AI Research Scientist- Associate Director

Overview

KPMG is seeking an AI Research Scientist to join our Audit Technology Alliance organization. This role focuses on applied AI/ML research to solve audit challenges and contribute to scalable, production-ready components.

• Lead applied research initiatives related to AI models, advanced AI agent patterns, and knowledge retrieval optimization to solve complex audit challenges.
• Collaborate with AI engineers and product managers to translate research in areas like context engineering and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) into scalable, production-ready components.
• Design and champion a rigorous experimentation framework to measure, validate, and ensure the quality and reliability of AI-driven outcomes.
• Drive the team s research agenda by identifying emerging trends in generative AI, proposing innovative solutions, and mentoring junior scientists and engineers to foster continuous learning and excellence.
• Design and implement processes for AI model training, including infrastructure, data labeling, evaluations, and deployment considerations to ensure production readiness.
• Architect and prototype novel research and solutions; share findings across KPMG globally to advance wider AI initiatives.

• Minimum eight years of experience in applied AI/ML research, with a focus on NLP, information retrieval, and large-scale language models.
• Bachelor s degree in Computer Science, AI, Statistics, or related quantitative field; advanced degree (Ph.D. or Master’s) preferred.
• Deep theoretical knowledge and practical expertise in knowledge retrieval (RAG), AI agent architecture, and fine-tuning/evaluation of language models.
• Experience designing and implementing end-to-end lifecycle for AI models (data processing, labeling, training, production deployment) (MLOps).
• Hands-on experience prototyping with modern AI frameworks (e.g., Lang Chain, Lang Graph, Semantic Kernel).
• Ability to translate complex business challenges into research problems and communicate findings to technical and executive audiences.

KPMG is an equal opportunity employer. Salary ranges and benefits vary by location and eligibility. Our Total Rewards package includes medical and dental plans, vision, disability and life insurance, 401(k), well-being benefits, and paid time off. Details are available on the KPMG careers site.

We recruit on a rolling basis. Candidates are encouraged to apply promptly.