Junior AI Specialist

Bechtel Corporation; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Part time

Job summary

Bechtel Corporation in Houston seeks a Junior AI Specialist to join its AI program and apply emerging AI capabilities to engineering, procurement, and construction challenges globally. You will work with experienced practitioners, receive onboarding and mentoring, and contribute to practical AI solutions in your first year.

The role uses Python, Azure, Copilot/Cowork, and other approved technologies to build secure, reliable AI capabilities, with assignments in generative AI, intelligent agents,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, AI, data science, software engineering, or related field with 1–2 years of experience (or 5–6 years of relevant work).
• US citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Develop AI-enabled applications and automation using Python and Azure-based technologies to improve workflows.
• Create prompts, agent instructions, tools, and retrieval strategies; integrate with enterprise data sources and APIs.
• Gather requirements, scope use cases, assess feasibility, and translate business needs into technical specs.
• Prepare and process structured and unstructured data for AI development and evaluation.
• Create test datasets and evaluation methods to measure quality and safety of AI outputs.
• Leverage Databricks and Microsoft Fabric to build AI/analytics solutions and data pipelines.
• Participate in code reviews, testing, deployment, monitoring, and documentation for continuous improvement.

Skills

Python

Gen AI concepts

Team collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/AI/related

Tools

Azure AI services

Microsoft Copilot/Cowork

Databricks

Microsoft Fabric

Copilot Studio

Job description

Requisition ID: 299543

• Relocation Authorized: None
• Telework Type: Part-Time Telework
• Work Location: Houston, TX

Extraordinary Teams Building Inspiring Projects

Since 1898, we have helped customers complete more than 25,000 projects in 160 countries on all seven continents that have created jobs, grown economies, improved the resiliency of the world's infrastructure, increased access to energy, resources, and vital services, and made the world a safer, cleaner place.

Differentiated by the quality of our people and our relentless drive to deliver the most successful outcomes, we align our capabilities to our customers' objectives to create a lasting positive impact. We serve the Infrastructure; Nuclear, Security & Environmental; Energy; Mining & Metals, and the Manufacturing and Technology markets. Our services span from initial planning and investment, through start-up and operations.

Core to Bechtel is our Vision, Values and Commitments. They are what we believe, what customers can expect, and how we deliver. Learn more about our extraordinary teams building inspiring projects in our Impact Report.

Project Overview

We are looking for an enthusiastic, eager-to-learn graduate to join our AI program and help develop innovative solutions that create a competitive advantage for Bechtel. As a Junior AI Specialist, you will apply emerging artificial intelligence capabilities to real-world engineering, procurement, and construction challenges on a global scale. You will work alongside experienced practitioners, receive structured onboarding and mentoring, and contribute to the delivery of practical AI solutions during your first year.

Job Summary

The Junior AI Specialist collaborates with projects, functions, AI specialists, data engineers, and business stakeholders across the full AI lifecycle - from understanding customer needs and developing prototypes to deploying, monitoring, and improving solutions. Using Python, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Copilot/Cowork, and other approved technologies, you will help build secure, reliable, and responsible AI capabilities. The role combines prompt and agent development with software engineering, data preparation, testing, evaluation, integration, and responsible deployment.

Assignments may include generative AI, intelligent agents, enterprise search, retrieval-augmented generation, document intelligence, workflow automation, and multimodal analysis of text, images, engineering drawings, and technical information. The ideal candidate is a curious recent graduate who enjoys writing code, learning new tools, and solving ambiguous problems in a team setting.

Position requires the employee to be in the Houston office 3 days.

Major Responsibilities

• Develop AI-enabled applications, Microsoft Cowork skills, Copilot agents, prototypes, and automation using Python and Azure-based technologies to improve engineering and business workflows.
• Develop prompts, agent instructions, tools, retrieval strategies, and structured outputs; integrate solutions with enterprise data sources, APIs, applications, and workflow platforms.
• Participate in requirements gathering, use-case scoping, feasibility assessment, and solution design; translate business challenges into technical requirements and measurable outcomes.
• Prepare and process structured and unstructured data—including documents, spreadsheets, images, engineering drawings, and technical models—to AI development and evaluation.
• Create test datasets and evaluation methods to measure accuracy, relevance, safety, reliability, and user value, and identify AI failure modes.
• Leverage Databricks and Microsoft Fabric to develop and support AI and analytics solutions, including applications, models, workflows, data pipelines, and curated datasets, while gaining experience with platform capabilities, governance, deployment, and enterprise integration.
• Participate in code reviews, testing, debugging, source control, deployment, monitoring, documentation, feedback, and continuous improvement.

Education And Experience Requirements

• Typically requires a bachelor’s degree in computer science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, software engineering, information systems, mathematics, engineering, or a related technical discipline with 1-2 years of experience or 5-6 years of relevant work experience.
• US citizenship required.

Required Knowledge And Skills

• Proficiency in Python demonstrated through work history, coursework, internships, research, hackathons, open-source contributions, or personal projects.
• Foundational understanding of AI/Gen AI models, machine learning, large language models, or natural language processing.
• Ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams and learn unfamiliar business and technical domains.

Preferred Qualifications

• Internship, academic research, capstone, portfolio, GitHub, or personal-project experience involving AI, machine learning, or software engineering.
• Experience with Microsoft Azure AI services, Microsoft Copilot, Copilot Studio, or Microsoft Cowork.
• Experience with retrieval-augmented generation, intelligent agents, document processing, or multimodal AI, and familiarity with prompt engineering, tool calling, embeddings, semantic search, or agent orchestration.
• Experience evaluating generative AI outputs and understanding responsible AI concepts, including privacy, bias, security, and human oversight.

Total Rewards/Benefits

For decades, Bechtel has worked to inspire the next generation of employees and beyond! Because our teams face some of the world's toughest challenges, we offer robust benefits to ensure our people thrive. Whether it is advancing careers, delivering programs to enhance our culture, or providing time to recharge, Bechtel has the benefits to build a legacy of sustainable growth. Learn more at Bechtel Total Rewards.

Diverse Teams Build The Extraordinary

As a global company, Bechtel has long been home to a vibrant multitude of nationalities, cultures, ethnicities, and life experiences. This diversity has made us a more trusted partner, more effective problem solvers and innovators, and a more attractive destination for leading talent.

We are committed to being a company where every colleague feels that they belong-where colleagues feel part of "One Team," respected and rewarded for what they bring, supported in pursuing their goals, invested in our values and purpose, and treated equitably.

Bechtel is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, national origin, disability, citizenship status (except as authorized by law), protected veteran status, genetic information, and any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Applicants with a disability, who require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, may e-mail their request to [e-mail].