AI Development Lead

TheIncLab; Illinois; Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid and flexible work schedules

Professional development programs

Training and certification reimbursement

Health and Wellness Benefits

Job summary

A leading AI solutions company in Illinois is seeking an AI Development Lead to drive AI/ML systems' architecture and execution. The role involves leading cross-functional teams, optimizing AI processes, and mentoring engineers. The ideal candidate has over 5 years in AI development and a strong grasp of generative AI technologies. This position offers a hybrid work model and numerous benefits, aimed at fostering growth in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years in AI/ML development with progression into technical leadership.
• Deep understanding of generative AI architectures and training paradigms.
• Demonstrated record of delivering AI systems at scale.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture, design, and delivery of AI/ML systems.
• Oversee model development including training and optimization.
• Mentor engineers and scientists to foster technical growth.

Skills

AI/ML development

Technical leadership

Collaboration

Innovative thinking

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, or related field

Tools

Modern AI frameworks

Job description

The Mission Starts Here

TheIncLab engineers and delivers intelligent digital applications and platforms that revolutionize how our customers and mission‑critical teams achieve success.

We are where innovation meets purpose; and where your career can meet purpose as well. We are looking for an AI Development Lead to join our RAPID AI Research team to deliver TheIncLab's vision. Our work spans the full AI lifecycle, from research and early prototyping through production‑grade systems impacting real customers. We encourage you to apply and take the first step in joining our dynamic and impactful company.

Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept

• As an AI Development Lead, you will work cross‑functionally with product, engineering, and business leaders to translate cutting‑edge AI research into scalable, reliable, and mission‑impacting software. We encourage you to apply and take the first step in joining our dynamic and impactful company.
• What will you do
• Drive Technical Strategy & Execution
  Lead architecture, design, and delivery of AI/ML systems, including LLMs, RAG workflows, agents, and foundation models from prototyping to production.
• Lead End‑To‑End AI Lifecycle
  Oversee model development including data preparation, training/optimization, evaluation/validation, deployment, monitoring, and iteration. Ensure systems adhere to robustness, scalability, observability, and ethical AI standards.
• Collaborate Cross‑Functionally
  Partner with product managers, data engineers, UX/design, and business stakeholders to define requirements, set priorities, and deliver impactful AI solutions aligned to business needs.
• Establish Best Practices
  Champion CI/CD and MLOps practices, including model versioning, automated pipelines, performance monitoring, and reproducibility.
• Mentorship & Leadership
  Mentor engineers and scientists, fostering high engineering standards, technical growth, innovation, and accountability.
• Research & Innovation Impact
  Stay ahead of industry advancements in generative AI, foundational model tech, self‑supervised learning, optimization techniques, RLHF, and robustness/interpretability. Apply research insights to product enhancements and novel solutions.

What Success Looks Like

• Robust, scalable, and maintainable foundations for TheIncLab’s products and services
• Increased velocity of AI development through strong engineering processes
• High team morale and growth through mentorship and technical leadership
• Measurably better customer outcomes informed by AI research
• You are an analytical and inventive thinker who loves both building and leading. You deliver systems that work at scale.
• You combine research fluency with practical engineering rigor to bridge innovation and production delivery.

You Are:

• Innovative. You constantly survey emerging AI technologies and apply them where they advance business value.
• Collaborative. You communicate technical concepts clearly to technical and non‑technical audiences alike.
• A Proven Leader. You set direction, elevate execution quality, and nurture talent.
• Technical & Hands‑On. Comfortable writing production‑grade code and architecting systems with deep knowledge of modern AI frameworks.

Capabilities that will enable your success

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Mathematics, Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 5+ years in AI/ML development with clear progression into technical leadership roles.
• Experience from concept through execution and operationalization of AI/ML systems.
• Deep understanding of generative AI architectures, training paradigms, and foundation models.
• Hands‑on experience with large deep learning models: language, vision, event, or graph domains.
• Expertise in one or more advanced topics: self‑supervised learning, training optimization, robustness, explainability, RLHF.
• Demonstrated record of delivering AI systems at scale, both training compute and inference loads.
• Experience building platform‑level capabilities or reusable libraries that uplift other teams.
• Track record of meaningful contributions to the field, such as publications, open‑source code, or recognized projects.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and ability to align AI work with business strategy.
• Willingness to travel to customer sites as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

Graduate degrees preferred.

Clearance Requirements

Applicants must be a U.S. Citizen and willing and eligible to obtain a U.S. Security Clearance at the Secret or Top‑Secret level. Existing clearance is preferred.

Benefits

• Hybrid and flexible work schedules
• Professional development programs
• Training and certification reimbursement
• Extended and floating holiday schedule
• Paid time off and Paid volunteer time
• Health and Wellness Benefits include options for Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance along with access to Wellness, Mental Health, and Employee Assistance Programs.
• 100% Company Paid Benefits that include STD, LTD, and Basic Life insurance.
• 401(k) Plan Options with employer matching
• Incentive bonuses for eligible clearances, performance, and employee referrals.
• A company culture that values your individual strengths, career goals, and contributions to the team.

About TheIncLab

Founded in 2015, TheIncLab (“TIL”) is the first human‑centered artificial intelligence (AI+X) lab. We engineer complex, integrated solutions that combine cutting‑edge AI technologies with emerging systems‑of‑systems to solve some of the most difficult challenges in the defense and aerospace industries. Our work spans diverse technological landscapes, from rapid ideation and prototyping to deployment.

At TIL, we foster a culture of relentless optimism. No problem is too hard, no project is too big, and no challenge is too complex to tackle. This is possible due to the positive attitude of our teams. We approach every problem with a “yes” attitude and focus on results. Our motto, “demo or die,” encompasses the idea that failure is not an option.

We do all of this with a work ethic rooted in kindness and professionalism. The positive attitude of our teams is only possible due to the support TIL provides to each individual.

At TIL, we believe that every challenge is an opportunity for growth and innovation. Our teams are encouraged to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions to complex problems. We understand that the path to success is not always straightforward, but we are committed to persevering and finding a way forward.

Our culture of relentless optimism is not just about having a positive attitude; it is about taking action and making things happen. We believe in the power of collaboration and teamwork, and we know that by working together, we can achieve great things. Our teams are made up of individuals who are passionate about their work and dedicated to making a difference.

Learn more about TheIncLab and our job opportunities at www.theinclab.com.

Salary range guidance provided is not a guarantee of compensation. Offers of employment may be at a salary range that is outside of this range and will be based on qualifications, experience, and possible contractual requirements.

This is a direct hire position, and we do not accept resumes from third‑party recruiters or agencies.