AI and Data Engineer (DC Area)

Reingold•Alexandria, VA

46d•Hybrid

About The Position

Reingold is a full-service marketing and creative firm in Alexandria, VA. For more than 40 years, we've been driven by a simple mission: to help organizations -- whether in the government, nonprofit, or business sector -- as they strive to make the world a better place. We hire top-notch talent to develop and launch compelling, inventive communications campaigns, leveraging the latest technology and digital media strategies that enable our clients to meet their audiences where they are. We're proud to say we've built a team of curious, passionate pros - from marketers and tech wizards to designers and strategists - who love what they do and bring their A-game every day. We take our work seriously, but not ourselves. We believe great ideas come from collaboration, humor, and a little bit of fun along the way. When you work at Reingold, you get more than a job, you get a community. We offer competitive salaries, a comprehensive benefits package, a dynamic hybrid work environment, a vibrant workplace and growth opportunities in a variety of specialty areas. That means when we find great people (and they find us), they stick around for the long term. That's where you come in. We're looking for someone with real-world experience in cloud engineering and the confidence to work independently on core infrastructure tasks. You don't need to be a domain expert, but you should be hungry to learn, comfortable navigating unfamiliar systems, and confident in your ability to figure things out. At Reingold, Google Cloud engineering isn't just a support function; it's a key part of how we deliver innovative, AI-powered solutions for our clients. You'll use a code-first approach to build and manage Google Cloud infrastructure for advanced conversational AI applications, working with cross-functional teams to build systems that are secure, scalable, and repeatable. You'll also implement robust CI/CD pipelines for deploying applications, and leverage Google Cloud's suite to help teams own their services in production, spot issues early, and fix them fast. This is a hybrid role, requiring at least two days per week on site at Reingold's headquarters in Alexandria, VA, or our office Raleigh, NC.

Requirements

Active Public Trust clearance or ability to obtain one.
Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, web development, data science, or a related field - or equivalent formal training in AI/ML or software engineering through an accredited program or immersive training.
Experience designing, building, and tuning chatbots or virtual agents (e.g., Dialogflow CX, AWS Lex, Azure Bot Service), integrating them with data sources, and deploying within major cloud platforms.
Strong Python programming skills, including use of libraries such as pandas, numpy, transformers, and tools for API integration or workflow automation.
Familiarity with building, integrating, or customizing AI/ML models using frameworks and APIs (e.g., OpenAI API, Hugging Face, LangChain, TensorFlow, or PyTorch).
Understanding of NLP fundamentals such as tokenization, embeddings, retrieval augmented generation (RAG), and fine-tuning.
Proficiency with version control (Git) and effective collaboration in team-based development environments.
Understanding of cloud administration fundamentals - including networking, IAM, and security best practices.
Ability to quickly learn new tools and independently implement functional prototypes.
Ability to work independently with minimal oversight while adapting to shifting priorities.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with managing APIs through an API gateway, including setting up proxies and authentication policies.
Experience working with Google Cloud Platform AI and data services such as Vertex Search, DialogFlow, and BigQuery.
Excellent problem-solving instincts and a curiosity-driven mindset, especially around performance, reliability, and automation.
Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with developers, engineers, project managers, leadership, and clients.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and maintain conversational AI solutions using cloud services (e.g., Google Cloud Vertex AI, AWS Bedrock, Azure Cognitive Services) and chatbot frameworks such as Dialogflow CX, integrating them with relevant data sources.
Research and identify opportunities for AI integration in both internal processes and client-facing products; evaluate model performance and recommend improvements based on data analysis.
Design and prototype AI-powered tools and workflows using Python and libraries such as Hugging Face Transformers, LangChain, or OpenAI APIs, including fine-tuning or customizing existing models for specific business needs.
Collaborate with development teams to integrate, manage, and secure a suite of cloud APIs and services (e.g., search/discovery engines, object storage, and large-scale data analytics platforms) to ensure efficient data flow.
Develop and manage API proxies, security policies, and integration pipelines between backend services and client-facing applications.
Maintain documentation for scripts, workflows, integrations, and proof-of-concept applications aligned with operational standards.
Stay current with emerging AI/ML frameworks, APIs, and techniques in cloud and AI ecosystems.
Perform ad hoc technical tasks as needed, based on evolving priorities and your skills.