Drive Innovation Jobs in Chicago, IL

Junior R&D Engineer or Associate AI Engineer: $80k‑$120k. Mid‑level AI Engineer or Edge Developer: $120k‑$170k. Lead Engineer, Solutions Architect, or Innovation Lead: $170k‑$220k. Senior roles in quantum or blockchain can exceed $220k depending on location and expertise.

Core programming in Python, Rust, or Go; ML frameworks TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX; container orchestration with Docker/Kubernetes; cloud IoT platforms such as AWS IoT Core, Azure IoT Hub, or Google Cloud IoT; edge runtime environments like EdgeX Foundry; quantum SDKs Qiskit or Cirq; blockchain platforms Hyperledger Fabric or Ethereum; certifications like AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty, Certified Kubernetes Administrator, Qiskit Certified Developer, or Certified Blockchain Professional (CBP).

Yes. Most Drive Innovation listings allow full‑remote or hybrid arrangements, especially for software‑centric roles. Remote work is feasible for tasks that involve development, testing, and cloud deployments; on‑site visits are typically limited to hardware integration or customer demos.

Typical progression: Junior Engineer → Senior Engineer → Lead Engineer/Tech Lead → Solutions Architect or Data Science Lead → Director of Innovation or VP of Emerging Technologies. Each step adds strategic ownership, cross‑team leadership, and product‑market alignment responsibilities.

Key trends: edge AI powered by 5G enabling real‑time inference; quantum machine learning moving from research to pilot projects; IoT security standards like CIP‑V4 and SIEM integration; blockchain for immutable audit trails; and the rise of AI‑driven automation in supply chains. Companies are also investing in low‑code ML platforms to accelerate deployment.