Senior Data Scientist (AI)

TL;DR

Senior Data Scientist (AI): Design, build, and evaluate cutting-edge AI systems spanning generative AI, large language models (LLMs), multimodal intelligence, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and autonomous agents with an accent on high-impact Proofs of Concept (POCs) with production intent. Focus on full model lifecycle management, optimization of quality/latency/cost tradeoffs, knowledge retrieval systems, and translating research into production-ready prototypes.

Location: Chicago or Peoria, Illinois, United States. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Company

Cat Digital is the digital and technology arm of hirify.global Inc., leveraging data, technology, advanced analytics, telematics, and AI to build solutions for customers and dealers with over 1.5 million connected assets worldwide.

What you will do

• Design and execute AI experiments across the full model lifecycle, from hypothesis to iteration.
• Develop, fine-tune, and benchmark LLMs and multimodal AI models, evaluating quality, latency, cost, and safety.
• Optimize RAG pipelines, vector databases, hybrid search, and agentic workflows for enterprise scalability.
• Lead data preparation for training and validation, including curation, labeling, and synthetic data generation.
• Instrument systems for observability using tools like MLflow, and document models and baselines.
• Translate prototypes to production, collaborating with Engineering and Product teams on requirements and deployment.
• Evaluate emerging AI tools and mentor junior Data Scientists on best practices.
• Communicate insights to stakeholders with business impact focus.

Requirements

• Applied statistics and quantitative methods for experimentation in ambiguous environments.
• Analytical rigor for precise experiments and reproducibility.
• Advanced ML/AI knowledge: deep learning, generative AI, NLP, computer vision, multimodal systems.
• Model evaluation and optimization across accuracy, latency, cost, scalability.
• Python proficiency for AI/ML, modern frameworks.
• Data engineering for storage, retrieval, processing in large-scale workflows.
• Systems thinking to bridge research, engineering, production.

Nice to have

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Data Science, CS, ML, Statistics, or related.
• Experience deploying advanced ML models.
• Python libraries: NumPy, Pandas, PyTorch, LangChain.
• AI infrastructure, AWS/Azure, Git workflows.
• Agile, cross-functional experience.
• Industrial/manufacturing domain exposure.

Culture & Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision benefits; Health Savings Account (HSA); Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).
• Paid time off (vacation, holidays, volunteer); 401(k) savings; incentive bonus.
• Disability, life insurance, parental leave, adoption benefits, tuition reimbursement.
• Employee Assistance Program, Health Lifestyle Programs, voluntary benefits/discounts.
• Career development opportunities.