AI Engineer (Full Stack) - R&D IT (Onsite)

Job Description

Job Description

About the Opportunity:

Driscoll’s is building an AI-assisted R&D capability to modernize how data, software, and decision support come together across breeding, genomics, lab, phenotyping, sensory, and agronomy workflows. This role sits within an emerging R&D IT function embedded in Global R&D and works closely with scientists, breeders, product leads, and Global IS to turn ambiguous scientific needs into production-ready tools.

We are seeking a versatile engineer who can build end-to-end systems connecting data, applications, and intelligent models. The ideal candidate is comfortable developing scalable services, APIs, modern AI-enabled workflows, and high-quality user experiences while moving fluidly across the stack: PostgreSQL/MySQL, Express/Node.js/TypeScript, React, Python, and FastAPI.

This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys rapid experimentation, solving complex problems, and owning solutions from concept through deployment. You will work alongside the R&D IT Product Owner and Full-Stack Engineer to build practical, governed solutions that reduce manual effort, improve decision-making, and embed AI into the flow of work rather than as separate tools.

Driscoll’s Information Services (IS) department is responsible for maintaining and developing digital services and solutions to support and enable the Driscoll’s business, growers, and customers. Global IS operates in a rapidly changing business environment and has embarked on a significant digital transformation journey.

The Global Information Services (IS) function operates through a global structure and is organized in departments by IT expertise. This role is located at our corporate headquarters in Watsonville, CA.

Responsibilities:

• Build end-to-end solutions within the Driscoll’s R&D IT ecosystem, including helping evolve the underlying infrastructure and delivery patterns.
• Design, build, and ship full-stack applications that support R&D workflows and decision-making across breeding, lab, genomics, phenotyping, sensory, and agronomy use cases.
• Develop scalable services, APIs, workflow automations, and modern user interfaces using technologies such as React, TypeScript, Node.js/Express, Python, FastAPI, and relational databases.
• Integrate internal tools, vendor platforms, and off-the-shelf systems through APIs, data flows, authentication/authorization, and workflow automation.
• Build AI-enabled applications such as grounded assistants, retrieval-augmented experiences, workflow copilots, evaluation dashboards, and decision-support interfaces.
• Own the full software lifecycle for what is built: requirements translation, prototyping, development, testing, deployment, monitoring, maintenance, support, and iterative improvement.
• Partner closely with scientists, breeders, analysts, and business stakeholders to translate ambiguous problems into usable, reliable products.
• Help embed AI into real workflows with appropriate traceability, security, auditability, and human oversight.
• Continuously evaluate how modern AI is changing software paradigms, and apply AI tools to improve engineering practices, team productivity, and solution quality.
• Contribute to governed AI delivery by ensuring applications are secure, observable, maintainable, and aligned with approved architecture and data patterns.
• Collaborate with the AI / MLOps Architect on model integration, serving patterns, evaluation flows, observability, and production operations.
• Contribute to architecture discussions, design reviews, backlog shaping, and solution tradeoff decisions.
• Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with technical and non-technical teams.
• Domestic and international travel required up to 10%.
• Represent Driscoll’s in an ethical and professional manner during all interactions with growers, co-workers, suppliers, customers, and the business community at large.
• Ensure the security of Driscoll’s confidential and proprietary information and materials.

Candidate Profile:

• 5+ years of experience in software engineering, full-stack development, or product engineering, including ownership of production systems.
• Expert-level hands-on experience across modern full-stack technologies such as PostgreSQL/MySQL, Node.js/Express, TypeScript, React, Python, and FastAPI.
• Strong software engineering fundamentals, including API design, data modeling, testing strategies, observability, secure design, and maintainable architecture.
• Demonstrated ability to own problems end-to-end and ramp quickly across unfamiliar domains, technologies, and workflows.
• Experience building integrations across internal platforms, vendor systems, APIs, and workflow tooling.
• Experience shipping cloud-based applications with CI/CD, source control, containerization, and modern developer tooling.
• Strong communication skills; able to explain tradeoffs, architecture, and design decisions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively in a dynamic, cross-functional environment while living Driscoll’s values of passion, humility, and trustworthiness.
• Strong experience with Microsoft product suite, including Visio, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Teams, and SharePoint required.
• Travel and after-hours support required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Depth in data engineering, ML engineering, or applied data science.
• Experience integrating LLMs into products, including retrieval systems, prompt orchestration, evaluation workflows, fine-tuning patterns, or human-in-the-loop experiences.
• Experience building governed data or AI products with lineage, access controls, audit logs, quality gates, and approval flows.
• Professional experience with DevOps, cloud security, and infrastructure-as-code using tools such as GitHub, Docker, and AWS.
• Exposure to AI pipeline operations such as auto-labeling, validation, model training, deployment, or evaluation.
• Exposure to edge inference, computer vision, or embedded systems is a plus.
• Experience in both in-house development solutions and implementation of vendor-delivered applications preferred.
• Experience with scientific data systems, breeding platforms, lab systems, phenotyping pipelines, or similar R&D/life sciences environments.
• Background in ag-biotech, life sciences, or high-throughput scientific workflows preferred.
• A valid passport and the ability to travel internationally without restrictions.

Compensation & Benefits:

The following information is provided in good faith as a general description of the salary range and benefits for the position posted. The actual compensation offered to the successful candidate is dependent upon experience, skills, education, work location, internal pay equity, and other objective job-related factors.

Salary Range estimated for the AI Engineer (Full Stack) - R&D IT role: $105,930.00/year to $135,590.00/year.

Driscoll’s is committed to a culture of care and offers an attractive benefits package that varies between our locations. Benefits may include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, life insurance, and disability coverage for positions working more than 30 hours per week (US). Other benefits may include: 401(k) with employer match, profit-sharing participation, paid sick time, paid vacation, paid personal and family care leave, and a free Employee Assistance Program (EAP). More detailed information regarding the benefits package based on your geographic location will be shared during the application process.

About Driscoll's:

Driscoll's is the global market leader for fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. With more than 100 years of farming heritage and hundreds of independent growers around the world, Driscoll's is passionate about growing fresh, beautiful and delicious berries. Our values of humility, passion and trustworthiness have guided our mission to delight consumers around the world. Driscoll's exclusive patented berry varieties are developed through years of research using only natural breeding methods – meaning, no GMOs. From farm-to-table, we focus on delivering a high quality, premium berry experience with our many supply chain partners. 

Driscoll's is the trusted brand for Only the Finest Berries™.