Lead AI Scientist

BlackCube Labs; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 96,000 - 103,000; Full time

Job summary

BlackCube Labs in Durham, NC seeks a Lead AI Scientist to drive AI transformation, set technical direction for model training, and mentor a team of engineers and scientists. The role emphasizes production-ready ML, scalable experimentation, and clear communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Applicants should have hands-on experience with foundation-model fine-tuning, RLHF/DPO, multi-GPU training, and cloud AI services, with a focus on education-related content and

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience post-training and fine-tuning foundation models (supervised fine-tuning, parameter-efficient methods).
• Strong Python and DL framework skills with distributed or multi-GPU training.
• Ability to curate data, design experiments, and evaluate model improvements.

Responsibilities

• Set the technical direction for model training and adaptation.
• Translate model behavior into actionable decisions for business stakeholders.
• Mentor and guide team members to enhance skills and capabilities.

Skills

Python

Deep learning

Distributed training

Model evaluation

Cloud platforms

Mentoring

Communication

AI/ML applicability to education

Tools

LoRA

QLoRA

Job description

Request ID: 108756-1
Title: Lead AI Scientist
Locations: -

Durham, NC - 100% ONSITE FROM DAY 1
Duration: 06 Months
Pay Range: $70 - $75/Hour on W2/C2C (All inclusive)

Introduction

Drive the future of AI Transformation as part of AgentOps. Inspire innovation. Empower learning. Join our Office of Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) to set the technical direction for model training and adaptation in the AgentOps team.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Demonstrated hands-on experience post-training and fine-tuning foundation models, including supervised fine-tuning, parameter-efficient methods such as LoRA or QLoRA, preference optimization such as RLHF or DPO, or distillation.
• Strong Python and deep learning framework skills, including distributed or multi-GPU training.
• Rigor in data curation, experiment design, and evaluation with evidence of model improvement.
• Depth in one or more AI/ML areas, plus the breadth to make architecture and tooling decisions for a team.
• Experience with public cloud platforms and their AI-related services, and with taking models into production.
• A track record of setting technical standards and mentoring other engineers or scientists.
• Clear communication with senior and non-technical audiences, including trade-offs, cost, and risk.
• Understanding of how AI/ML applies to educational content, assessment, and personalized learning.
• Prior work experience at client or in client's Industry

Applicants must be able to work directly for Artech on W2

Preferred Skills & Qualifications

• Experience in AI Transformation for HR.
• Experience with AI Agents.
• Experience with Python Web Frameworks.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Set the technical direction for model training and adaptation within the team.
• Translate model behavior into actionable decisions for business stakeholders.
• Mentor and guide team members to enhance their skills and capabilities.

Company Benefits & Culture

• Ownership of a technical domain at the center of AI transformation.
• Direct influence on enterprise-wide AI decisions and the standards behind them.
• A collaborative, inclusive, and innovation-driven culture.