Artificial Intelligence Engineer

About The Company

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine is a prestigious institution dedicated to advancing medical education, research, and patient care. Within the Office of Health Sciences Education, the university emphasizes innovation, excellence, and a commitment to shaping future healthcare leaders. The institution fosters a collaborative environment that encourages critical thinking, creativity, and a commitment to societal impact. Vanderbilt is known for its cutting-edge research, comprehensive educational programs, and a mission-driven approach to training healthcare professionals who are equipped to meet the evolving needs of the global community.

About The Role

The Applied Artificial Intelligence Engineer plays a pivotal role within the Education Design and Informatics team, supporting the integration and development of AI-driven solutions to enhance medical education. This is a highly strategic and foundational position responsible for designing, building, and deploying AI-powered features across Vanderbilt’s educational platforms, particularly VSTAR. The role involves working closely with data engineers, developers, and instructional designers to embed intelligent functionalities such as semantic search, personalized learning pathways, and predictive analytics into educational tools. The engineer will be instrumental in operationalizing AI initiatives that aim to personalize learning experiences, improve learner outcomes, and streamline educational processes. This position offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of medical education through innovative AI applications, contributing to a mission that impacts healthcare training on a national and global scale.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or a related field from an accredited institution
• 5 to 7 years of professional experience in AI, machine learning, or related domains
• Minimum of 3 years of applied experience in machine learning engineering
• Proficiency in Python programming and experience with ML frameworks such as scikit-learn, PyTorch, or TensorFlow
• Hands-on experience with large language models (LLMs), including prompt engineering, embeddings, retrieval-augmented generation, and agent development (1\+ years)
• Experience developing backend services using FastAPI, Flask, or similar frameworks and RESTful API design (1\+ years)
• Proven track record of deploying and maintaining AI/ML features in production environments (1\+ years)
• Strong SQL skills and experience working with data pipelines (3\+ years)
• Excellent communication skills, capable of translating complex technical concepts for non-technical audiences (3\+ years)
• Experience with Databricks and Azure cloud services (preferred)
• Knowledge of MLOps tools such as MLflow, CI/CD pipelines for ML, and model registries (preferred)
• Familiarity with vector databases like Pinecone, Weaviate, or Chroma (preferred)
• Background in predictive modeling, classification, regression, or forecasting (preferred)
• Experience working within educational, healthcare, or mission-driven sectors (preferred)
• Understanding of pedagogical considerations, learner privacy, and automation in AI for education (preferred)
• Self-motivated with a strong ownership mentality and the ability to work independently

Responsibilities

• Design and develop AI-powered features for Vanderbilt’s educational platforms, including semantic search, personalized content recommendations, and LLM-based tools
• Implement AI strategies such as retrieval-augmented generation, prompt engineering, and agent workflows tailored for educational use cases
• Build and maintain backend services and APIs that expose AI functionalities, ensuring seamless integration with existing applications
• Evaluate and select AI tools and services, balancing performance, cost, and reliability considerations
• Ensure responsible AI practices by incorporating guardrails, content filtering, and transparency measures
• Develop and manage ML pipelines within Databricks for feature engineering, model training, and evaluation
• Deploy AI models and services into production environments with appropriate monitoring, logging, and error handling mechanisms
• Apply MLOps best practices to ensure reproducibility, version control, testing, and documentation of AI features
• Own the full lifecycle of deployed AI functionalities, including maintenance, iterative improvements, and decommissioning when necessary
• Collaborate with data engineering teams to ensure high-quality data integration and pipeline performance
• Work with software developers to embed AI features into existing platforms and applications
• Partner with educational leadership to identify opportunities where AI can enhance learning outcomes and operational efficiency
• Contribute to the development of AI strategy, establishing best practices, and promoting responsible AI development in medical education
• Maintain comprehensive documentation and share knowledge across teams to foster continuous improvement
• Stay current with emerging AI tools, frameworks, and research, applying relevant innovations to organizational goals

Benefits

• Fully remote work environment with flexibility for hybrid arrangements if preferred
• Opportunity to work at the forefront of AI innovation in medical education
• Collaborative and supportive team environment
• Access to professional development resources and ongoing learning opportunities
• Engagement in impactful projects that contribute to healthcare training and education
• Competitive compensation package aligned with experience and qualifications

Equal Opportunity

Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status. We believe that diversity enriches our community and enhances our