AI Data Engineer--LLMs / Agentic Systems

Pfizer • Cambridge, MA

1d • $106,000 - $171,500 • Hybrid

About The Position

In this innovative role, you will combine cutting-edge software engineering with artificial intelligence to build next-generation knowledge work automation tools that directly impact pharmaceutical research outcomes. You will work at the forefront of applied AI, collaborating closely with Medicinal Chemists and Biomedical Scientists to design, develop, and deploy intelligent systems that enhance productivity and accelerate decision-making in drug discovery. This is a unique opportunity to bridge modern web technologies with Large Language Model (LLM) capabilities, creating intuitive user experiences that solve real-world scientific challenges. As you deliver core solutions, you'll have the exciting opportunity to contribute to pioneering research in semantic frameworks that benchmark and expand the understanding of concepts and semantic similarity in LLMs.

Requirements

• PhD in in Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline OR Master’s degree and 2+ years of experience building AI powered research applications
• Strong technical problem solving skills with ability to translate complex scientific requirements into elegant technical solutions
• 2+ years of programming experience in Python and TypeScript with experience building production-quality software
• Portfolio of production-grade full stack applications with Python backends and React frontends (GitHub portfolio required)
• Experience with modern web frameworks including backend frameworks (FastAPI) and frontend frameworks (React.js)
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills with experience working effectively in cross-functional teams
• Strong communications skills—written, verbal and presentation

Nice To Haves

• Background or demonstrated interest in life sciences, pharmaceutical research, drug discovery, or cheminformatics
• Hands-on experience with LLM frameworks and libraries (OpenAI API, Hugging Face Transformers, Anthropic Claude)
• Practical knowledge of prompt engineering, LLM optimization techniques, and best practices for building LLM-powered applications
• Experience building conversational AI interfaces, chatbots, or agentic systems with autonomous decision-making capabilities
• Familiarity with vector databases and semantic search technologies for similarity search and retrieval
• Familiarity with MongoDB, PostgreSQL or other modern database technologies for data persistence and retrieval
• Demonstrated experience implementing, training, fine-tuning, or applying deep learning models to natural language processing or computer vision problems using PyTorch
• Experience with AWS cloud infrastructure and services (EC2, S3, CloudFormation, RDS) and DevOps best practices
• Knowledge of containerization and orchestration tools (e.g. Docker) for scalable application deployment
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and deployment automation tools (GitHub Actions, Jenkins, GitLab CI)

Responsibilities

• Design and implementation of production-grade full stack applications that seamlessly integrate LLM and AI capabilities into scientific workflows, enabling researchers to leverage cutting-edge artificial intelligence in their daily work
• Direct collaboration with medicinal chemists, biomedical researchers, and domain experts to deeply understand requirements, translate scientific challenges into technical solutions, and deliver intuitive, user-centric applications
• Development of scalable backend services using Python frameworks for data processing, embedding generation, vector search, and LLM orchestration that power AI-driven research tools
• Creation of responsive, modern frontend interfaces using React and TypeScript that provide exceptional user experiences and dramatically enhance researcher productivity
• Implementation of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems, conversational AI interfaces, and agentic LLM architectures that automate knowledge work in pharmaceutical research
• Deployment and maintenance of production systems on AWS cloud infrastructure with emphasis on reliability, performance, scalability, and optimal user experience
• Rapid iteration and continuous improvement based on user feedback, evolving scientific needs, and emerging AI/LLM capabilities
• Integration of semantic search technologies, vector databases and embedding models to enable intelligent information retrieval
• Contribution to the development of novel semantic frameworks and conceptual research that advances AI-driven knowledge systems for drug discovery
• Strengthen cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing through clear communication, documentation, and engagement with the broader research community

Benefits

• this position is eligible for participation in Pfizer’s Global Performance Plan with a bonus target of 15.0% of the base salary and eligibility to participate in our share based long term incentive program
• We offer comprehensive and generous benefits and programs to help our colleagues lead healthy lives and to support each of life’s moments.
• Benefits offered include a 401(k) plan with Pfizer Matching Contributions and an additional Pfizer Retirement Savings Contribution, paid vacation, holiday and personal days, paid caregiver/parental and medical leave, and health benefits to include medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree