AI Research Engineer Jobs in Arkansas
AI Research Engineer jobs in Arkansas are concentrated in Little Rock, Fayetteville, and Bentonville, where Walmart's global technology division, Dillard's, and the University of Arkansas system sustain steady demand for machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision specialists. Openings range from entry-level research roles at university-affiliated labs to senior positions building production AI systems for retail, logistics, and defense contractors with Arkansas footprints. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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We’re building a world of health around every individual — shaping a more connected, convenient and compassionate health experience. At CVS Health®, you’ll be surrounded by passionate colleagues who care deeply, innovate with purpose, hold ourselves accountable and prioritize safety and quality in everything we do. Join us and be part of something bigger – helping to simplify health care one person, one family and one community at a time.
Position Summary
CVS Health's Analytics & Behavior Change (A&BC) is an organization working to solve some of the most challenging problems at the intersection of technology and healthcare. A&BC leverages advanced analytics, machine learning, modeling, and a hypothesis-driven approach to transform data into actionable, customer-centric insights to drive growth, improve health outcomes and access to health care across all our businesses in CVS Health. Our data teams build next generation data and machine learning platforms and products in the cloud that help CVS Health to make healthier happen for 100+ million customers.
CVS Health is building the next generation of AI-powered tools that transform the fundamentals of claims service operations, including solutions such as AI-powered agentic claims advisor platform and auto adjudication systems and knowledge bases. We are looking for a Director, Product Management-AI Claims Platform to own this portfolio. You will set the “what” and “why” - define vision and roadmap, lead a team of Product Managers, each heading a dedicated cross-functional squad (agile development teams) to deliver measurable impact in a high-stakes enterprise environment.
This is a rare opportunity to own a flagship AI product in healthcare from strategy through delivery — partnering closely with Business executives, Operations teams, Enterprise technology, Data science and Engineering, with strong visibility to senior leadership. This role requires operating with a high degree of autonomy while maintaining credibility across the stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities:
Product Strategy & Vision (~40%)
- Own the product vision and multi-horizon roadmap for AI-powered claims decision-support and auto adjudication platform, identifying, shaping and prioritizing capabilities
- Translate complex, nuanced claims policies and business operational workflows into a clear, prioritized technology product strategy across Aetna’s commercial and government lines of businesses
- Ensure user-centric design and anchor the product strategy and scope to maximize impact and support future scaling
- Make confident, well-reasoned product decisions amid ambiguity, driving momentum and impact without waiting for perfect information
- Frame investment decisions and tradeoffs for senior executives in terms of measurable outcomes
Cross-functional leadership & operating model (~30%)
- Serve as the primary product voice across a highly matrixed enterprise, partnering with business, enterprise technology, data science and engineering, and program leadership.
- Shape how a fast-scaling product organization operates — clarifying roles, decision-making, and ways of working across product life cycle activities.
- Build durable, scalable partnerships with business and subject-matter experts to ensure alignment of vision
- Shape business case and supporting budgeting, investment committee review, and finance reporting processes
- Anticipate and resolve adjacent portfolio dependencies and competing priorities, keeping the broader effort aligned and moving.
- Be primary point of engagement for senior business stakeholders and tailor communication by audience and goals, whether aligning product strategy, driving commercial decisions, or unblocking delivery and anticipating misalignment before it surfaces
Impact delivery (~30%)
- Lead delivery across the portfolio including roadmap, prioritization, milestone, and impact accountability, through a team of product managers, setting clear direction and growing the team while stepping in to perform hands-on product responsibilities when needed
- Identify and resolve cross-squad and cross functional interdependencies and prioritization trade-offs
- Responsible for setting, measuring, and leading the team to accomplish product adoption, user change management and business impact goals
- Engage credibly in technical discussions, ensuring solution feasibility and traceability to business and customer requirements
- Partner closely with engineering and data science on the product’s intelligence engine, data foundations, validation and testing systems, coordinating resolution with broader Enterprise partners
Required Qualifications
- 10+ years in Product Management, with clear progression to Senior / Director-level scope and a track record of owning products end-to-end.
- 5+ years of experience turning complex, ambiguous policy or business rules into reliable product logic in partnership with subject-matter experts.
- 5+ years leading through influence in complex, matrixed organizations, creating clarity and momentum amid ambiguity.
- 3+ years’ hands-on experience building AI or other advanced-analytics powered workflow-automation products in real operational environments, including human-in-the-loop systems where accuracy and trust matter.
- 3+ years of experience with healthcare claims, adjudication systems, or other complex, policy-driven operational workflows.
- 3+ years demonstrating skills as a first-principles thinker who can get to the root of hard problems and translate them into a clear strategy executives can act on.
- 3+ years of exceptional executive communication — able to distill complex tradeoffs into crisp, compelling narratives for VP+ audiences.
Preferred Qualifications
- Familiarity with claims adjudication systems and business rules engines.
- Demonstrated ability to design and evolve how a product organization operates.
- Fluency with the latest ML and agentic approaches, with a clear point of view on where human oversight belongs, guardrails and evaluation strategy.
- Change-management and adoption-strategy experience for enterprise tools and software.
Education
- Bachelor's degree required, preferably in a quantitative, analytical, or technical field (e.g., Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Health Informatics, Economics, or related discipline).
- MBA or advanced degree preferred.
Pay Range
The typical pay range for this role is:
$144,200.00 - $288,400.00
This pay range represents the base hourly rate or base annual full-time salary for all positions in the job grade within which this position falls. The actual base salary offer will depend on a variety of factors including experience, education, geography and other relevant factors. This position is eligible for a CVS Health bonus, commission or short-term incentive program in addition to the base pay range listed above. This position also includes an award target in the company’s equity award program.
Our people fuel our future. Our teams reflect the customers, patients, members and communities we serve and we are committed to fostering a workplace where every colleague feels valued and that they belong.
Great benefits for great people
We take pride in offering a comprehensive and competitive mix of pay and benefits that reflects our commitment to our colleagues and their families.
This full‑time position is eligible for a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the physical, emotional, and financial well‑being of colleagues and their families. The benefits for this position include medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, retirement savings options, wellness programs, and other resources, based on eligibility.
Additional details about available benefits are provided during the application process and on Benefits Moments.
We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on: 07/25/2026
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state and local laws.
See All 16 AI Research Engineer Jobs in Arkansas
Find roles in Arkansas that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find AI Research Engineer JobsAI Research Engineer Jobs by City in Arkansas
Where Arkansas roles are concentrated, by current openings.
AI Research Engineer Job Market in Arkansas
A snapshot from current Arkansas openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Walmart4

