Principal AI Engineer

Job Title and Department 

Level: Principal 

Department: Data Science & Artificial Intelligence (DS&AI) 

Location: Chicago (we will cover eligible relocation expenses)  

Base Salary: $225,000 - $275,000 

Other compensation: Performance bonus, LTIP and various other benefits 

Company Overview 

Teragonia develops Analytics Engineering and AI solutions for private equity portfolio companies and founder-owned businesses, supported by a team of technologists, data scientists, and business experts with first-hand private equity experience as investors, operators, and M&A advisors. We create bespoke ‘data-to-dollars’ value creation playbooks using Decision Intelligence Systems (DIS) that deliver real-time, system-level insights to enhance EBITDA. We supplement the DIS with advisory services to help business leaders operationalize analytics-driven strategies and work closely with deal teams, operating partners, and management to embed analytics in strategic planning and tactical monitoring for timely course corrections. 

Our “Data-to-Dollars” playbooks and solutions are designed to augment returns during private equity investment lifecycles and span i) Infrastructure Enhancement, ii) Business Growth and Profitability Diagnostics, iii) Value Creation, and iv) Exit Prep. In each of the core solutions we leverage cutting edge tools and technology such as SQL, Python, Tableau, Power BI, Dataiku, DBT, and more to translate technical challenges into business value for our clients. We deliver value to clients across three teams: i) Value Creation & Analytics, ii) Data Science & AI, and iii) Software Engineering. 

Teragonia offers a comprehensive career development platform through cross-learning within our multidisciplinary structure. We nurture a diverse, inclusive, collaborative, respectful, and collegial environment. Our competitive compensation package aligns with the technology industry leaders, encompassing 401k contribution matching, medical insurance, and additional benefits.   

Department Description 

This position is within our Data Science & Artificial Intelligence (DS&AI) team which delivers solutions at the intersection of management consulting, data science and advanced technology, to drive enterprise value creation for private equity backed companies. This position offers a unique opportunity to engage in high-impact projects across diverse industries in the middle-market, combining Teragonia’s deep experience in Private Equity value creation, and expertise in analytics engineering and AI.  

Job Summary 

We are looking for a talented and experienced AI Architect to join our team as Principal AI Engineer. You will play a crucial role in researching, developing, and implementing cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities within the Decision Intelligence Platform we have been developing. You will collaborate with Teragonia’s multidisciplinary team of data scientists, management consultants, analytics engineers, data engineers, software engineers, and UI/UX experts to design, develop and scale the AI capabilities within the platform that helps (i) the business users of the platform to interact with enterprise data models as well as the machine learning and optimization models within the platform, in natural language and (ii) technical users (analytics engineers and data engineers) to efficiently develop robust and scalable enterprise data models by automating challenging problems for our customers in the middle market such as database schema matching and exploratory data analysis . You will have the opportunity and the executive support to create innovative products and services that leverage the power of AI for our clients. This is a high visibility role; working closely with the Chief Data Scientist, and with the CTO and CEO. 

Responsibilities 

• Design and develop AI models and algorithms as a part of Teragonia’s product roadmaps. 

• Take a strategic leadership role in the development, launch, and continual refinement of AI components within our Decision Intelligence Platform, including working cross-functionally with software engineers, value creation analytics experts and data scientists. 

• Utilize knowledge of cloud platforms and services to implement and optimize machine learning and AI algorithms for efficient and scalable deployment 

• Work closely with our (i) business leaders to continuously optimize the AI models to deliver impactful outputs to senior customer executives (C-suite and heads of divisions) (ii) analytics engineers in optimally automating the enterprise data model development process within our platform. 

• Oversee the collection, cleaning, preprocessing of data to ensure high-quality inputs for AI solution development process, enabling accurate and reliable outputs. 

• Work across an entire lifecycle from ideation to production to deployment of domain specific and fit-for-purpose open-source or API-based Large Language Models (LLMs) 

• Understand Teragonia’s Decision Intelligence Platform offering and develop AI applications that can integrate with current processes and enhance value to customers. 

• Regularly assess the performance of the AI capabilities within our platform, implementing optimizations based on feedback and evolving business and technical user needs. 

• Advocate for and implement ethical AI practices, ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations while addressing potential biases in AI systems. 

• Stay up to date with industry trends and best practices in AI, experimenting with new approaches to improve existing systems and develop cutting-edge solutions. 

