Data Scientist (AI)

Promise • Oakland, CA

65d • Hybrid

About The Position

At Promise, we’re harnessing AI to make government services more accessible, efficient, and human-centered. As a Data Scientist (AI), you’ll experiment with and apply cutting-edge AI—from traditional ML models to the latest LLMs—to power applications that help families access essential services with dignity. You’ll work across domains like OCR, document understanding, and classification, while also building generalist models that improve efficiency and reduce manual operations. This role blends research and application: sourcing from leading vendors and open-source projects, fine-tuning where needed, and deploying models into production systems that directly impact millions of lives.

Requirements

• Experience: 5+ years in machine learning and statistical analysis; 1+ year working directly with deep learning or LLMs.
• Technical expertise: Hands-on experience with model training, fine-tuning, and validation for classification/regression tasks (ROC AUC, Precision, Recall, F1).
• Tools of the trade: Proficiency with frameworks like PyTorch, MLFlow, LightGBM, or similar.
• Mindset: Detail-oriented, rigorous, and adaptable—comfortable navigating a high-impact, evolving environment.
• Mission alignment: Passion for Promise’s work and a commitment to building ethical, transparent AI solutions.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in applied AI for fintech, govtech, or other regulated industries.

Responsibilities

• Experiment & build: Train, fine-tune, and evaluate ML models and LLMs for real-world government use cases.
• Apply AI in the field: Tackle challenges like OCR, document parsing, and classification to streamline services.
• Bridge research and impact: Source, adapt, and operationalize models from both open-source and vendor ecosystems.
• Improve efficiency: Enhance automation, reduce manual processes, and boost system performance across the platform.
• Shape the future: Push forward scalable, ethical AI solutions that redefine how people access public support.

Benefits

• 100% paid health coverage
• Generous PTO and sick leave
• Lunch, snacks, and coffee provided
• Company retreats
• Opportunities to travel and see the impact of your work
• Hybrid work: we deeply value in-person collaboration and are in-office at least 3 days a week, but are flexible on working from home

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed