Principal Data Scientist

PLEASE REVIEW IN DETAILS AS CANDIDATES WILL NEED TO HAVE THE FOLLOWING SKILLS (NO EXCEPTIONS):
- Education: Master's or PhD Preferred
- 6-12+ years in Data Science / ML Engineering, with deep experience in LLM-based systems.
Proven experience building multi-agent architectures (planner-executor, tool-use agents, ReAct-style reasoning).
Strong background in RAG, embeddings, retrieval optimization, and evaluation.
Expertise in NLP, transformers, deep learning, and model fine-tuning.
Proficiency with PyTorch, HuggingFace, LangChain/LlamaIndex, RAG, Kubernetes, and vector databases.
Experience designing production-grade ML systems with monitoring, evaluation, and observability.
Description
TEKsystems is partnered with a software company in Raleigh that needs to hire a Senior Data Scientist for their flagship product, a leading global provider of information and analytics. Recently our client has focused on the general availability of their product for U.S. customers, a generative AI solution designed to transform legal work. Their product delivers trusted results in a familiar, easy-to-use interface with linked hallucination-free legal citations that combine the power of generative AI with proprietary search technology, Shepard's Citations functionality, and authoritative content.
This role leads the design and development of an advanced multi-agent AI platform that powers intelligent research, drafting, and reasoning capabilities for large-scale enterprise knowledge environments. You will architect agent frameworks, optimize retrieval-augmented generation pipelines, fine-tune language models, and build the infrastructure that enables AI systems to collaborate, plan, and execute complex tasks reliably. The work directly shapes the next generation of AI-driven professional tools used by experts in high-stakes domains.
Core Responsibilities
Architect and implement multi-agent systems capable of planning, tool use, and coordinated task execution.
Design and optimize RAG pipelines including embeddings, hybrid retrieval, reranking, and context-window strategies.
Fine-tune and evaluate small, medium, and large language models for domain-specific reasoning and summarization.
Develop prompt engineering frameworks, guardrails, and automated evaluation suites for agent reliability.
Build scalable ML services and APIs for production deployment in distributed environments.
Collaborate with product, engineering, and domain experts to translate complex workflows into agentic AI solutions.
Establish best practices for model evaluation, observability, safety, and compliance.
Mentor DS/ML engineers and contribute to long-term AI strategy and architecture.
Required Expertise
6-12+ years in Data Science / ML Engineering, with deep experience in LLM-based systems.
Proven experience building agentic architectures (planner-executor, tool-use agents, ReAct-style reasoning).
Strong background in RAG, embeddings, retrieval optimization, and evaluation.
Expertise in NLP, transformers, deep learning, and model fine-tuning.
Proficiency with PyTorch, HuggingFace, LangChain/LlamaIndex, Ray, Kubernetes, and vector databases.
Experience designing production-grade ML systems with monitoring, evaluation, and observability.
Strong communication skills and ability to lead technical direction.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in enterprise search, knowledge management, or high-compliance domains.
Experience with model distillation, LoRA/QLoRA, PEFT, and model compression.
Experience building evaluation frameworks for hallucination, grounding, and agent reliability.
Familiarity with knowledge graphs, symbolic reasoning, or hybrid neuro-symbolic systems.
Publications, patents, or open-source contributions in LLMs or agent systems.
Strong coding skills in Python 7+ years
Be a natural problem solver, able to take a lead in collaborating to resolve issues
Proficiency in IDE debugging : VSCODE and PYCHARM
Have communication skills
5+ years of experience in AI and machine learning
Deep understanding of machine learning algorithms, classification models, diagnostic testing of models
Experience working directly and Transformer based architectures including BERT, RoBERTa, T5 etc. Nd familiarity with large language models and fine tuning
Experience with conversational search / semantic search, reinforcement learning, prompt engineering, hallucination mitigation
Working understanding of the business risks associated with applying LLM (LangChain) in a business
Experience working with AWS, RAG, SageMaker, SQL
Skills
Python, Data science, Machine learning, Artificial intelligence
Top Skills Details
Python,Data science,Machine learning,Artificial intelligence
Additional Skills & Qualifications
NA
Experience Level
Expert Level
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Raleigh, NC.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $75.00 - $90.00/hr.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a fully remote position.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Jul 31, 2026.

About TEKsystems

We're partners in transformation. We help clients activate ideas and solutions to take advantage of a new world of opportunity. We are a team of 80,000 strong, working with over 6,000 clients, including 80% of the Fortune 500, across North America, Europe and Asia. As an industry leader in Full-Stack Technology Services, Talent Services, and real-world application, we work with progressive leaders to drive change. That's the power of true partnership. TEKsystems is an Allegis Group company.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regards to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

About TEKsystems and TEKsystems Global Services

We're a leading provider of business and technology services. We accelerate business transformation for our customers. Our expertise in strategy, design, execution and operations unlocks business value through a range of solutions. We're a team of 80,000 strong, working with over 6,000 customers, including 80% of the Fortune 500 across North America, Europe and Asia, who partner with us for our scale, full-stack capabilities and speed. We're strategic thinkers, hands-on collaborators, helping customers capitalize on change and master the momentum of technology. We're building tomorrow by delivering business outcomes and making positive impacts in our global communities. TEKsystems and TEKsystems Global Services are Allegis Group companies. Learn more at TEKsystems.com.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.