AI Specialist Jobs in Illinois

INTRODUCTION

ZS is a place where passion changes lives. As a management consulting and technology firm focused on improving life and how we live it, we transform ideas into impact by bringing together data, science, technology and human ingenuity to deliver better outcomes for all. Here you’ll work side-by-side with a powerful collective of thinkers and experts shaping life-changing solutions for patients, caregivers and consumers, worldwide. ZSers drive impact by bringing a client-first mentality to each and every engagement. We partner collaboratively with our clients to develop custom solutions and technology products that create value and deliver company results across critical areas of their business. Bring your curiosity for learning, bold ideas, courage and passion to drive life-changing impact to ZS.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Engineering Specialist - Gen AI and ML

ZS's Scaled AI practice is part of ZS's rich and advanced AI ecosystem, in the Architecture & Engineering Expertise Center, focused on creating continuous business value for clients using a range of innovative machine learning, deep learning, and engineering capabilities.

Being part of Scaled AI practice allows you to collaborate and create state-of-the-art AI models, create and use cutting-edge AI & ML platforms, create and deploy advanced AI & ML pipelines and manage the complete lifecycle.

What You’ll Do:

• Oversee task planning and workload distribution across project teams
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to clients, translating complex AI/ML concepts into clear recommendations
• Manage client expectations throughout the project lifecycle
• Lead and mentor junior team members
• Facilitate technical discussions with both internal teams and client stakeholders to drive decision-making and ensure project success
• Work with technical architects on the team to validate design and implementation approach
• Take ownership of architecture design and development of scalable and distributed software systems
• Own technical execution, ensuring code quality, adherence to deadlines, and efficient resource allocation
• Data driven decision making skills with focus on achieving product goals
• Design, develop and deploy LLM based pipelines involving patterns like RAG, Agentic workflows, PEFT (e.g. LORA, QLORA, etc.)
• Responsible for the complete software development lifecycle, including requirements analysis, design, coding, testing, and deployment
• Utilize AWS services/ Azure services like IAM, Monitoring, Load Balancing, Autoscaling, Database, Networking, storage, ECR, AKS, ACR etc.
• Utilize Databricks capabilities, esp. Unity Catalog and be able to architect the governance layer from data all-the-way to the AI model output
• Design, develop and deploy prompt and response guardrails to enable responsible AI requirements
• Implement DevOps practices using tools like Docker, Kubernetes to ensure continuous integration and delivery. Develop DevOps scripts for automation and monitoring
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, conduct code reviews, and provide guidance on software design and best practices

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree or Master's degree in computer science, Information Technology, or a related field (or equivalent work experience)
• 6+ years of relevant experience
• Strong coding skills with proficiency in Python and Javascript
• Experience with API frameworks both stateless and stateful such as Fast API, Django
• Proficient in cloud platforms, specifically AWS, Databricks and Azure
• Proficient in Infra-as-Code, esp. focused on developing Terraform scripts and Cloudformation
• Knowledge and hands-on experience with front-end development (React JS, Next JS, Tailwind CSS) preferred
• Strong experience in LLM patterns like RAG, Vector DB, Hybrid Search, Agent development, Agentic workflows, prompt engineering, etc.
• Strong experience with LLM APIs (Open AI, Anthropic, AWS Bedrock), SDKs (Langchain, DSPy)
• Hands-on experience with DevOps tools including Docker, Kubernetes, and AWS services (Redshift, RDS, S3)
• Hands-on experience with Databricks solutions including Unity Catalog
• Experience in production deployments involving thousands of users, esp with capabilities like Redis, Vector Search, etc.
• Strong understanding of scalable application design principles and experience with security best practices and compliance with privacy regulations
• Good knowledge of software engineering practices like version control (GIT), DevOps (Azure DevOps preferred) and Agile or Scrum
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to effectively convey complex technical concepts to a diverse audience
• Experience of SDLC and best practices while development
• Experience with Agile methodology for continuous product development and delivery
• Fluency in English
• Client-first mentality
• Intense work ethic
• Collaborative spirit and problem-solving approach

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

How you’ll grow:

• Cross-functional skills development & custom learning pathways
• Milestone training programs aligned to career progression opportunities
• Internal mobility paths that empower growth via s-curves, individual contribution and role expansions

Perks & Benefits:

At ZS, your growth matters. We offer a comprehensive total rewards package that supports your health and well-being, financial future, time away, and professional development. With robust skills-building programs, multiple career progression paths, internal mobility, and a deeply collaborative culture, you’ll have the opportunity to do meaningful work, expand your capabilities, and thrive as part of a global community. For details on total rewards in United States, visit ZS US office locations | Where we work | ZS.

Hybrid working model:

We are committed to giving our employees a flexible and connected way of working. A flexible and connected ZS allows us to combine work from home and on-site presence at clients/ZS offices for the majority of our week. The magic of ZS culture and innovation thrives in both planned and spontaneous face-to-face connections.

Travel:

Travel is a requirement at ZS for client facing ZSers; business needs of your project and client are the priority. While some projects may be local, all client-facing ZSers should be prepared to travel as needed. Travel provides opportunities to strengthen client relationships, gain diverse experiences, and enhance professional growth by working in different environments and cultures.

Considering applying?

At ZS, we honor the visible and invisible elements of our identities, personal experiences, and belief systems—the ones that comprise us as individuals, shape who we are, and make us unique. We believe your personal interests, identities, and desire to learn are integral to your success here. We are committed to building a team that reflects a broad variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Learn more about our inclusion and belonging efforts and the networks ZS supports to assist our ZSers in cultivating community spaces and obtaining the resources they need to thrive.

If you’re eager to grow, contribute, and bring your unique self to our work, we encourage you to apply.

ZS is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment and advancement opportunities without regard to any class protected by applicable law.

To complete your application:

Candidates must possess or be able to obtain work authorization for their intended country of employment. An online application, including a full set of transcripts (official or unofficial), is required to be considered.

NO AGENCY CALLS, PLEASE.