AI Engineer (Contract)

Position OverviewAbout AERDF

AERDF (Advanced Education Research & Development Fund) is a national nonprofit organization launched in 2021 that advances scientific discovery & inventions that further learners’ brilliance and transform their PreK-12 futures. AERDF’s ambitious three-to-five-year initiatives (known as programs), funded with budgets up to $25 million, address major teaching and learning challenges and opportunities the public and private sector have historically ignored for Black and Latino learners and learners experiencing poverty in the United States. Since AERDF’s launch, its programs – currently focused on math, formative assessment, and reading – have engaged more than 20,000 students. Learn more about AERDF and our programs at https://aerdf.org.
Assessment for Good (AFG), which sits within AERDF, is an Inclusive R&D program focused on dramatically improving conditions for the academic, emotional, and social wellbeing of learners aged 8 through 13, with a special focus on Black and Latinx populations. By leveraging an asset-based approach to assessment, relevant information that values the diversity of student and educator experiences can be used to create an environment that is rich in opportunities to thrive.

Role Summary

AFG is currently organized around a set of technical prototypes and tech-free solutions spanning six core areas of learner wellbeing (Emotional Development, Engagement, Belonging, Executive Function, Learning Time, Social Development). Generating insights is at the heart of AFG’s work. AFG is building prototypes to generate insights to change the field of learning science. We are seeking a contract AI Engineer to help advance this work within the Product Team.

You will help drive the development of our AI-powered product in close collaboration with our Associate Director of Engineering and Director of Strategy. You’ll be responsible for translating the vision of the product release outlined in project briefs into a reality by working with the product manager, designers, and other engineers. You’ll work with our Senior Data Manager to prioritize student privacy and AI ethics principles in every product decision. You’ll collaborate closely with our Research team to ensure that the product effectively supports assessment measurement.

A few notes about what makes product development at AERDF and AFG unique:

• As an R&D program, product development is driven by research hypotheses. The purpose of our products is to generate insights to advance the field of learning sciences. This means that our product goals and metrics are tied to AFG’s ability to gather insights toward the program’s research hypotheses.
• As an inclusive R&D program, there are many different types of stakeholders involved in each part of the product development process: academic researchers, learners, educators, caregivers, designers, engineers, psychometricians, and more. The product development process requires close collaboration with all these different types of stakeholders.
• We take student data privacy seriously at AERDF and hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards. Therefore, all data collection activities for product development are governed by IRB and follow strict protocols to maintain student privacy.

AERDF is a fully remote organization, and employees may work anywhere in the United States.

We are deeply committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. People of all backgrounds and identities, particularly those with the lived experience of the students and communities we serve, are encouraged to apply. Please do not hesitate to apply even if you do not meet all of the qualifications.

Core ResponsibilitiesRoles and Responsibilities

• Support end to end development of the AI solution in alignment with product goals, including both development of AI algorithms and models, and system architecture
• Conduct research to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in AI and educational technology
• Debug, troubleshoot, and resolve issues related to AI algorithms and software
• Document processes, methodologies, and code to ensure maintainability and knowledge transfer
• Serve as a thought partner on product strategy to ensure they meet the dual goals around being an effective assessment and providing a delightful and safe user experience for students
• Communicate development status, challenges, and updates to stakeholders
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including contract product manager, UX designers, other engineers, and product strategy consultants to define product requirements and deliverables

Professional Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related field
• Proven experience in developing LLM and GenAI solutions
• Strong programming skills in Python or similar languages
• Proven ability to work autonomously, meeting deadlines and delivering independently and collaboratively cross-functionally
• Preferably experience building 0-1 products, working with Black and Latinx communities, or experience in K-12 education
• Preferably experience with cloud computing platforms like AWS
• Preferably have deep understanding of ethical considerations in AI and education

Personal Characteristics

• Mission-driven and believe deeply in the transformative power that asset-based paradigms can have in disrupting educational inequity
• Commitment to developing ethical and fair AI products that prioritize data privacy
• Comfort navigating ambiguity and entrepreneurial drive to achieve goals in a fast-paced environment
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, particularly through productivity tools (Slack, Asana, Figma, Jira, Airtable)
• Demonstrated ability to be resourceful, curious, and innovative
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve product challenges