Technical Lead – Applied AI/ML Projects

Technical Lead – Applied AI/ML Projects

Want to build AI that does real work, not just demos well? Come lead teams designing LLM and agent-based solutions that ship inside real products for scientific organizations, from bench-science tooling to instrument software, with an emphasis on life sciences and healthcare.

About Yahara:

We help scientific organizations solve hard problems and move their industries forward, from life sciences startups and CROs to the teams building lab software and scientific instruments. It's work we're proud of, and we're excited about the successes still ahead.

Join a team recognized as one of Madison Magazine's Best Places to Work, where innovation thrives and collaboration drives success. We don't just build software. We empower people and transform industries.

Important Notes about this Position:

• This is a hybrid position based out of our office in Madison, WI.
• We are unable to provide sponsorship.

The Opportunity:

You’ll lead client projects where AI is a core part of the product. That means going past calling an API: designing retrieval, orchestrating agents, fine-tuning models when it’s worth it, and proving the whole thing works. You’ll set the technical direction, grow the engineers around you, and help clients figure out where AI genuinely fits.

Our Approach:

We build on strong engineering fundamentals: solid methodology, rigorous testing, and sound architecture. We use AI tools like Claude and Codex where they speed up delivery, while keeping critical thinking and engineering discipline at the center. We own the quality, accuracy, and understanding of the code we ship.

What You’ll Do:

• Design AI-powered features and workflows that solve real client problems.
• Build retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems over client data.
• Orchestrate agents and tool use for multi-step workflows.
• Fine-tune or adapt models when off-the-shelf performance falls short.
• Build evaluation suites that show whether the AI is actually getting it right.
• Put guardrails in place for accuracy, safety, privacy, and cost.
• Help clients separate problems AI solves well from ones it doesn’t.
• Own technical delivery for your project team: quality, pace, and direction.
• Mentor the engineers on your team through code reviews and one-on-one problem solving.
• Help engineers work through hard problems instead of solving them for them.
• Present results, tradeoffs, and risks to clients in plain language.
• Join pre-sales conversations with solution outlines and rough estimates.
• Document key decisions in ADRs so the next team knows why, not just what.

What You’ll Bring:

Experience:

• 6+ years in software engineering, with recent hands-on AI work.
• Experience shipping LLM-based features or applications to real users.
• Time leading technical work for a team, formally or informally.
• A solid grasp of how models are trained, tuned, and evaluated.

Mindset:

• Healthy skepticism about AI hype, paired with real enthusiasm for what works.
• Comfort making sound calls in a field that changes monthly.
• Genuine interest in helping other engineers grow.
• Ability to explain AI tradeoffs to non-technical stakeholders.

Nice to Have:

• Experience with life sciences organizations, lab systems, or regulated scientific software
• AI in regulated environments (HIPAA, FDA, GxP).
• Traditional ML or data science experience.
• Consulting or client-facing project experience.
• Cloud AI certifications (Azure or AWS).

Tech Like What You’ll Use (examples, not requirements; we’re stack agnostic):

• Python and/or TypeScript
• Model providers like Anthropic, OpenAI, or open-weight models
• Frameworks like LangChain, LlamaIndex, or the Model Context Protocol (MCP)
• Vector stores like pgvector, Pinecone, or Azure AI Search
• Cloud AI platforms like Azure AI Foundry or Amazon Bedrock

Company Benefits & Perks

• 20+ days of PTO accruable in the first year!
• Comprehensive health insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision) with HMO and PPO options
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with annual employer contributions
• 401(k) with guaranteed company match (Traditional and Roth options)
• 100% company-paid short-term and long-term disability
• 100% company-paid life insurance with option to increase coverage
• 100% company-paid identity theft protection
• On-site gym with basketball court
• Hybrid/remote schedule with home office stipend
• Fresh fruit, healthy snacks, and beverages provided daily
• Bonus certification program (Microsoft, AWS, PMP, IIBA, etc.)
• Employee Assistance Program (counseling, legal, financial services)
• Monthly and Quarterly Recognition Awards with spot bonuses
• Company-supported community outreach and volunteer opportunities
• Employee-run committee involvement opportunities
• Collaborative culture founded on realized values and incredible people

If you need an accommodation as part of the employment process, please contact Human Resources via email at hradmin@yaharasoftware.com

Yahara Software LLC is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

This is a full-time, salaried position with competitive salary and benefits. Candidates must be eligible to work in the U.S. on a permanent basis and can work on-site in our office located in Madison, Wisconsin.