Machine Learning Engineer (Demand Forecasting - MN)

Title: Machine Learning Engineer (Demand Forecasting) Location: Brooklyn Park, MN (Local Only, Primarily Remote) Job Type: W-2 Contract (4 Months) Compensation: $82.71 - $90.22/hr W-2 with benefits Industry: Retail About The Role We are partnering with a leading national retailer and digital fulfillment organization to identify an experienced Machine Learning Engineer to support the modernization of their demand forecasting capabilities. Operating in the fast-paced omnichannel retail space, our client forecasts order volumes, units, and fulfillment capacity across multiple channels—including Order Pickup (OPU), Ship-to-Home, and Drive Up—to optimize store operations and labor planning at enterprise scale. This position sits at the intersection of machine learning research and production engineering. Working closely with data scientists and platform engineers, you will scale data processing workloads, build robust ML pipelines, and ensure forecasting models run reliably in production. The ideal candidate brings a true ML engineering mindset—combining data engineering, pipeline orchestration, and software engineering skills—to modernize a complex forecasting ecosystem that directly impacts store labor planning and the customer experience. Job Description As a Machine Learning Engineer, you will bridge the gap between ML research and production deployment within our client's digital fulfillment organization. Your primary focus will be modernizing and scaling the systems that power demand forecasting across a high-volume retail environment. In This Role, You Will • Scale data processing workloads and convert research-grade code into production-ready, enterprise-scale solutions. • Build, orchestrate, and maintain robust ML pipelines that support forecasting models across multiple fulfillment channels. • Partner with data scientists and platform engineers to productionize models and ensure they run reliably and efficiently at scale. • Optimize data pipelines for performance, scalability, and cost efficiency. • Contribute to the reliability and modernization of a forecasting ecosystem that directly influences store operations planning and customer satisfaction. Qualifications Required Qualifications: • Machine Learning & Data Science • Experience building and deploying ML models in production environments. • Hands-on experience with time series forecasting (Prophet, ARIMA, or similar). • Understanding of hyperparameter tuning, model validation, and experiment tracking. • Familiarity with feature engineering and feature store concepts. • Data Engineering & Scalability • Proficiency converting pandas-based workloads to PySpark for large-scale processing. • Experience with distributed data processing frameworks (Spark, Dask, or Ray). • Ability to optimize data pipelines for performance and cost efficiency. • Working knowledge of data formats (Parquet, CSV) and partitioning strategies. • Experience with BigQuery or similar analytical databases, including table design, partitioning, clustering, and writing/validating datasets. • ML Pipeline Orchestration • Experience building ML pipelines using Kubeflow Pipelines (KFP), Vertex AI, or Airflow. • Understanding of pipeline component design, DAG orchestration, and caching strategies. • Ability to integrate data validation, model training, and deployment steps into workflows. • Experience with pipeline parameterization and configuration management. • Software Engineering • Strong Python proficiency with production-grade coding standards. • Ability to read, refactor, and extend existing codebases. • Version control experience (Git) and structured change management. • Familiarity with testing frameworks (pytest), dependency management (Poetry/UV), and code quality tools (pre-commit, linting). • Cloud & Infrastructure • Hands-on experience with GCP (Vertex AI, Cloud Storage) or equivalent cloud platforms. • Familiarity with containerization (Docker) and container orchestration (Kubernetes). • Experience with CI/CD pipelines for ML workflows. • Understanding of secrets management and environment configuration. Preferred Qualifications: • Experience with Ray for distributed ML training and inference. • Exposure to Hadoop ecosystem tools (Hive, HDFS, Spark on YARN). • Knowledge of ML model monitoring and drift detection. • Experience with infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, Cloud Deployment Manager). • Exposure to ML/analytics-driven systems or forecasting platforms. • Advanced performance tuning and scalability optimization experience. • Familiarity with retail, merchandising, or supply chain systems, including demand forecasting domains. • Experience working with data science teams to productionize research code. • Background in scaling ML systems from prototype to enterprise-grade deployments. • Experience supporting globally distributed teams across time zones. • Knowledge of automated alerting, runbooks, and operational playbooks. Benefits Dahl Consulting is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees that will allow you to choose the best coverage to meet your family’s needs. For details, please review the DAHL Benefits Summary: https://www.dahlconsulting.com/benefits-w2fta/. How To Apply Take the first step on your new career path! To submit yourself for consideration for this role, simply click the apply button and complete our mobile-friendly online application. Once we’ve reviewed your application details, a recruiter will reach out to you with next steps! Equal Opportunity Statement As an equal opportunity employer, Dahl Consulting welcomes candidates of all backgrounds and experiences to apply. If this position sounds like the right opportunity for you, we encourage you to take the next step and connect with us. We look forward to meeting you!