Principal AI Engineer

About the role

We Impact Lives Through Purpose-Driven Work in A People First Culture
Ascend Learning, a leading healthcare and learning technology company, is the connection between a powerful portfolio of brands serving students, educators, and employers with outcomes-based, data-driven solutions across the lifecycle of learning.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Design, develop, and deploy innovative, scalable AI/ML solutions focusing on the full lifecycle of projects from conception to deployment, including building and optimizing AI models
• Lead the team in building scalable, high-performance LLMOps pipelines
• Design and co-own the Generative AI/ML system and project architecture, frameworks, tools, and processes
• Remain versed on the latest advancements in the field, leading research initiatives, experimenting with new algorithms, and identifying opportunities for innovation
• Provide technical leadership, guidance, and hands-on coding throughout the implementation phase, ensuring seamless integration of AI features, aligning with stakeholders to define AI and Product Roadmaps which enable corporate objectives
• Manage and preprocess large datasets, design efficient data processing pipelines, and ensure data integrity and security in adherence to privacy regulations
• Experience designing and implementing AI/ML models with feedback loops and automated re-training and fine-tuning pipelines
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product teams, data scientists, and data engineers, software engineers to integrate AI capabilities into existing and new products
• Provide technical mentorship and guidance to team members, fostering a culture of growth and innovation
• Guide junior engineers in best practices for AI/ML, review their work, and offer feedback to foster their growth. Oversee and guide design review sessions across different projects, ensuring consistency and adherence to best practices
• Ensure that AI solutions are developed and deployed ethically, considering fairness, accountability, and transparency
• Take ownership of defining project milestones, timelines, and ensuring successful delivery within specified deadlines
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of coding standards, best practices, and documentation
• Stay up to date with the latest AI Developments and trends

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree preferred in Computer Science/Artificial Intelligence or closely related field. Equivalent professional experience will also be considered. High School diploma or GED required
• 6+ years of progressive work experience in data and analytics, big data related positions with at least 3 years in developing and implementing Analytical applications
• Experience building and deploying LLM models, prompt engineering, context management, and embedding techniques using MS Azure and competitive cloud services
• Advanced understanding and practical experience in machine learning and natural language processing, especially large language models (LLMs) and their integration, optimization, and evaluation
• Experience using analytics/ML tools such as Python, NLTK, HuggingFace, SQL, and Snowflake
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes, and MLflow or similar tools for lifecycle management of machine learning models
• Proven ability to translate innovative ideas into practical, scalable solutions
• Intrinsic motivation with a strong desire to make a positive impact on the organization
• Excellent problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills, and an aptitude for innovation
• Demonstrate leadership experience and lead a team of junior AI engineers
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation communication skills
• Aspirations for professional development and growth opportunities
• Impact-oriented and user-focused, team-first mindset

Qualifications

• None specified

Skills

• Strong knowledge of Generative AI and Machine Learning foundational models
• Experience with Generative AI/ML system and project architecture, frameworks, tools, and processes
• Ability to lead and mentor a team of junior AI engineers
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes, and MLflow or similar tools for lifecycle management of machine learning models
• Proven ability to translate innovative ideas into practical, scalable solutions
• Excellent problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills, and an aptitude for innovation
• Leadership experience and proven ability to lead a team of junior AI engineers
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation communication skills
• Aspirations for professional development and growth opportunities

Benefits

• Flexible and generous paid time off
• Competitive medical, dental, vision and life insurance
• 401(k) employer matching program
• Parental leave
• Wellness resources
• Charitable matching program
• On-site workout facilities (Leawood, Gilbert, Burlington)
• Community outreach groups
• Tuition reimbursement

Pay

N/A

Schedule

Hybrid schedule from our Gilbert, AZ office location. Remote will be considered