Junior AI Engineer

Job Title: Junior AI Engineer
Location: Salt Lake City, UT | Onsite
Employment Type: Contract
Duration: 6-12 months
Pay Range: $60/hr

About: VLink, founded in 2006, is a leading global provider of software engineering services with next-gen technologies and best-in-class talent. Our Headquarters are in the U.S, and we have offices in 7+ countries from North America-Europe to APAC, with expansion plans in the Middle East. With over 1,000 employees working globally, VLink has helped SMBs, and large enterprises achieve their business goals, and gained the trust of Fortune-250 companies. VLink is 'Great Place to Work CertifiedTM' and has been a consistent winner as- Best Places to Work in CT. Trust, collaboration, and accountability are the three elements that are at the core of VLink's work culture. We value our professionals, providing comprehensive benefits and the opportunity for growth.

Job Description:
Our client is seeking a Junior AI Engineer to join our growing team in Salt Lake City, UT, where you'll help design, develop, and deploy next-generation AI-powered applications for enterprise clients.

This is an exciting opportunity to work alongside experienced AI engineers, software developers, and architects while gaining hands-on experience with Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), AI agents, and cloud-native technologies.

Responsibilities:
As a Junior AI Engineer, you'll collaborate with experienced engineers, architects, and business teams to design, build, and deploy AI-powered solutions that address real business needs.

You will:

• Design and develop AI-powered product features using Generative AI, machine learning, and Large Language Models (LLMs)
• Build intelligent applications using Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), embeddings, and vector database technologies
• Develop conversational AI experiences, AI agents, and agent-based workflows
• Build scalable REST APIs and FastAPI microservices to integrate and serve AI capabilities
• Develop and maintain AI workflows using LangChain, LangGraph, and other modern agentic frameworks
• Work with Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers and related tools to integrate AI applications with enterprise systems and data sources
• Containerize applications using Docker and support deployment in Kubernetes environments
• Contribute to cloud-native AI solutions designed for security, scalability, reliability, and maintainability
• Collaborate with product managers, software engineers, architects, and business stakeholders to deliver innovative AI capabilities
• Participate in code reviews, testing, troubleshooting, documentation, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Stay current with the rapidly evolving AI ecosystem and help evaluate emerging models, frameworks, tools, and development practices

Requirements/Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience
• Up to 2 years of professional, internship, academic, or project-based experience in software engineering, AI, or machine learning development
• Strong programming skills in Python and experience working with SQL
• Understanding of machine learning fundamentals and Generative AI concepts
• Hands-on experience working with Large Language Models (LLMs), including prompt engineering techniques
• Experience building or working with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architectures and vector databases
• Familiarity with LangChain, LangGraph, or similar AI orchestration frameworks
• Familiarity with AI agents, agentic workflows, and common agent design patterns
• Experience working with or developing integrations using Model Context Protocol (MCP)
• Familiarity with AI configuration and instruction files, such as `AGENTS.md`, `SKILL.md`, or similar artifacts used to define AI system behavior and capabilities
• Understanding of REST APIs and microservices architecture
• Familiarity with Docker and modern CI/CD practices
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills
• Curiosity, adaptability, and enthusiasm for learning and applying emerging AI technologies

Preferred Qualifications:

• MLOps tools, workflows, and deployment practices
• Kubernetes and container orchestration
• FastAPI or similar Python web frameworks
• Cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud
• Serverless and event-driven architectures
• High-availability, scalability, and autoscaling concepts
• AI evaluation frameworks, model benchmarking, and quality measurement
• AI security, governance, and responsible AI practices

Must have Skillset:

• Agentic RAG
• Artificial Intelligence
• Large Language Model (LLM)
• Machine Learning
• Python
• SQL

Employment Practices:
VLink is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

This job application process may use AI-powered tools to assist in screening and evaluating applications based on objective, job-related qualifications. AI is used solely to support the recruitment process and all final hiring decisions are made exclusively by our human recruitment team.

Applicant information will be handled in accordance with VLink's privacy policy.