AI Engineer, Remote - HUD Environmental Data Models

Annapurna Solutions LLC, based in the University of Houston Innovation Center, is a cutting-edge software company dedicated to providing custom Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning solutions to public agencies. We specialize in developing innovative technologies that solve complex challenges and drive efficiency for our partners in critical sectors.

The Opportunity:

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated AI Engineer to join our dynamic team. This remote position offers a unique opportunity to contribute directly to impactful projects that leverage AI to streamline critical government processes, specifically within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in building advanced AI models designed to accelerate and enhance environmental reviews for housing initiatives, particularly those involving offsite construction.

Key Responsibilities:

Design, develop, and deploy robust AI and machine learning models to process and analyze large, complex environmental datasets from HUD.

Focus on building models for initial environmental screenings of housing projects, incorporating geographic data and known environmental hazards.

Develop algorithms to automatically check submitted documents and data for adherence to HUD environmental regulations and compliance standards (e.g., as outlined in the Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP) Guide).

Integrate AI solutions with existing systems, including the HUD Environmental Review Online System (HEROS), and leverage historical environmental review records.

Collaborate closely with subject matter experts in housing policy, urban planning, environmental science, and offsite construction to refine model requirements and interpret results.

Perform data preprocessing, feature engineering, and model validation using a variety of statistical and machine learning techniques.

Contribute to the continuous improvement of model performance, accuracy, and efficiency.

Document model architecture, development processes, and deployment guidelines.

Required Qualifications:

PhD or Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science, or a related quantitative field.

Proven experience (3+ years) as an AI Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer, or Data Scientist with a strong portfolio of deployed models.

Demonstrable prior experience working with HUD datasets, housing data, spatial data, and/or environmental data.

Proficiency in programming languages commonly used in AI/ML (e.g., Python, R) and relevant libraries (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, Pandas, NumPy, GeoPandas).

Experience with geospatial analysis tools and libraries is highly desirable.

Familiarity with database management and querying (SQL, NoSQL).

Strong understanding of machine learning principles, algorithms (e.g., classification, regression, clustering, NLP, computer vision), and best practices for model development and deployment.

Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to translate complex business problems into AI/ML solutions.

Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in a remote team environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) for MLOps and data processing.

Knowledge of federal government data security and privacy regulations.

Familiarity with environmental impact assessments or regulatory compliance.

Experience with Natural Language Processing (NLP) for document understanding and information extraction.

Benefits:

Competitive salary.

Opportunity to work on impactful projects that directly contribute to public service.

Flexible remote work environment.

Collaborate with a team of leading experts in AI, housing, and urban development.

Professional development opportunities.

To Apply:

Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume and a cover letter detailing their relevant experience, particularly with HUD, housing, geo-spatial, or environmental data. Please include "AI Engineer - HUD Environmental Data" in the subject line.

Annapurna Solutions LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.