Lead Applied AI Engineer

Innova Solutions Inc; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 103,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical & dental coverage

401(k)

Health savings account (HSA)

Flexible spending account (FSA)

Life Insurance

Disability insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Innova Solutions Inc. is actively seeking a Lead Applied AI Engineer for a full-time contract role spanning Tampa, FL and Nashville, TN with hybrid work options.

The ideal candidate will lead AI-enabled solution delivery using LLMs, implement Responsible AI practices, and collaborate across teams to operationalize AI services in Azure. The role requires deep hands-on expertise in Python and/or .NET, cloud-native development, and experience with AI orchestration, vector databases, and AI

Qualifications

• Experience building AI-enabled solutions using LLMs, GenAI, AI Agents, RAG, vector databases, or related AI tech in enterprise environments.
• Understanding of Responsible AI including governance, security, privacy, transparency and model evaluation.
• Ability to leverage AI tools to improve productivity, delivery speed, and quality across work activities.
• Strong AI literacy to evaluate AI outputs, apply human judgment, and identify suitable AI use-cases.
• Preferred: Hands-on Python and/or .NET for developing and operationalizing AI apps.
• Continuous learner with passion for emerging AI tech and industry trends.

Skills

LLMs & Generative AI

Responsible AI

AI tooling & automation

Critical thinking in AI

Python

.NET

Cloud-native apps

APIs & microservices

Tools

Azure OpenAI

Azure AI Foundry

LangChain

LangGraph

Azure cloud services

OpenAI models

Python

C#/.NET

Job description

A client of Innova Solutions is immediately hiring for a Lead Applied AI Engineer Position type: Full-Time Contract (W2) Role: Lead Applied AI Engineer Duration: 6+ Months Contract Location : Tampa, FL And Nashville, TN/Hybrid

• Experience building, delivering, or supporting AI-enabled solutions using Large Language Models (LLMs), Generative AI, AI Agents, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), vector databases, AI orchestration frameworks, or related AI technologies in enterprise environments.
• Understanding of Responsible AI principles, including AI governance, security, privacy, transparency, human oversight, and model evaluation best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively leverage AI tools and assistants to improve individual productivity, accelerate delivery, enhance decision-making, automate routine tasks, and improve quality across day-to-day work activities.
• Strong AI literacy, including the ability to evaluate AI-generated outputs, apply critical thinking and human judgment, and identify appropriate use cases for AI-driven solutions.
• Preferred: Hands-on experience with Python and/or .NET technologies for developing, integrating, and operationalizing AI-enabled applications and services.
• Continuous learner with a passion for staying current on emerging AI technologies, practices, and industry trends.

Preferred Skills (Recommended for All Engineering-Focused Applied AI Roles)

• Experience with Python, .NET, cloud-native application development, APIs, microservices, and modern software engineering practices.
• Experience with Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Foundry, Microsoft Copilot technologies, AI orchestration frameworks, vector databases, and enterprise AI platforms.
• Experience developing, integrating, deploying, or operating AI-enabled applications in Azure cloud environments.
• 6+ years of full-stack software engineering experience with most of the following: Angular, React, NodeJS, Python, C#, .NET, Java, SQL/NoSQL, PyTorch, TensorFlow, LangChain, LangGraph, as well as unit and integration testing frameworks.
• 3+ years of experience building AI/ML and agentic applications, with hands-on GenAI experience across LLM integration (OpenAI, Anthropic, or open-source models), RAG pipelines, prompt engineering, vector databases, evaluations, and AI agent orchestration.
• 3+ years of experience with cloud-native engineering, using FaaS, PaaS, or micro-services on any of the cloud hyperscalers such as Azure, AWS, or GCP, including their AI/ML services such as Azure OpenAI, AWS Bedrock, or Vertex AI, plus application-level infrastructure-as-code and cost-aware engineering (FinOps accountability)
• Prior experience in establishing engineering standards, including actively leading, mentoring, and guiding team members in the adoption and continuous improvement of these standards.
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills, with the ability to handle diverse situations, complex projects, and changing priorities, behaving with passion, empathy, and care.

Pay Range*: Between $75 - $80/- per hour

Benefits: Innova Solutions offers benefits( based on eligibility) that include the following: Medical & pharmacy coverage, Dental/vision insurance, 401(k), Health saving account (HSA) and Flexible spending account (FSA), Life Insurance, Pet Insurance, Short term and Long term Disability, Accident & Critical illness coverage, Pre-paid legal & ID theft protection, Sick time, and other types of paid leaves (as required by law), Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

This position is only open to applicants who can be engaged on a W-2 basis. 1099 contractors and Corp-to-Corp arrangements will not be considered for this position.

Referral Program:

Referral Program: This position qualifies for a Referral Bonus amount of $250-$1000 dollars.

ABOUT INNOVA SOLUTIONS:

Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Innova Solutions employs approximately 50,000 professionals worldwide and reports an annual revenue approaching $3 Billion. Through our global delivery centers across North America, Asia, and Europe, we deliver strategic technology and business transformation solutions to our clients, enabling them to operate as leaders within their fields. Recent Recognitions:

• Named One of America's Best Employers for New Grads by Forbes (2024)
• Named One of the Best Companies to Work for by U.S. News & World Report (Private Companies List, 2024-2025)
• One of the Largest IT Staffing Firms in the US - Ranked #3 by Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA, 2024)
• One of the Largest Staffing Firms in the US - Ranked #13 by Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA, 2024; includes Innova Solutions, Volt, & HireGenics)
• Named One of the Top Ten Private Companies in Atlanta by the Atlanta Business Chronicle (2023)
• One of the Largest Certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) in the United States (NMSDC, 2024)
• AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner with 100+ certifications

Website: https://www.innovasolutions.com/

Innova Solutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits any kind of unlawful discrimination and harassment. Innova Solutions is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religion or belief, national origin, citizenship, social or ethnic origin, sex, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by the statutes, rules, and regulations in the locations where it operates.

If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to assist with your job search or application for employment, please contact us at [email protected] or [phone]. Please indicate the specifics of the assistance needed.

Innova Solutions encourages all interested and qualified candidates to apply for employment opportunities.

Innova Solutions (HireGenics/Volt) does not discriminate against applicants based on citizenship status, immigration status, or national origin, in accordance with 8 U.S.C. § 1324b. The company will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in a manner that complies with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws.

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