Senior Applied AI Engineer II

Saint-Gobain Innovation North America is seeking a Senior Applied AI Engineer II to turn consequential R&D, industrial, scientific, and business challenges into production-ready AI and digital solutions. This senior individual contributor will work directly with domain experts to determine where AI can create credible value, shape the solution architecture, and build systems that succeed in real operating environments.

This hands-on, forward-deployed role brings together scientists, engineers, industrial teams, business stakeholders, IT, data, MLOps, cybersecurity, architecture, and platform teams. It offers the opportunity to take solutions beyond experimentation through deployment, adoption, and sustained use while establishing reusable approaches for future work. Success means delivering useful, reliable systems that improve workflows and are built to last.

The role will:

• Discover and frame high-value problems by working with domain experts and users to understand workflows, decisions, operating conditions, available data, and the practical role AI should play.

• Translate ambiguous needs into technical requirements, solution architectures, delivery plans, and measurable outcomes. Select appropriate approaches and design effective human-and-AI workflows in which accountable domain experts retain key decisions.

• Design, build, integrate, test, deploy, and support production AI, machine learning, data, automation, and software components using Python, APIs, data pipelines, Git-based development, CI/CD, documentation, observability, and maintainable engineering practices.

• Engineer reliable generative AI and large language model systems using RAG, vector search, prompt and orchestration patterns, agentic workflows, evaluation, guardrails, source traceability, qualified human review, and reliability monitoring.

• Integrate solutions with enterprise data, databases, dashboards, web applications, on-premises or cloud infrastructure, and approved services in partnership with IT, data, MLOps, cybersecurity, architecture, and platform teams.

• Evaluate quality, reliability, usability, limitations, and workflow impact. Protect sensitive information, use approved environments, follow applicable information-protection, security, legal, export-control, and data-governance requirements, and communicate when AI is not the right solution.

• Drive deployment, demonstrations, user adoption, documentation, training, knowledge transfer, operational handoff, and continuous improvement. Communicate progress, tradeoffs, risks, value, and next steps clearly to technical and business audiences.

• Create reusable reference architectures, templates, evaluation methods, integration patterns, and deployment playbooks. Provide technical guidance and mentor junior engineers, data scientists, interns, and project contributors.

Assignments may begin as ambiguous workflow or business problems. The engineer will identify the underlying constraint, distinguish a compelling demonstration from a production-ready capability, and adapt the plan as evidence, risks, platform readiness, and user needs become clearer.

Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree plus 12 years of experience, Master’s degree plus 7 years of experience, or PhD plus 3 years of experience in Software Engineering, Data Science, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

• Demonstrated hands-on delivery of production software, data, AI/ML, analytics, automation, or generative AI solutions in industrial, enterprise, R&D, or customer-facing environments, beyond notebooks and proofs of concept.

• Strong Python and software-engineering skills, including maintainable code, modular design, APIs, data pipelines, testing, Git-based development, and technical documentation.

• Demonstrated experience engineering generative AI and large language model systems using RAG, vector search, orchestration patterns, agentic workflows, model and prompt evaluation, guardrails, and reliability monitoring.

• Experience integrating solutions with enterprise data sources, databases, dashboards, web applications, on-premises or cloud infrastructure, and applicable security and data-governance controls.

• Demonstrated ability to lead stakeholder discovery, map workflows, and translate ambiguous needs into technical requirements, architectures, delivery plans, success measures, and adoption plans.

• Ability to explain architecture, risks, tradeoffs, limitations, and value clearly to scientists, engineers, industrial teams, business stakeholders, IT, cybersecurity, and leadership.

• Technical leadership across ambiguous projects, with sound engineering judgment, hands-on implementation, cross-team coordination, and the ability to adjust scope and approach as conditions change.

• Demonstrated experience moving solutions from prototype to sustained use, including monitoring, operational handoff, user adoption, continuous improvement, and measurable workflow impact.

• Experience mentoring less-experienced engineers, data scientists, interns, or project contributors in sound engineering, documentation, evaluation, and deployment practices.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with cloud platforms, containers, CI/CD, MLOps or LLMOps, observability, or regulated or high-confidentiality data environments.

• Experience in manufacturing, industrial R&D, scientific R&D, process engineering, or technical consulting environments.

• Familiarity with one or more relevant specializations, such as computer vision, optimization, simulation workflows, IoT, laboratory or plant data, knowledge graphs, or enterprise search.

• Ability to learn new scientific, manufacturing, or business domains quickly. Materials-science experience is helpful but not required.

Certain locations require pay information be provided in job postings. Saint-Gobain aims to deliver a comprehensive Total Rewards package to support our employees’ wellbeing and help improve daily life for themselves and their families. We believe in the importance of pay transparency in what we offer potential candidates. Provided is the national pay range for this position which is $102,000 to $158,000 per year. However, the base pay offered may vary depending on geographic region, internal equity, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors.

In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for an annual bonus. The targeted bonus amount is 13% of base salary based on company and individual performance measures. The Total Target Cash range (base pay and annual bonus) for this position, is $115,260 to $178,540. Bonus payments are part of variable compensation and by nature can vary based on company and individual performance and is not a guarantee.

At Saint-Gobain/CertainTeed, our employees have pride in belonging to an organization whose culture is made up of these core values: Trust, Empowerment, & Collaboration. Our company encourages diversity and inclusion in all its forms while our products make the world a more beautiful, safer, and sustainable home.

Being a worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain/CertainTeed designs, manufactures, and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction, and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group’s commitment is guided by its purpose, “Making the World a Better Home."

Saint-Gobain provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Saint-Gobain is an equal opportunity employer of individuals with disabilities and supports the hiring of veterans.

Applicants for roles based in Washington state or remote roles that would be worked from Washington state are encouraged to direct any concerns regarding the state’s Pay Transparency laws to the SGNA HR Compliance team at [email protected] .

Certain locations require pay information be provided in job postings. Saint-Gobain aims to deliver a comprehensive Total Rewards package to support our employees’ wellbeing and help improve daily life for themselves and their families. We believe in the importance of pay transparency in what we offer potential candidates. Provided is the national pay range for this position which is $102,000 to $158,000 per year. However, the base pay offered may vary depending on geographic region, internal equity, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors.

In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for an annual bonus. The targeted bonus amount is 13% of base salary based on company and individual performance measures. The Total Target Cash range (base pay and annual bonus) for this position, is $115,260 to $178,540. Bonus payments are part of variable compensation and by nature can vary based on company and individual performance and is not a guarantee.

Saint-Gobain is committed to helping you and your family be well in all aspects of your life. Be Well. Be You brings together inclusive programs and meaningful resources to support all aspects of your physical, emotional, financial, and social well-being. Employees have the flexibility to choose the benefits that best fit their individual needs.

• Health and Well-being – Supporting your wellbeing, to thrive in life and work.

• Medical, Prescription Drug, Vision, and Dental Insurance

• Healthcare Saving Account and Flexible Spending Account options

• LiveWell Wellness Program

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• Paid Time Off and Paid Parental Leave Retirement and Protection - Helping to make the future life you want a reality.

• 401(k) with Company Match, Retirement Accumulation Plan (RAP) Cash Balance Pension Plan

• Company-provided Life Insurance, AD&D, Short-Term Disability

• Voluntary employee and dependent life insurance, Long-Term Disability, Critical Illness and

• Accident Insurance

• Additional Benefits – Helping shape the experience and impact you want

• Group Legal

• Identity Theft Protection

• Auto and Home Insurance

• Pet Insurance and Discounts

• Back-up Child and Elder Care

• PerkSpot Employee Discount Program

• Volunteer Day