Applied AI Engineer at ICW Group in San Diego, CA

APPLIED AI ENGINEER Location: San Diego, CA Are you looking to make an impactful difference in your work, yourself, and your community? Why settle for just a job when you can land a career? At ICW Group, we are hiring team members who are ready to use their skills, curiosity, and drive to be part of our  journey as we strive to transform the insurance  carrier space. We're proud to be in business for over 50 years, and its change agents like yourself that will help us continue to deliver our mission to create the best insurance experience possible. Headquartered in San Diego with regional offices located throughout the United States, ICW Group has been named for ten consecutive years as a Top 50 performing P&C organization offering the stability of a large, profitable and growing company combined with a focus on all things people. It's our team members who make us an employer of choice and the vibrant company we are today. We strive to make both our  internal and external communities better everyday! Learn more about why you want to be here! PURPOSE OF THE JOB The Applied AI Engineer is responsible for developing, deploying, and maintaining applied generative AI solutions that support the organization’s insurance products, internal workflows, and customer experiences. This role focuses on building reliable AI models and pipelines, collaborating closely with cloud engineering, AI, and ML Ops teams, and implementing best practices for model performance, security, and cost efficiency. The engineer will contribute to AI initiatives while developing expertise in generative AI, cloud deployment, and feature engineering using Snowflake. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES • Implement end-to-end generative AI solutions, including model fine-tuning, deployment, and testing in production environments. • Collaborate with cloud engineering, AI, and ML Ops teams to operationalize AI workloads on AWS using services such as SageMaker, Lambda, ECS/EKS, and S3. • Build and maintain AI/ML pipelines leveraging Snowflake for feature engineering and data preprocessing. • Follow organizational security and compliance standards when developing and deploying AI solutions. • Monitor model performance, troubleshoot issues, and implement optimizations for reliability and cost efficiency. • Participate in research and evaluation of generative AI technologies to inform project decisions. • Document AI models, pipelines, and processes for team knowledge sharing and compliance. • Support senior engineers in AI architecture reviews, code reviews, and operationalization planning. EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Applied Mathematics, or a related technical discipline. • 3+ years of experience in AI/ML engineering, with at least 1–2 years focused on generative AI or large language models. • Hands-on experience deploying AI/ML models in cloud environments, preferably AWS. • Familiarity with Snowflake for AI/ML feature engineering and data integration. • Experience in regulated industries or highly data-sensitive environments is a plus. CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, AND REGISTRATIONS • AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty or AWS Certified Solutions Architect is preferred but not required. • Optional AI/ML certifications (e.g., TensorFlow Developer, Hugging Face Course, or Generative AI specialization) are a plus. • Awareness of compliance and governance standards (SOC 2, ISO 27001) is beneficial. KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS • Understanding of generative AI architectures, including transformers and retrieval-augmented generation. • Proficiency in Python and ML frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or Hugging Face Transformers. • Knowledge of MLOps practices, including CI/CD pipelines, testing, and monitoring. • Familiarity with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and deployment in cloud environments. • Solid understanding of data pipelines, Snowflake architecture, and ETL/ELT best practices. • Awareness of security, governance, and compliance considerations for AI/ML systems. • Ability to troubleshoot model performance and optimize workloads for efficiency and cost. • Strong problem-solving and collaboration skills, with effective communication to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES This position has no supervisory responsibility but may mentor and train junior engineers. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS  Office environment – no specific or unusual physical or environmental demands and employees are regularly required to sit, walk, stand, talk, and hear.  Employees are required to reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  Employees must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds.  Employees are required to have visual acuity and be capable of operating and viewing computers and other electronic devices for extended periods of time. WORK ENVIRONMENT  This position operates in an office environment and requires the frequent use of a computer, telephone, copier, and other standard office equipment. We are currently not offering employment sponsorship for this opportunity. #LI-TP1 #LI-HYBRID This description is a general statement of essential job functions and responsibilities. The position may include other duties as assigned The current range for this position is $121,624.81 - $217,710.99 This range is exclusive of fringe benefits and potential bonuses.  If hired at ICW Group, your final base salary compensation will be determined by factors unique to each candidate, including experience, education and the location of the role and considers employees performing substantially similar work. WHY JOIN ICW GROUP?  • Challenging work and the ability to make a difference  • You will have a voice and feel a sense of belonging  • We offer a competitive benefits package, with generous medical, dental, and vision plans as well as 401K retirement plans and company match  • Bonus potential for all positions  • Paid Time Off • Paid holidays throughout the calendar year  • Want to continue learning? We’ll support you 100%  ICW Group is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. ICW Group will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex/gender, age, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law. Job Category IT