Staff Applied AI Scientist

Lumen Technologies; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 152,000 - 253,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Life & Voluntary Benefits

Job summary

Lumen Technologies seeks a Senior Lead Applied AI Scientist to design, build, deploy, and continuously improve production-scale AI solutions across various modalities. You will partner with business, product, engineering, and technology leaders to translate high-value opportunities into AI-powered solutions delivering measurable business impact.

The ideal candidate combines deep AI expertise with strong software engineering, experimentation, and product delivery skills, able to prototype,

Qualifications

• 7+ years in applied AI, machine learning, or data science with production deployments.
• Track record delivering AI solutions that drive measurable business outcomes.
• Deep expertise in ML, statistics, experimentation, and modern AI techniques.
• Hands-on experience building LLM, RAG, agentic, and ML solutions.
• Experience with AI evaluation, model performance, and production monitoring.
• Proficiency in Python and modern AI/ML frameworks.
• Experience with MLOps, LLMOps, cloud AI platforms, APIs, and software engineering best practices.
• Strong product mindset and ability to communicate complex concepts to tech and business stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and optimize AI solutions from concept to production.
• Partner with business/product teams to identify opportunities and validate value via rapid experiments.
• Develop advanced AI systems using ML, generative AI, retrieval, and agentic architectures.
• Define evaluation frameworks and improve quality, reliability, safety, and cost.
• Collaborate with Engineering to deliver scalable, production-ready solutions using MLOps/LLMOps.
• Contribute reusable frameworks and standards to accelerate AI adoption.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship on complex AI initiatives.

Skills

Seven+ years in applied AI

AI evaluation & monitoring

Python & ML frameworks

MLOps / LLMOps

Communication with stakeholders

Education

Master's degree or PhD in CS/AI/Statistics

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

HuggingFace

MLflow

Job description

Lumen is the trusted network for the AI‑powered world, connecting people, data, and applications through our expansive fiber network and connected ecosystem. We enable secure, high‑performance connectivity across cloud, edge, and AI workloads for enterprises, governments, and communities.

At Lumen, you’ll work on infrastructure customers rely on today and build for what’s next, where performance, security, and resilience matter.

This is a high accountability environment where bold ideas drive real innovation for our customers, partners, and industry. The work is challenging, expectations are clear, and trust is built into how we operate. If you’re ready to take ownership, deliver meaningful impact, and help shape the future of AI‑ready connectivity, join us today.

Role Overview

Lumen is seeking highly technical, product-minded Senior Lead Applied AI Scientists to design, build, deploy, and continuously improve production-scale AI solutions of all varieties: agents, generative, ML, etc. In this role, you will partner with business, product, engineering, and technology leaders to translate high-value opportunities into AI-powered solutions that deliver measurable business impact.

You will combine deep expertise in AI and machine learning with strong software engineering, experimentation, and product delivery skills. The ideal candidate is a hands‑on practitioner who can rapidly prototype, evaluate, and scale AI systems while helping stakeholders navigate technical and business tradeoffs.

What You’ll Do

• Design, build, and optimize AI solutions from concept through production deployment.
• Partner with business and product teams to identify opportunities, define success metrics, and validate value through rapid experimentation.
• Develop advanced AI systems leveraging machine learning, generative AI, retrieval, predictive modeling, and agentic architectures.
• Define evaluation frameworks and continuously improve quality, reliability, safety, performance, and cost.
• Partner with Engineering to deliver scalable, production-ready solutions using MLOps and LLMOps best practices.
• Contribute reusable frameworks, evaluation assets, and technical standards that accelerate AI adoption across the enterprise.
• Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance on complex AI initiatives.

Required Qualifications

• Seven Plus years of experience in applied AI, machine learning, or data science, including production AI deployments.
• Proven track record of delivering AI solutions that drive measurable business outcomes.
• Deep expertise in machine learning, statistics, experimentation, predictive analytics, and modern AI techniques.
• Hands‑on experience building LLM, RAG, agentic, and machine learning solutions.
• Strong experience with AI evaluation, model performance optimization, responsible AI, and production monitoring.
• Proficiency in Python and modern AI/ML frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face, MLflow, or similar technologies.
• Experience with MLOps, LLMOps, cloud AI platforms, APIs, and software engineering best practices.
• Strong product mindset, problem-solving skills, and ability to communicate complex concepts with technical and business stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science, AI, Machine Learning, Statistics, or a related quantitative field.
• One plus years of experience building agent based solutions.
• Experience operating enterprise-scale AI solutions in regulated or security‑sensitive environments.
• Experience leading complex, cross‑functional AI initiatives.
• Contributions to AI research, patents, publications, or open‑source projects.

Join Lumen’s AI Office and help build the next generation of AI solutions that transform customer experiences, accelerate innovation, and create measurable business value.

Compensation

This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. Individual pay is based on skills, experience and other relevant factors.

Location Based Pay Ranges

$152,066 - $253,444in these states: AL AR AZ FL GA IA ID IN KS KY LA ME MO MS MT ND NE NM OH OK PA SC SD TN UT VT WI WV WY
$159,670 - $266,116in these states: CO HI MI MN NC NH NV OR RI
$167,273 - $278,789in these states: AK CA CT DC DE IL MA MD NJ NY TX VA WA

Lumen offers a comprehensive package featuring a broad range of Health, Life, Voluntary Lifestyle benefits and other perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. We're able to answer any additional questions you may have about our bonus structure (short‑term incentives, long‑term incentives and/or sales compensation) as you move through the selection process.

Life at Lumen is human and connected, even in a fast moving, AI‑focused organization. We set clear expectations and trust people to meet them. With real support and shared accountability, teams collaborate better, move faster, and deliver meaningful outcomes.

Our Lumen 8 behaviors guide how we interact, make decisions, and work together, shaping a culture built to perform and win.

Privacy Notice

Lumen is committed to protecting the privacy and security of personal information collected during the recruitment and hiring process. Our Applicant Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect applicant information, as well as how individuals may request access to or deletion of their personal data.

The job responsibilities described above indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to include a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities for this job. Job duties and responsibilities are subject to change based on evolving business needs and conditions.

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Please be advised that Lumen does not require any form of payment from job applicants during the recruitment process. All legitimate job openings will be posted on our official website or communicated through official company email addresses. If you encounter any job offers that request payment in exchange for employment at Lumen, they are not for employment with us, but may relate to another company with a similar name.