• Guide and mentor a team of junior AI engineers, software engineers, analytics engineers and data engineers, fostering a collaborative environment that encourages continuous learning and innovation in AI technologies. 

Requirements

Necessary Qualifications 

• Be located and eligible to work in the United States 
• Be located in or willing to relocate to the Chicago metropolitan area 
• Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Data Science or a closely related field 
• 8+ years of experience in software engineering role, with 5+ years of experience in data science or ML engineering role in training, evaluating, and deploying scalable AI/ML models in production environments 
• Cross-functional experience in leading teams in product development or owning a significant component of a product 
• Proficiency in running ML/AI models in distributed clusters, GPU optimization, and parallel environments 
• Experience in projects or building products that materially use and deploy language models or generative AI 
• Proficiency in Python or R, vector databases, PyTorch/Tensorflow/JAX, industry-standard NLP toolkits and AI platforms (such as LangChain and HuggingFace) 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Data Science or a closely related field 
• Experience in financial services 
• Experience in product development in ML or AI, from initial ideation all the way to Go-Live and scaling 
• Experience in designing, developing and deploying conversational AI solutions 
• Experience in GCP and Snowflake 

Benefits

• Competitive Total Compensation - We constantly benchmark our pay scales against the market to maintain competitiveness. 

• Restricted Stock Awards - We offer restricted stock awards to select positions to ensure our teams’ long-term commitment and hard work are rewarded by sharing our collective success. 

• Visa Sponsorship - We offer visa sponsorship for eligible employees. 

• 401k Plan with Employer Contributions - We help secure your future with matching of 401k contributions up to 3.5% of your annual base salary, rising to 6% on the calendar year after your first work anniversary. 

• Professional Development Opportunities - We will sponsor company-selected training sessions, conferences, and certifications to foster your growth. 

• Meal Reimbursement - Reimbursement for lunch at the office, and dinner too if you are working past 7 pm, up to a limit. 

• Gym Membership - Reimbursement for fitness & wellness programs, such as gym memberships, up to a limit. 

• Commuter Benefits - We offer the opportunity to leverage the available tax concessions for commuting expenses. 

• Relocation Assistance - Available to those who move to the Chicago, Dallas, New York City or Houston metropolitan area as required by their job role. 

• Paid Time Off (PTO) - You will be eligible for 15 to 20 days PTO, depending on level, accrued according to company policies. 

• Annual Quiet Week - From Dec 24 to Jan 2, we anticipate a quiet week. During this period, all employees may work remotely, and we put in our best effort to keep workload as light as possible in light of balancing business needs. 

• Firm Holidays - 12 firm-designated holidays annually, in addition to the eligible PTO. 

• Comprehensive Healthcare, Vision, and Dental Insurance - We prioritize your health and wellness with insurance coverage through leading national providers. 

• Gynecology, fertility, and family-building benefits through leading providers. 
• Paid Parental Leave of 12 weeks after 6 months of service with the company.

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) / Health Savings Account (HSA) Plan - We provide the opportunity to manage your healthcare expenses efficiently through FSA/HSA plans. 

• Mental Health Support - Enroll in our healthcare plan and gain access to mental health support through Talkspace. 

• HealthAdvocate - Expert assistance to help you navigate the complexities of the healthcare system. 

• Disability Insurance - We sponsor short term disability insurance through a leading national provider. 

• Sick Days - We adhere to applicable state regulations, ensuring you have time to recover when you are not feeling well.   

Flexible Work Policy 

We empower you to choose the work environment that best balances your personal needs with the business needs. We recognize that a remote location may allow you to better focus and balance your personal needs. We also believe brainstorming, planning, and team-building exercises are most effective in person and would expect you to be in the office, except when specific remote working arrangements are agreed due to personal situations. 

We are looking for candidates living in, or willing to relocate to, within commutable distance of the Chicago metropolitan area. We expect your presence in the office based on business or team needs or team-building activities that are most productive in person. We do not impose specific days for in-office attendance. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement 

Teragonia strives for diversity and inclusion in the workforce and does not tolerate harassment or discrimination of any kind. We make employment decisions based on the needs of our business and the qualifications of the individual and do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy or other medical conditions/needs), family or parental status, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, personal appearance, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any legally protected characteristic not otherwise covered here. We encourage all to apply.