1420 Northbrook Drive Suite 220, Gardendale, AL 35071, USA | Full Time
Principal Data Scientist, AI/ML & Generative AI Strategy
Location: Remote - candidate must be within commuting distance of Teksouth's Gardendale, AL headquarters for regular on-site engagements.
Clearance Requirement: Must be able to obtain and maintain at least a Secret security clearance. Top-Secret clearance eligibility will be required as the company transitions to higher-level classified programs.
Teksouth is a recognized leader in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics solutions for the federal government. With a reputation for excellence and innovation, Teksouth is a trusted partner across the defense sector, dedicated to being the indispensable architect of intelligent enterprise. We are committed to fundamentally transforming how organizations operate, make decisions, and innovate across every critical function, moving beyond traditional data reporting to deliver strategic, predictive, and actionable insights.
Position Overview - Teksouth is seeking a Principal Data Scientist for a strategic and foundational "hands-on" role at the forefront of our innovation agenda, responsible for establishing and leading our Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Generative AI (GenAI) practice. The successful candidate will drive the maturation of our core data analytics offerings by identifying, validating, and scaling new, revenue-generating opportunities across our defense, federal, and commercial client base. You will serve as the primary thought leader, architect, and mentor for advanced data solutions.
Key Responsibilities and Impact
A. Strategy, Vision, and Client Engagement
Opportunity Identification: Proactively identify, prioritize, and scope high-impact GenAI/ML applications (e.g., text generation, code synthesis, predictive maintenance, anomaly detection) specifically relevant to client business requirements and pain points.
Roadmap Development: Develop and maintain a clear, pragmatic AI/ML technology roadmap that aligns with the company's annual revenue targets and long-term strategic growth goals.
External Representation: Act as the internal and external Subject Matter Expert (SME) , representing the company at executive client briefings, proposal development meetings, and industry conferences (e.g., FedTalks, DoD forums) to evangelize GenAI's value proposition , including efficiency gains and risk mitigation.
Proposal Leadership: Translate complex technical concepts into clear, concise, and compelling business cases for executive leadership, contributing to or leading the technical sections of proposals (RFPs, RFIs) that outline AI/ML solutions.
B. Solution Architecture and Deployment
Holistic Solution Architecture: Design and architect holistic GenAI/ML solutions, including selecting and customizing appropriate models (LLMs, transformers, etc.) and defining scalable integration strategies for embedding AI into existing enterprise client systems (ERP, CRM).
MLOps and Stack Standardization: Define and standardize the required technology stack, tools, and best practices for MLOps (Machine Learning Operations) , ensuring models are scalable, reliable, and compliant.
Pilot Program Leadership: Develop and lead end-to-end development of initial proof-of-concept (POC) and pilot models , driving thorough validation, testing, and iteration to ensure quality, and managing the solution rollout, including cloud setup (Azure, AWS, GCP) and production deployment.
Development & Customization: Develop and lead model fine-tuning and prompt engineering for client-specific needs, overseeing the development of GenAI-powered applications and user-friendly interfaces.
C. Governance, Mentorship, and Compliance
Responsible AI: Lead efforts in responsible AI , establishing rigorous standards for documentation, monitoring, and auditing processes to ensure safeguards against bias, privacy breaches, and ethical outcomes.
Best Practice Governance: Establish standards for version control and manage model retraining and auditing processes, ensuring alignment with ethical and regulatory compliance.
Data Strategy: Define and govern reliable, ethical, and compliant data sourcing and management, ensuring data ingestion and structuring processes are optimized for advanced model training.
Team Enablement: Create and deliver specialized training programs to uplift the skills of our existing technical consultants in foundational data science, model interpretation, and AI ethics, promoting knowledge transfer and mentoring junior colleagues.
Required Qualifications and Experience
Technical & Foundational Requirements
Experience: 7+ years of progressive experience delivering machine learning or AI solutions, with at least 3 years in a leadership or principal-level role focused on strategy, architecture, and mentorship.
Education: Master's degree (or equivalent experience) in Data Science, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related quantitative field. A PhD is preferred.
Languages & Tools: Expert proficiency in Python (PyTorch, TensorFlow, HuggingFace) and SQL .
AI/ML Expertise: Deep understanding of a wide range of ML models (deep learning, NLP, time-series, clustering) and demonstrated accomplishments in GenAI models and approaches (LLMs, transformers, prompt engineering).
Deployment: Expert proficiency in ML pipelines and cloud-based deployment (AWS SageMaker, Azure ML, Google AI Platform), with experience integrating AI into enterprise applications via APIs.
Strategic & Leadership Requirements
B2G/Defense Experience (Strongly Preferred): Proven experience successfully applying data science solutions within the Department of Defense (DoD) or large Federal Civilian agencies.
Compliance Knowledge: Understanding of the unique data privacy, security, and compliance requirements (e.g., FedRAMP, CUI, DoD ILs ) and mapping technology to business goals under these regulations.
Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with proven ability to create and deliver high-quality executive reports, dashboards, and training.
Work Style: Independent thinker who can create the vision and execute on transforming data into high-end client products.
Benefits
Competitive salary with comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
Professional development and career advancement opportunities.
401k w/Match
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) participation
PTO & Paid Holidays
Reasonable Accommodations: Accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the role.
Teksouth values and engages in the diversity of its teammates, customers, and business partners.
EOE race/color/sex/sexual orientation/gender identity/disability/vet
www.teksouth.com
We are equal opportunity/affirmative action employers, committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under state or local law.
