many companies get stuck.

A fractional engineer does this for part of the week, on work you agree up front. It suits companies that need real ML work done but are not ready to build a full ML group.

Tell us the role and the hours. We send you a shortlist of people who fit.

  • No deposit to get started
  • Every requirement read by us
  • A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
  • One agreement, one invoice
Send your requirement

Work that suits a fractional ML engineer

  • Two people at a kitchen table, one pointing at a laptop while the other listens
    A model into production Taking a model that works on a laptop and getting it running reliably behind your product.
  • A woman writing code on two monitors beside an arched window
    MLOps catch-up Adding monitoring, versions and retraining to models that went live without them.
  • A man on a phone call at dusk with a city out of focus behind him
    Data pipelines Making the data a model depends on clean, current and repeatable.
  • Two people at a kitchen table, one pointing at a laptop while the other listens
    Fine-tuning Adapting an existing model to your field when the standard output is not good enough.

What to look for

Ask about models they have kept running, not only models they have trained. Ask how they noticed a model getting worse and what they did about it. If they will be your only ML person, check they can explain trade-offs to people who are not engineers.

How to hire a fractional machine learning engineer

For engineers who build and ship AI work inside your team, hire a forward deployed engineer or a fractional AI engineer through us.

If you want to talk to us about an ML engineering need alongside a leadership hire, send your requirement and pick Other. There is no deposit. You pay our fee only when someone starts, on one agreement and one invoice with us.

Send your requirement

Describe the problem, the data and where the model needs to run.

  • No deposit to get started
  • Every requirement read by us
  • A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
  • One agreement, one invoice

Where fractional ML engineers are based

FAQ

Fractional ML engineer questions

When should you use contract ML engineers instead of full-time hires?

When the ML work is real but defined, such as a model to ship or a pipeline to fix. And when you cannot yet keep a full-time ML engineer busy. Full time makes more sense when models are central to the product and change all the time.

Can I trial a machine learning engineer on a fractional basis before hiring full time?

Yes. Starting fractional is a sensible way to test the fit. If you both want to move to full time later, tell us.

Can a fractional ML engineer manage a full-time AI team?

A senior ML engineer can guide other engineers, set standards and review work. If the group needs daily management, a fractional CTO or a full-time lead is usually a better fit.

What happens when our AI work outgrows a fractional engineer?

That is a good sign. The usual next step is a full-time hire. The fractional engineer can help define the role and hand over.

What is the best way to hire a fractional machine learning engineer?

Write down the problem and the data. Then talk to engineers who have solved something similar. For hands-on AI engineers, see how to hire a forward deployed engineer.

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