Lead Data Scientist
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Competitive senior-level compensation
AI platform powering defense intelligence
A fast-growing AI company working at the intersection of data science and national security is looking for a Lead Data Scientist to build the next generation of knowledge retrieval and AI research systems.
This role will focus on designing and deploying advanced AI systems that transform large, complex datasets into mission-critical insights. The team is building sophisticated agentic search and deep research capabilities that enable users to explore knowledge, surface hidden connections, and make high-impact decisions faster.
You will act as a technical leader while remaining deeply hands-on, guiding the architecture and development of production AI systems used in real-world decision environments.
Responsibilities
- Lead the architecture and development of advanced knowledge retrieval and AI search systems
- Design scalable AI platforms capable of deep research, conversational knowledge exploration, and decision support
- Build hybrid retrieval systems using embeddings, vector databases, knowledge graphs, and traditional search techniques
- Develop Retrieval-Augmented Generation systems for complex proprietary datasets
- Translate research breakthroughs into scalable production systems
- Partner with product, engineering, and data teams to define AI roadmaps and deliver production-ready capabilities
- Mentor engineers and data scientists while raising the technical bar across the organization
Tech Stack & Environment
- Large language models and agentic reasoning frameworks
- Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architectures
- Embedding models and vector databases
- Hybrid retrieval systems combining neural and traditional search
- Knowledge graph systems and advanced indexing strategies
- Cloud-based ML infrastructure and scalable AI platforms
Requirements
- 7+ years of experience in applied data science or AI
- Strong experience building production systems involving LLMs, embeddings, and knowledge retrieval
- Expertise in RAG architectures and large-scale data indexing
- Experience with ranking systems such as bi-encoders and cross-encoders
- Experience designing AI systems for complex reasoning and multi-agent workflows
- Strong software engineering and system architecture skills
- Ability to work across research and production environments
- U.S. citizenship required
Preferred Experience
- Research publications in AI, machine learning, or NLP
- Experience evaluating LLM systems and building model evaluation frameworks
- Experience fine-tuning or post-training large language models
- Experience deploying large-scale AI systems in cloud environments
- People In AI is a specialist recruitment partner working exclusively with companies building advanced AI systems and platforms. We work closely with both candidates and hiring teams to provide clear context, technical insight, and transparent communication throughout the hiring process. Our goal is to help exceptional AI professionals find roles where they can make a meaningful impact while building the next generation of intelligent technology.
