AI Developer Student Assistant - Digital Research and Transformation Hub

Department
Digital Research Transformation Hub

Campus Location
Wichita, KS - WSU Main Campus

Hire Type
Part Time

Pay
$14 - 20 per hour

Work Schedule
Based on class schedule

Export Compliance Requirement
This position requires access to EAR or ITAR controlled technologies. Applicants are required to be eligible for employment under U.S. export control laws and must meet the requirement of being a “U.S. Citizen”.

Job Story
The AI Developer Student Assistant will work directly with the research development team to support the design, development, and deployment of AI/ML applications and infrastructure. This role offers hands-on experience with modern AI technologies including Large Language Models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems, cloud infrastructure, and containerized applications. The ideal candidate will contribute to real production systems while learning industry best practices in AI development, DevOps, and cybersecurity.

Job Summary
A student assistant will carry out administrative and technical tasks requested by a supervisor. Depending on the area the student assistant is employed in, they may assist and mentor other students or provide support throughout the campus in various forms.

Job Duties
• Assist in developing and testing RAG-based chatbot solutions and AI applications
• Support deployment and maintenance of containerized applications using Docker and orchestration tools
• Help implement CI/CD pipelines and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices
• Assist with data pipeline development and database operations (PostgreSQL, vector databases)
• Support integration of AI models and APIs into production systems
• Participate in code reviews and documentation of technical solutions
• Assist with monitoring, logging, and optimization of AI application performance

Required Education
High school diploma or equivalent

Additional Requirements
• Pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work in a team environment
• Self-motivated with ability to learn new technologies quickly with minimal supervision
• Ability to work with and understand complex systems.
• Basic understanding of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Cyber Security and an interest in it as a potential career.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking abilities
• Enthusiastic and willing to learn from a variety of specialists in the fields of AI/ML, IoT, and intelligent manufacturing.
• Working knowledge of general-purpose programming languages such as Python.
• Basic understanding of Large Language Models (LLMs) and natural language processing concepts
• Experience with version control systems (Git/Gitlab)
• Must be able to work a minimum of 20 hours a week.

Preferred Qualifications
• Completion of at least one AI/ML course (e.g. Intro to Machine Learning).
• Experience building a personal computer and/or administering a network.
• Basic understanding of RESTful APIs and web services
• Experience with SQL or other database management systems
• General understanding of cybersecurity practices
• General knowledge of networking
• Experience in containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)

Physical Requirements
Ability to remain in a stationary position.
Ability to operate a computer and other office equipment including but not limited to phone, printers, copiers, and calculators.
Ability to communicate with others and accurately exchange information.