- CVS Health4

- Tyson Foods Incorporated2

- Gitwit1
- UpLabs1U
Top Industries Hiring
- Healthcare & Medical Services5
- Retail4
- Food & Beverage2
What Arkansas Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in AI research engineer jobs across Arkansas.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, machine learning, or a related field
- Proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow
- Experience designing and training large-scale machine learning models
- Strong background in statistical modeling, linear algebra, and optimization methods
- Ability to deploy and monitor AI systems in cloud or on-premises production environments
- Familiarity with MLOps tooling, experiment tracking, and reproducible research practices
AI Research Engineer Jobs in Arkansas: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a ai research engineer in Arkansas?
Most Arkansas employers require at least a bachelor's degree in computer science, mathematics, or a closely related field, with a master's degree preferred for research-focused roles. There is no state-issued license specific to AI research engineering in Arkansas. Candidates typically build a portfolio of published or documented projects, contribute to open-source work, and pursue industry certifications in cloud platforms. The University of Arkansas and Arkansas State University offer graduate programs that feed directly into in-state research and industry positions.
Which companies hire ai research engineers in Arkansas?
Employers hiring ai research engineers in Arkansas right now include Walmart, CVS Health, and Tyson Foods Incorporated, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. Arkansas's retail technology ecosystem, anchored in the Bentonville corridor, creates recurring demand for applied AI research roles alongside more traditional software engineering positions.
Which Arkansas cities have the most ai research engineer jobs?
Bentonville, Arkansas, and Little Rock account for the largest share of ai research engineer openings in Arkansas. Bentonville and Fayetteville benefit from Walmart's global technology headquarters and the University of Arkansas research infrastructure, while Little Rock draws demand through state government technology initiatives and regional financial and healthcare institutions that are investing in AI capabilities.
Are there remote ai research engineer jobs in Arkansas?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 50% of ai research engineer openings tied to Arkansas are remote or hybrid as of July 2026, reflecting how naturally this work translates to distributed teams. Modeling, experimentation, and code review are the tasks most commonly performed remotely, while roles involving proprietary hardware or closely integrated product teams tend to require some on-site presence.
How can I get hired as a ai research engineer in Arkansas with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a research assistant or junior data scientist role at the University of Arkansas or Arkansas State University, where labs actively hire candidates with strong coursework but limited industry experience. Walmart's Bentonville technology teams and regional healthcare systems like Baptist Health have brought on associate-level candidates who transition from data analyst or software engineering roles. Building a documented project portfolio, completing a cloud certification, and contributing to an open-source ML repository meaningfully improve a candidate's standing without requiring prior job titles.
Where can I find and apply to ai research engineer jobs in Arkansas?
You can find and apply to ai research engineer jobs in Arkansas on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings across the state. Search the available roles, identify the ones that match your background and preferences, and apply directly to the employers posting them.
See All 16 AI Research Engineer Jobs in Arkansas
Find roles in Arkansas that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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