Applied AI Researcher: Inference & Systems Expert

Designworks Talent; Bellevue (WA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Our client in Bellevue, WA is seeking an Applied Researcher – AI Expert to shape AI infrastructure and inference technology at scale. You will evaluate new models, architectures, and accelerator systems, translating research into practical engineering guidance for data centers, cooling, power, and cost models.

This high-impact individual contributor role requires deep expertise in AI, inference, and modern serving stacks, with the ability to defend technical bets to engineering, product,

Qualifications

• Significant hands-on experience with modern AI models.
• Depth in inference and deployment rather than training alone.
• Fluency with accelerator ecosystems and silicon portability costs.
• Hands-on depth at compiler/kernel/runtime level (CUDA, Triton, ROCm/HIP, XLA).
• Experience with multiple model types and serving stacks.

Responsibilities

• Define the tech and product thesis for AI infrastructure and deployment.
• Evaluate technologies, influence architecture, and validate economic implications.
• Land the work commercially; support sales, delivery, and partner assessments.
• On-site assessment of data center halls for density, cooling, and power envelopes.
• Engage with finance and go-to-market to produce defendable cost models.

Skills

AI models

inference

accelerator ecosystem

compiler/runtime

cost modeling

Education

PhD preferred

Tools

vLLM

TensorRT-LLM

CUDA

Triton

Job description

Our client in Bellevue, WA is seeking an Applied Researcher – AI Expert to shape AI infrastructure and inference technology at scale. You will evaluate new models, architectures, and accelerator systems, translating research into practical engineering guidance for data centers, cooling, power, and cost models.

This high-impact individual contributor role requires deep expertise in AI, inference, and modern serving stacks, with the ability to defend technical bets to engineering, product,