MLOps Engineer Lead/UKHC

Job Title
MLOps Engineer Lead/UKHC

Requisition Number
RE53257

Working Title
Machine Learning Operations Engineer Lead

Department Name
H3997:EVPHA Information Technology

Work Location
Lexington, KY

Grade Level
13

Salary Range
$71,323-131,685/year

Type of Position
Staff

Position Time Status
Full-Time

Required Education

BS

Click here for more information about equivalencies:
https://hr.uky.edu/employment/working-uk/equivalencies

Required Related Experience

7 yrs

Required License/Registration/Certification

None

Physical Requirements

The physical requirements of this position include: Mobility to work from several locations depending on business needs; occasionally lifting, pushing, and/or pulling objects up to 50lbs; occasionally standing or walking with objects up to 10lbs; regularly sitting at a computer workstation for extended periods of time with regular repetitive motions (such as typing); occasionally dealing with combative/violent people; and occasional job-related travel.

Shift

Primarily Monday through Friday 8am-5pm, with evening, night, and weekend requirements per departmental needs.

Job Summary

Responsible for leading enterprise-wide machine learning operations strategy and execution. Provides expert-level oversight of deployment platforms, monitoring systems, and operational standards for AI initiatives. Ensures scalability, governance, and resilience of ML pipelines across clinical, research, and business applications. Develops organizational best practices, influences technology roadmaps, and drives adoption of cutting-edge MLOps capabilities. Coordinates strategic initiatives across technical and business domains to deliver high-impact, reliable, and secure AI solutions.

Essential Functions:
• Defines enterprise MLOps strategy including lifecycle management, CI/CD frameworks, and operational standards.
• Leads implementation of monitoring and alerting systems for production ML models across multiple domains.
• Establishes governance policies for model versioning, traceability, and compliance with regulatory frameworks.
• Provides technical leadership and guidance to senior engineers and cross-functional teams.
• Oversees evaluation and integration of new MLOps tools, platforms, and cloud-native solutions.
• Partners with executives and business leaders to align ML operations with organizational strategy.
• Directs development of reusable infrastructure, workflows, and automation frameworks.
• Coordinates enterprise incident response and continuity planning for critical ML systems.
• Mentors and advises engineering staff, fostering knowledge sharing and innovation in MLOps practices.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Please note: Effective 7/1/2026, this position will be titled Machine Learning Operations Engineer Lead and will report through Information Technology Services in Beyond Blue.

Skills / Knowledge / Abilities

Deep expertise in MLOps frameworks, tooling, and deployment platforms
Strong understanding of model lifecycle management, CI/CD for ML, monitoring, observability, and reliability engineering
Ability to design scalable, resilient, and secure ML pipelines in regulated or high-availability environments
Knowledge of AI governance, risk management, and operational controls
Strategic thinking with the ability to translate business and clinical needs into technical execution
Strong leadership, influence, and cross-functional collaboration skills
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to align diverse stakeholders around shared AI/ML objectives

Does this position have supervisory responsibilities?
No

Preferred Education/Experience

Significant experience leading machine learning operations (MLOps) at an enterprise scale, including strategy, architecture, and execution
Demonstrated experience deploying, monitoring, and maintaining production-grade ML models across complex environments (e.g., cloud, hybrid, or on-prem)
Proven background supporting AI/ML solutions across multiple domains such as clinical, research, and business applications
Experience establishing governance, operational standards, and best practices for ML pipelines, including security, compliance, and model lifecycle management
Track record of influencing technology roadmaps and driving adoption of advanced AI/ML capabilities within large organizations
Experience partnering with senior technical and business leaders to deliver high-impact, reliable AI solutions

Deadline to Apply
03/01/2026

Our University Community

We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for our students, employees, patients and visitors, the University of Kentucky is a Tobacco & Drug Free campus.

The University follows both the federal and state Constitutions as well as all applicable federal and state laws on nondiscrimination. The University provides equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status.

Any candidate offered a position may be required to pass pre-employment screenings as mandated by University of Kentucky Human Resources. These screenings may include a national background check and/or drug screen.