Principal AI Engineer

NOIRLab is seeking an accomplished Principal AI Engineer to define and lead the

organization's artificial intelligence strategy, technical architecture, and AI

engineering capabilities. This highly visible leadership role will establish the

foundational AI platforms, engineering practices, and governance framework that

enable scientists, software engineers, and operations teams to harness the power

of artificial intelligence in support of groundbreaking astronomical research

and observatory operations.

As NOIRLab's first dedicated AI engineering leader, you will have a unique

opportunity to shape how AI is adopted across one of the world's premier

astronomical research organizations. You will identify and prioritize

high-impact AI opportunities, build enterprise-scale AI capabilities, and

deliver innovative solutions that accelerate scientific discovery, increase

engineering productivity, and improve operational efficiency.

This role combines strategic vision with hands-on technical leadership. You will

partner closely with researchers, software engineers, data scientists, and

operational stakeholders to design, prototype, implement, and deploy

production-ready AI systems. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable defining

long-term AI strategy, architecting scalable AI platforms, and personally

contributing to the development of advanced AI solutions.

At NOIRLab, we believe scientific discovery and technological innovation go hand

in hand. We value intellectual curiosity, continuous learning, and a passion for

solving complex problems. This position offers the rare opportunity to apply

cutting-edge AI technologies—including machine learning, generative AI, large

language models (LLMs), advanced analytics, and agentic systems—to help answer

fundamental questions about our universe while advancing the future of

scientific computing.

If you are energized by the challenge of building AI capabilities from the

ground up and motivated by the potential to make a lasting impact on science,

this is an exceptional opportunity to lead transformative innovation at a global

research institution.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

AI STRATEGY & TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP

* Define and execute NOIRLab's enterprise AI strategy, technical vision, and

multi-year roadmap aligned with scientific, engineering, and operational

goals.

* Identify, evaluate, and prioritize high-value AI use cases that deliver

measurable business and scientific impact.

* Establish AI engineering standards, development methodologies, reusable

frameworks, and best practices that support scalable adoption across the

organization.

* Assess and implement emerging technologies, including generative AI,

foundation models, LLMs, AI agents, and advanced machine learning approaches.

* Develop governance frameworks, model evaluation processes, and lifecycle

management practices that ensure responsible, secure, and effective AI

deployment.

* Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and success metrics to evaluate

the effectiveness of AI initiatives.

AI PLATFORM ARCHITECTURE & SOLUTION DEVELOPMENT

* Design and implement secure, scalable, and production-ready AI platforms and

applications that integrate with scientific research systems, software

platforms, and operational workflows.

* Lead the development of LLM-powered applications, Retrieval-Augmented

Generation (RAG) systems, AI agents, copilots, and other advanced AI

solutions.

* Establish platform capabilities that enable experimentation, model

deployment, monitoring, observability, and continuous improvement.

* Partner with IT and enterprise technology teams to ensure AI systems meet

organizational requirements for reliability, scalability, security, and

compliance.

ADVANCED ANALYTICS & SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING

* Develop advanced analytics capabilities that support scientific discovery,

operational decision-making, and organizational effectiveness.

* Apply machine learning, statistical modeling, and AI techniques to

large-scale scientific datasets and computational workflows.

* Evaluate and optimize model performance, accuracy, explainability, and

operational effectiveness.

* Collaborate with researchers and technical teams to leverage AI in solving

complex scientific and engineering challenges.

TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP & CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION

* Serve as the organization's senior technical authority for AI, machine

learning, and advanced analytics.

* Mentor engineers, scientists, and technical teams in AI technologies,

architecture, and responsible AI practices.

* Collaborate across scientific, engineering, and operations organizations to

drive AI adoption and innovation.

* Engage with external research institutions, observatories, and scientific

communities to promote collaboration, interoperability, and knowledge

sharing.

* Foster a culture of experimentation, continuous improvement, and responsible

innovation.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

* Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence,

Machine Learning, Data Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical

field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

* 15+ years of experience in software engineering, artificial intelligence,

machine learning, or related fields, including experience serving as a

Principal Engineer, AI Technical Lead, Architect, or equivalent senior

technical leadership role.

* Demonstrated success designing, building, and deploying production-scale AI

and machine learning solutions.

* Deep expertise in machine learning, generative AI, large language models,

modern AI architectures, and AI engineering best practices.

* Experience developing and deploying LLM applications, RAG systems, AI agents,

and foundation model-based solutions.

* Strong background in cloud-native architecture, distributed systems, data

platforms, and AI infrastructure.

* Experience implementing AI operationalization practices, including model

deployment, monitoring, evaluation, governance, and lifecycle management.

* Expertise in secure, responsible AI development and model governance

frameworks.

* Advanced software engineering skills and proficiency with modern programming

languages, frameworks, and AI development ecosystems.

* Exceptional communication, leadership, and collaboration skills with the

ability to influence diverse technical and non-technical stakeholders.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

* Experience applying AI, machine learning, or advanced analytics within

scientific research environments.

* Familiarity with astronomical datasets, observatory operations, scientific

instrumentation, or related research domains.

* Experience with high-performance computing (HPC), large-scale data

processing, or scientific computing platforms.

* Contributions to open-source software, AI frameworks, or scientific computing

communities.

* Experience building organizational AI capabilities and driving

enterprise-wide AI adoption strategies.

Salary Range: $179,000-$226,000. The final salary will depend on skills,

qualifications, experience and job location.

This position will remain open until it is filled. Please submit a cover letter

and a CV or resume, PDF files preferred.

Individuals needing assistance with the employment process can request

assistance here [https://aurahr.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/34].

WHY JOIN NOIRLAB?

* Lead the AI vision for one of the world's leading astronomical research

organizations.

* Build AI capabilities from the ground up with executive visibility and

organizational influence.

* Apply cutting-edge AI technologies to accelerate scientific discovery and

innovation.

* Collaborate with world-class scientists, engineers, and researchers solving

some of humanity's most fundamental questions.

* Make a lasting impact on both the future of AI and our understanding of the

universe.