Research Associate, AI Engineer, Data Scientist

Job no: 503073

Department:
College of Engineering

Work type:
Staff Hourly On-Call Non-Exempt

Location:

Alabama

Categories:
Research - Engineering, Research - Computer Science

We are seeking a highly motivated AI Research Associate to support ongoing and emerging projects in artificial intelligence, data science, and advanced analytics. This position focuses on researching, designing, and developing AI‑driven software solutions tailored to industry‑specific applications. The AI Research Associate will work under the supervision of the Project Lead and will be responsible for producing high‑quality deliverables aligned with project goals and timelines.

• Conduct research on state‑of‑the‑art AI, ML, DL, and computer vision relevant to project needs.
• Develop, test, and deploy AI models and software components for industry applications.
• Translate project requirements and use cases into technical solutions and prototypes.
• Analyze structured and unstructured datasets, perform feature engineering, and support model optimization.
• Collaborate closely with the Project Lead and interdisciplinary teams to meet milestones and deliverables.
• Support integration, testing, and refinement of AI systems within broader software or operational environments.
• Document research findings, model results, and development processes.
• Participate in project meetings, provide updates, and incorporate feedback.

• Bachelor's degree preferably in Computer Science or a closely related field (e.g., Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering).
• 0-3 months of full‑time verifiable work experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of machine learning or deep learning techniques (e.g., neural networks, transformers, optimization methods).
• Proficiency in at least one programming language commonly used in AI development (e.g., Python, C++, Java).
• Basic experience with AI/ML frameworks such as PyTorch, Tensor Flow, Keras, Scikit‑Learn, or similar.
• Ability to work independently under supervision and meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.

• Master’s degree in Computer Science or a closely related field (e.g., Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering).
• Experience with applied AI research in academic or industry settings.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) or containerization tools (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Experience with data engineering, data preprocessing, and big data workflows.
• Knowledge of software development practices, including version control (Git), unit testing, and documentation.
• Background or coursework involving computer vision, natural language processing, reinforcement learning, or multimodal AI.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

$37,000 - $41,600