About this role
84.51° seeks a Lead Data Scientist to serve as an AI Engineer on its Applied AI team. The team co-develops and integrates AI solutions across Kroger and 84.51° businesses, including AI agents, embeddings-based solutions and applications of proprietary language models.
Responsibilities
- Partner with business teams to identify and evaluate AI use cases, learn stakeholder domains quickly, and co-develop solutions, including AI agents.
- Design and execute rapid proofs of concept that demonstrate business value and feasibility and help gain stakeholder buy-in.
- Guide production implementations, troubleshoot integration challenges, and work with engineering and business partners to build flexible, modular solutions.
- Lead project work and mentor junior team members. Share project learnings through cookbooks, training and informal presentations, and stay current with generative AI, agents and embeddings.
Required qualifications
- An advanced degree in Data Science, Machine Learning, Computer Science or a related field; 5+ years of data science experience, including 2+ years in a senior role.
- Hands-on experience with LLMs, embeddings and AI agents across a variety of agent harnesses; understanding of agent tools, skills and prompting, and how to apply embeddings to AI projects.
- Strong Python programming, analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to independently develop and own toolkits, pipelines and dashboards. Strong communication, stakeholder management, technical documentation and cross-functional collaboration skills are required.
Preferred qualifications
Experience deploying rapid proof-of-concept solutions and building AI agent evaluations and trace.
The posting lists Cincinnati, OH and Chicago, IL and a five-day, Monday–Friday in-office expectation. Candidates must live in a hub location or be willing to relocate; relocation assistance is provided. The base pay range is $125,000–$207,000 USD, with eligibility for variable compensation. Listed benefits include medical, dental and vision coverage, a matching 401(k), paid time off and family leave.