AI Program Lead — Government (On-Site Phoenix)

ZipStaff Inc.; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) + 401(k) matching

Paid time off

Referral Program

Job summary

ZipStaff Inc. in Phoenix, AZ seeks an experienced AI Manager for a 7-month on-site contract with a state government agency.

You will lead a team of AI engineers, business analysts and operations specialists, translating strategic goals into technical requirements and overseeing model lifecycles from deployment to retirement. You will partner with data science, MLOps and software engineering teams, mentor staff, ensure responsible AI practices, data privacy, and measurable business ROI while

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, AI, Data Science, Statistics or related field.
• 5+ years in data science, ML or AI engineering, including 2+ years in leadership.
• Hands-on Microsoft OpenAI experience.
• Deep understanding of AI/ML architectures and lifecycles (MLOps) with PyTorch, TensorFlow, LangChain, or cloud AI services (AWS/GCP/Azure).
• Proven track record delivering complex projects on time and budget using Agile or traditional methods.
• Ability to explain complex algorithms clearly to executives and product teams.
• Experience delivering generative AI/LLM solutions including RAG and prompt engineering.
• Experience with Azure ML and Azure OpenAI Service.
• Fluency in Python and SQL; strong grounding in responsible AI.

Responsibilities

• Define the roadmap, scope and objectives for enterprise AI and ML initiatives.
• Bridge between technical teams and non-technical business stakeholders.
• Hire, mentor and manage a team of AI/ML specialists.
• Oversee lifecycle of AI models from deployment through monitoring and retirement.
• Coordinate risk assessments, model validation, bias testing and data privacy compliance.
• Track metrics like latency, model availability, accuracy and ROI.

Skills

Data science

Machine learning

Leadership

Python

SQL

OpenAI

Agile methods

PyTorch

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/AI/DS

Master's degree in CS/AI/DS

Tools

LangChain

TensorFlow

Azure ML

Azure OpenAI

Job description

ZipStaff Inc. in Phoenix, AZ seeks an experienced AI Manager for a 7-month on-site contract with a state government agency.

You will lead a team of AI engineers, business analysts and operations specialists, translating strategic goals into technical requirements and overseeing model lifecycles from deployment to retirement. You will partner with data science, MLOps and software engineering teams, mentor staff, ensure responsible AI practices, data privacy, and measurable business ROI while