AI Researcher

This role is eligible for remote work, pending approval. Visa sponsorship is not offered for this position.

About the role

Explore emerging digital and field-based AI technologies, develop prototypes, and generate insights that inform strategic initiatives, improve operational efficiency, and support digital transformation across the enterprise. The AI Researcher will be forward-thinking and technically skilled to drive applied research across operations.

Responsibilities

• Investigate and evaluate AI methods (e.g. ML, NLP, computer vision, GenAI) for use cases in construction, safety, scheduling, design, and workforce optimization.
• Monitor academic and industry research, startups, and vendor solutions to identify and report on emerging trends and assess their relevance to the organization, our partners, and our customers.
• Partner with operations, innovation, and data teams to understand business challenges and translate them into AI research questions and experiments.
• Collaborate with data scientists, engineers, developers, and team members to build proof-of-concepts and tools that demonstrate AI capabilities for real-world scenarios.
• Effectively work and build relationships with those of diverse backgrounds and organizational levels.
• All other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, AI, Data Science, Engineering, or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in AI/ML research or applied data science.
• Prior work in construction, architecture, engineering, or real estate development or participation in research programs, fellowships, or innovation labs (preferred).
• Current driver’s license (if applicable).
• Experience with LLMs, multimodal models, or generative AI (e.g., Azure AI Foundry, Google Vertex).
• Familiarity with agent frameworks, agentic workflows, and knowledge graphs (preferred).
• Strong proficiency in Python, ML frameworks, and data tools.
• Familiarity with enterprise construction platforms or solutions (e.g., Procore, Autodesk, Oracle).
• Understanding of generative design, data collection, field monitoring, and robotics systems for the built environment (Physical AI, Cyber-Physical Systems, Human-AI collaboration) (preferred).
• Active listening skills and effective communication, including openness to diverse input and feedback.
• Ability to travel up to 25%.

Benefits

• Medical and prescription drug plans that include no additional cost vision coverage.
• Dental plan.
• 401k retirement plan with a generous Mortenson match.
• Paid time off, holidays, and other paid leaves.
• Employer-paid life, AD&D, and disability insurance.
• No-cost mental health tool and concierge with extensive work-life resources.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Adoption assistance.
• Gym membership discount program.

Pay

The base pay range for this role is $130,600 - $195,900. (Actual range is higher for the following office locations: Denver, CO and Chicago, IL – 5%, Seattle, WA, and Portland, OR – 10%, Washington, D.C. – 12.5%). Base pay is positioned within the range based on several factors including an individual’s knowledge, skills, and experience, with consideration given to internal equity. This position is eligible for Mortenson’s incentive plan.