Machine Learning Engineer

Job Title: Machine Learning / LLM Engineer – AI Search & Chatbot Innovation

Location: Remote

Duration: Contract To Hire

Overview:

Our clients team is seeking an experienced Machine Learning / LLM Engineer to help lead the design and development of a cutting-edge AI chatbot experience that will transform how customers find and shop for products. This role will play a critical part in developing intelligent, conversational interfaces that understand user intent and provide guided journeys and personalized product recommendations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, tune, and optimize prompts and responses for Large Language Models (LLMs).
• Enhance the quality and accuracy of generative model outputs, using techniques like prompt engineering, reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF), fine-tuning, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).
• Implement guardrails to restrict off-topic or irrelevant model responses.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to build an AI chatbot that interacts naturally with customers—guiding them through complex decision-making journeys like home renovation projects or product discovery.
• Provide input on model selection, architecture decisions, and integration strategies within Home Depot's search infrastructure.
• Leverage ML/LLM techniques to improve conversational UX and recommendation relevance.
• Work on implementing and enhancing solutions in production environments using modern MLOps best practices.

Tech Stack & Tools:

• Primary Languages: Python (Significant hands-on experience required)
• Cloud/Platform: Google Cloud Platform (BigQuery experience is a plus)
• AI/LLM Frameworks & Tools (Nice to Have / Big Plus):
• LangChain, LangGraph, LangSmith
• DALL·E, MidJourney, Synthesia
• Jasper, Claude, GPT, Bard, etc.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

• 6–8+ years of total software engineering or ML/AI experience
• Recent hands-on experience (past 1–2 years) working on LLM/AI/GenAI initiatives
• Background in Machine Learning, NLP, or Conversational AI
• Experience as a Machine Learning Engineer, AI Engineer, NLP Engineer, or Software Engineer working directly with AI/LLM tools
• Strong understanding of prompt engineering, model tuning, and best practices for quality control in generative models
• Experience building or enhancing customer-facing AI systems, such as chatbots, virtual assistants, or intelligent search

Project Goals & Phase:

• Partner with the Search Engineering team to develop an AI assistant that can understand complex customer queries like:
• "I want to remodel my kitchen."
• The chatbot should be able to ask follow-up questions (e.g., style preferences, materials) and intelligently recommend relevant products.
• Current Phase: Design & Build – Opportunity to influence architectural decisions from the ground up.
• Project Type: New AI/LLM Implementation

Non-Negotiables:

• 5+ years working with Machine Learning / LLMs
• Strong Python programming experience

Nice-to-Haves:

• Google Cloud experience (BigQuery, Vertex AI, etc.)
• Familiarity with GenAI tools and frameworks
• Experience in retail, e-commerce, or customer experience design