Data Scientist Specialist

We are hiring a Data Scientist Specialist! Role: Data Scientist Specialist (Principal GenAI Scientist)Supporting: Large Financial Services ClientLocation: McLean, Virginia (Onsite)Assignment Type: Contract to HireDuration: 6 Months Role OverviewWe are seeking a senior‑level Principal Generative AI Scientist to lead the design, development, and deployment of enterprise‑grade GenAI solutions. This is a hands‑on role for a seasoned expert who thrives in architecting AI agents, agentic workflows, and LLM‑powered applications that solve complex, real‑world problems. You will serve as a technical thought leader across GenAI initiatives, working closely with engineering, design, product, and data teams to build scalable, secure, and production‑ready systems using state‑of‑the‑art LLMs, RAG architectures, and AWS cloud services. Key ResponsibilitiesArchitect and implement AI agents, agentic workflows, and full‑scale GenAI applications.Develop, fine‑tune, and evaluate LLMs, including Claude, Azure OpenAI models, and open‑source alternatives.Design and deploy Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) and Graph RAG solutions using vector databases and knowledge bases.Implement Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent‑to‑Agent (A2A) communication patterns.Build and maintain Jupyter‑based workflows using SageMaker, MLflow, Kubeflow, and Kubernetes (EKS).Collaborate with UI, microservices, product, and data engineering teams to deliver end‑to‑end GenAI experiences.Integrate GenAI services via API‑driven enterprise integration patterns.Establish evaluation frameworks, safety guardrails, bias mitigation, and validation processes for production deployment.Design and own data ingestion pipelines (extracting, chunking, enriching, anonymizing, and embedding data).Orchestrate multimodal ETL/ELT pipelines and scalable ingestion workflows.Generate embeddings and integrate with vector stores to support advanced retrieval architectures. QualificationsPhD in AI, Data Science, or a closely related field (required).10+ years of AI/ML experience, including 3+ years in applied Generative AI or LLM‑based solutions.Strong experience with AWS cloud‑native AI development, including SageMaker, Bedrock, and MLflow on EKS.Deep hands‑on expertise with GenAI system design, RAG, agents, prompt engineering, and vector databases.Advanced Python skills with extensive use of Jupyter notebooks.Experience with Transformers, LangChain, or similar GenAI frameworks.Strong understanding of GenAI architectural patterns and best practices.GitHub repository link required demonstrating hands‑on technical work.Preferred:Experience building and deploying AI agents using MCP, A2A, or Graph RAG.Publications or patents in AI, ML, or LLM‑related domains.Experience with AI governance, ethics, and responsible AI frameworks.Familiarity with CI/CD, MLOps pipelines, and scalable inference APIs. Compensation and Benefits: The pay rate for this position is between $80.00 and $95.73 per hour. Please note that the final rate may be contingent on experience and other factors. This employer is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. Apex uses a virtual recruiter as part of the application process. Click here for more details. If you have visited our website in search of information on employment opportunities or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation in using our website for a search or application, please contact our Benefits Department at leaverequest@apexsystems.com or 804-523-8228.