Associate AI Engineer

AHEAD; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision

401(k)

Paid holidays

Paid time off

Parental leave

Job summary

AHEAD invites you to join its LAUNCH program as an Associate AI Engineer. You will start with a 3-month training in our Digital Solutions Group focused on Data solutions, then rotate onto client projects based on your skills and interests.

This role emphasizes AI/ML fundamentals, Python and cloud tooling, collaboration across teams, and proactive problem solving in a diverse IT consulting environment in the United States.

Qualifications

• Working knowledge of AI/ML fundamentals, including model types, data pipelines, and inference workflows.
• Proficiency in Python, with exposure to frameworks such as FastAPI, Flask.
• Familiarity with GenAI tooling and vector stores (Pinecone, FAISS, Weaviate).
• Exposure to cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Understanding of MLOps concepts—version control (Git, DVC), CI/CD, observability, and deployment best practices.
• Experience in at least one of the following: academic or personal AI/ML projects; internship or co-op in software or data engineering; technical bootcamp or certificate program in AI, ML, or cloud computing.
• Certifications such as AWS Cloud Practitioner, Microsoft MS-900, or GCP Cloud Engineer are a plus.
• Excellent communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities.
• U.S. work authorization required.

Responsibilities

• Communicate effectively across teams and build positive relationships.
• Demonstrate ability to work on teams, collaborate on projects, and contribute to successful delivery.
• Show drive and proactiveness to get things done, be solutions-oriented, and enjoy solving complex problems.
• Demonstrate resourcefulness, curiosity, creativity, courage, and critical thinking to analyze issues and make recommendations.
• Exercise sound reasoning, ingenuity, and inclusive perspectives to solve problems and make recommendations.
• Ability to execute, manage competing priorities, and deliver to deadlines.

Skills

AI/ML fundamentals

Python

FastAPI/Flask

GenAI tooling

Vector stores

Cloud platforms

Docker/Kubernetes

MLOps concepts

Education

Technical discipline degree

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Git

DVC

Job description

AHEAD builds platforms for digital business. By weaving together advances in cloud infrastructure, automation and analytics, and software delivery, we help enterprises deliver on the promise of digital transformation.

At AHEAD, we prioritize creating a culture of belonging, where all perspectives and voices are represented, valued, respected, and heard. We create spaces to empower everyone to speak up, make change, and drive the culture at AHEAD.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and do not discriminate based on an individual's race, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law, whether actual or perceived.

We embrace all candidates that will contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives at AHEAD.

LAUNCH - Join AHEAD's Associate Development Program

Our Mission: to attract and develop a diverse community of THE top IT consulting talent in the country and build AHEAD's next generation of leaders.

LAUNCH serves as the foundation to develop our talent into high potential leaders at AHEAD. By exposing you to a variety of career paths and building your acumen across different practices in the business, we're accelerating your growth and career trajectory at AHEAD.

Our development program is built on a foundation of technical training, completion of certifications, and shadowing, all supported by an ecosystem of AHEADians that will be part of your Launch journey, every step of the way! You'll grow and develop key skills that will support your development as a technical and consulting expert. If you're ready to begin an exciting career in IT Consulting, LAUNCH is where you should be!

Associate AI Engineer

(Internally known as an Associate Technical Consultant)

As an Associate Engineer in LAUNCH, you will start out in a 3-month training program within our Digital Solutions Group (DSG) practice focused on Data solutions. Upon completion of LAUNCH, you will have the opportunity to work on client projects based on skillset, personal interest, and business needs.

Who we're looking for: Think Big, Learn, and Be Curious

• Innovative Thinkers
• Enthusiastic Collaborators
• Creative Problem Solvers
• Curious Self - Starters

Responsibilities:

• Ability to communicate effectively across teams, and build positive relationships
• Demonstrate ability to work on teams, collaborate on projects, and contribute to the overall successful delivery of projects
• Demonstrate drive and proactiveness to get things done, be solutions-oriented, and enjoy solving complex problems
• Demonstrate resourcefulness, curiosity, creativity, courage, critical thinking, and a desire to use technology to search for new and innovative solutions to problems
• Exercise sound reasoning, ingenuity, and inclusive perspectives to analyze issues, solve problems and make recommendations
• Ability to execute, manage competing priorities, and deliver to deadlines

Qualifications:

• Working knowledge of AI/ML fundamentals, including model types (transformers, embeddings, diffusion), data pipelines, and inference workflows
• Proficiency in Python, with exposure to frameworks such as FastAPI, Flask
• Familiarity with GenAI tooling (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, etc.) and vector stores (Pinecone, FAISS, Weaviate)
• Exposure to cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Understanding of MLOps concepts-version control (Git, DVC), CI/CD, observability, and deployment best practices
• Experience in at least one of the following:
• Academic or personal AI/ML projects
• Internship or co-op in software or data engineering
• Technical bootcamp or certificate program in AI, ML, or cloud computing
• Certifications such as AWS Cloud Practitioner, Microsoft MS-900, or GCP Cloud Engineer are a plus
• Excellent communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities
• U.S. work authorization required

Experience in at least one of the below:

• Graduated with a degree in technical discipline by 1/11/26
• Prior intern, co-op, or research experience in IT, software, or relevant field is a plus
• Successful completion in a technical-related bootcamp

The compensation range indicated in this posting reflects the On-Target Earnings ("OTE") for this role, which includes a base salary and any applicable target bonus amount. This OTE range may vary based on the candidate's relevant experience, qualifications, and geographic location.

Why AHEAD:

Through our daily work and internal groups like Moving Women AHEAD and RISE AHEAD, we value and benefit from diversity of people, ideas, experience, and everything in between.

We fuel growth by stacking our office with top-notch technologies in a multi-million-dollar lab, by encouraging cross department training and development, sponsoring certifications and credentials for continued learning.

USA Employment Benefits include:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401(k)
• Paid company holidays
• Paid time off
• Paid parental and caregiver leave
• Plus more! See benefits https://www.aheadbenefits.com/ for additional details.

Use of AI:

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, assessing responses, or to capture recordings and create transcriptions or summaries during interviews. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.

If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please refer to the Candidate Privacy Notice or contact us at [e-mail].

You may opt-out of the review or analysis of your application and resume by AI tools by using the General Application. Please include the role you wish to apply for in the Additional Information field. You may also choose to opt-out of recording and transcription at any time, including after joining an interview. Candidates will not be penalized for choosing to opt-out.