Title: AI Engineer
VP Area: Inst for Informatics & Applied Tech
Department: Inst for Informatics & Applied Tech
Work Schedule: Fixed daytime hours Monday-Friday
Telework Availability: Occasional Telework Available
FLSA Status: Exempt
Employee Classification: Regular full-time (staff 30+ hours)
Hours per week: 40
Months per year: 12
Job Purpose
The Institute for Informatics and Applied Technology (IIAT) aims to drive faculty, students, and community innovations via responsible artificial intelligence and data science practices. Through rigorous academic offerings, collaboration with industry and interdisciplinary research, IIAT prepares students and professionals across disciplines for leadership with technical expertise in informatics while critically examining the ethical and societal implications of emerging technologies. The Institute provides opportunities for collaborative, experiential learning through ideation, problem solving and entrepreneurial exploration, supporting student-led innovation and industry and community partnerships to drive AI-enabled advances for the benefit of humanity.
This position will responsibly explore, develop, and use technology advances in AI and machine learning, to help elevate the GU and partners' knowledge and competency in these technological areas and consequently innovate for responsible learning, teaching, and business operations. This position will work closely with the IIAT Director and other staff members to continue advance their own knowledge and skillset in these areas and how they connect to humanity and society for responsible technology innovation. This position will focus primarily on AI-powered visual analytics for various application domains.
Essential Functions - 35% - Investigate and Develop AI and ML software, specifically for generative AI enabled visual analytics
- Actively work with GU faculty, students, staff, and external partners to investigate and develop specialized AI/ML systems, including generative AI technologies, for teaching, research, and business operations.
- Independently develop custom AI technology and systems that fit partner's needs.
- Assist partners to acquire necessary knowledge and skills to use the developed system.
- 30% - Research and report AI/ML and visualization technology advances
- Proactively and independently explore and attain specialized AI advances and technologies, including but not limited to LLM architecture, prompt engineering, fine-tuning/alignment, and guard rails, from a variety of sources.
- Independently apply attained technology advances to support partners' teaching, research, and business operation needs.
- Independently and regularly investigate advances in generative AI, and report and discuss such advances with the Director and the other IIAT staff.
- Work closely with the Director and partners to disseminate findings through paper writing, blog posting, git release, and assess commercialization viability to prepare IP documentation if deemed viable.
- 15% - Develop training and learning material
- Independently design AI/ML exercises that will provide experiential learning experience for the learners who might have diverse background in different instances.
- Collaborate with the Director and other IIAT staff to develop visualization for training exercises and material for faculty, students, staff, and extended partners.
- Assist in delivery and assessment of the training and learning sessions.
- 10% - Assist the IIAT Director and collaborate with IIAT staff/engineers to manage the Human-AI Collaboratory (HACLab)
- Investigate, assess, and provide information to the IIAT Director, curate computing resources for the HAC-Lab.
- Assist to maintain and secure the virtualized environment with best practices in using AI technologies.
- 10% - Supervise student assistants for IIAT affiliated research
- Supervise student(s) to support the research and development of AI and visualization technology uses and advances.
- Support student learning through mentorship in their research endeavors.
- Additional Duties as Assigned by the Department
Educational Requirement
Bachelor's Degree or Equivalent Experience
Years Of Related Experience Requirement
3 years
In lieu of the educational qualifications, candidates may qualify with equivalent professional experience at a ratio of one year of experience for each year of required education.
Skills & Abilities
Two (2) years of specific technology development experience in AI technologies.
Demonstrated ability for software development.
Demonstrated experience in visual analytics enabled with generative AI technologies.
Demonstrated intellectual curiosity for continual learning, discovery and creation to challenge the status quo respectfully.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills necessary to communicate with internal and external partners.
Demonstrated ability to navigate in higher-ed environment while being adaptive and agile to ensure success of a start-up unit.
Demonstrated appreciation for Gonzaga's and IIAT's mission for humanity-centered responsible AI learning and innovation.
Preferred Qualifications
Graduate Degree or equivalent experience in related field.
Demonstrated experiences in PowerBI and/or Python interactive visualization.
Demonstrated skills in artistic design for visual analytics.
Demonstrated ability for data curation/collection or data cleaning.
Demonstrated ability for working with people across disciplines.
Demonstrated ability to be creative in problem solving.
Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities with frequent interruptions.
Demonstrated ability for excellent customer service.
Demonstrated ability to operate with a high level of confidence and discretion.
Physical & On-Campus Requirements
In-Office Presence - Ability to work on-site in typical office setting and participate in in-person meetings with colleagues: 5 days/week
Standing/Sitting - Ability to remain in a stationary position for a prolonged period: Daily (>75% of time)
Walking - Ability to move about on foot to accomplish tasks: Daily (>75% of time)
Lifting/Carrying - Ability to move or transport objects up to a specified weight (e.g., 50 pounds): Rarely (1%-49% of time)
Attention to Detail - Ability to focus on detailed tasks for extended periods: Daily (>75% of time)
Problem-Solving - Ability to identify and resolve issues effectively: Daily (>75% of time)
The budgeted salary range that the University reasonably expects to offer for this position: $100,000 to $112,000
Pay Range
Minimum Salary (Annualized 12 months and 40 hours/week): 84075
Midpoint Salary (Annualized 12 months and 40 hours/week): 112100
Maximum Salary (Annualized 12 months and 40 hours/week): 140125
Is this position eligible for relocation reimbursement or a signing bonus?: True
At this time, the University has suspended all new H1B visa sponsorships.
Required Application Materials
- CV/Resume
- Cover Letter describing personal and professional interests in this position; specifically describing experiences in generative AI enabled (visual) analytics.
