Senior AI Engineer (Ph.D. required)

About Exponent Exponent is the only premium engineering and scientific consulting firm with the depth and breadth of expertise to solve our clients’ most profoundly unique, unprecedented, and urgent challenges. Our vision is to engage multidisciplinary teams of science, engineering, and regulatory experts to empower clients with solutions that create a safer, healthier, more sustainable world. For over five decades, we've connected the lessons of past failures with tomorrow's solutions to advise clients as they innovate technologically complex products and processes, ensure the safety and health of their users, and address the challenges of sustainability. Join our team of experts with degrees from top programs at over 500 universities and extensive experience spanning a variety of industries. At Exponent, you’ll contribute to the diverse pool of ideas, talents, backgrounds, and experiences that drives our collaborative teamwork and breakthrough insights. Plus, we help you grow your career through mentoring, sponsorship, and a culture of learning. Thanks for your interest in joining our team!   Key statistics: 950+ Consultants 640+ Ph.D.s 90+ Disciplines 30+ Offices globally Our Opportunity We are currently seeking a Senior AI Engineer for our Data Sciences Practice in Houston, TX. In this role, you will help design, build, and scale AI solutions — including generative and agentic AI systems — for client organizations across industries such as utilities, energy, life sciences, consumer electronics, and manufacturing. You will work alongside Exponent's multidisciplinary scientists and engineers to translate complex, real-world problems in safety-critical and highly regulated environments into production-grade AI applications. You will be responsible for Architecting, developing, and deploying end-to-end AI solutions for clients, from data foundations through model development to production deploymentBuilding generative AI applications, including retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems, LLM-powered assistants, and domain-specific copilots grounded in enterprise knowledgeDesigning and implementing agentic AI architectures — multi-agent workflows, tool use, orchestration frameworks, and human-in-the-loop controls — for complex analytical and operational tasksDeveloping knowledge representation layers (knowledge graphs, ontologies, semantic search) that ground AI systems in trusted, domain-specific contextDeploying and scaling AI workloads on cloud infrastructure (AWS preferred), including containerized services, vector databases, and MLOps/LLMOps pipelinesRapidly prototyping and iterating on models, analyses, and visualizations in fast-paced, client-facing engagementsImplementing responsible AI practices, including evaluation frameworks, guardrails, observability, and alignment with client governance and regulatory requirementsCollaborating with Exponent consultants across engineering and scientific disciplines to embed domain expertise into AI solutionsCommunicating technical approaches and results clearly to both technical and executive client stakeholdersMentoring junior team members and contributing to the growth of Exponent's AI capabilities and reusable assets You will have the following skills and qualifications Ph.D. in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Data Science, Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related field5+ years of hands-on experience building and deploying machine learning and AI systems in production environments after the completion of the Ph.D.Demonstrated experience with generative AI, including LLM application development, prompt engineering, fine-tuning, and RAG architecturesExperience with agentic frameworks and orchestration tools (e.g., LangChain, LangGraph, LlamaIndex, or comparable)Strong software engineering fundamentals in Python; experience with APIs, microservices, and containerization (Docker, ECS/Kubernetes)Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS strongly preferred; Azure or GCP acceptable), including serverless and managed AI/ML servicesFamiliarity with vector databases (e.g., pgvector, Pinecone, OpenSearch) and knowledge graph technologies is a plusHighly proficient in SQL, with the ability to work across large, complex enterprise datasetsExperience working in consulting or client-facing roles, with the ability to manage ambiguity and deliver under tight timelinesExcellent written and verbal communication skillsPresently legally authorized to work in the United States; no immigration sponsorship or processing required Preferred qualifications:Experience applying AI in safety-critical, regulated, or physical-infrastructure industries (utilities, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, transportation)Familiarity with AI governance frameworks, model risk management, and trustworthy AI principlesApplicants are encouraged to submit a CV (Curriculum Vitae) with publications (feel free to include publications that are in review or pending) [not restricted to 1 page]. Life @ Exponent To learn more about life at Exponent and our impact, please visit the following links: Attracting, inspiring, developing, and rewarding exceptional people with diverse backgrounds and expertise are central to our corporate culture. Our diverse team allows us to provide better value to our clients and enjoy an enriched work environment. Our firm is committed to offering a variety of programs and resources to support health and well-being. We believe that providing competitive benefits as well as compensation and recognition programs empowers our staff to do work that makes a difference. Work Environment At Exponent, we have found that in-person interactions deepen employee engagement and are crucial for development, for realizing the full potential of our talented and diverse teams, and for​ building a more inclusive workplace where all have a sense of belonging. In our offices, you can expect a supportive culture and a collaborative, dynamic, multi-disciplinary work environment. Our consultants engage in-person in the office unless they are traveling for client work or other business activities. We value the rich lives our colleagues enjoy outside of work and understand that work/life balance is critical to our employees and their well-being. Consultants have the autonomy to balance their work and personal schedules so you can meet with clients, visit inspection sites, attend conferences, and make time for priorities outside of work, too. It is this flexible, agile work style and working hours that allow our teams to drive innovation and results in their own ways, while meeting the needs of clients. #LI-Onsite Compensation Our consultants are rewarded for their technical and business contributions and have an opportunity to plan for future success and career growth. Exponent's total compensation plan is consistent with its expectations of the quality and quantity of work performed and with the professional standards set by Exponent. At the Associate and Senior Associate level, total compensation includes base salary, bi-weekly bonuses for high-intensity efforts, annual bonus and 401(k) employer contribution of 7% of base salary.The base salary range for this position is dependent on experience and capabilities which will be assessed during the interview process. Benefits you will enjoy Access benefits information on our View email address on click.appcast.io page: Exponent is a proud equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected status. If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability, you may email us at View email address on click.appcast.io. Job Locations US-TX-Houston Job SummaryLocation: US-TX-HoustonPractice: Computer, Data, & Security SciencesPosition Type: Full-timeWorkplace Type: On-Site