AI Engineer I

Universal Leaf Tobacco Company, Inc. is seeking an early-career AI Engineer I to help design and deliver scalable AI solutions that support business innovation and improve operational efficiency. The role spans the AI lifecycle, from prototyping and model development through evaluation, deployment, and ongoing monitoring, in partnership with cross-functional teams.

This hybrid position is based at the Richmond Headquarters within Information Systems, offering a collaborative environment to apply machine learning and big data technologies in real-world use cases.

What you will do

• Design and develop scalable solutions using AI tools and machine learning models.
• Support AI systems by ensuring scalability, reliability, and performance across diverse use cases.
• Develop and execute performance tests to assess system efficiency with large datasets, complex algorithms, and processing speed.
• Conduct research and testing to develop machine learning algorithms and predictive models.
• Use big data computation and storage tools to build prototypes and datasets.
• Perform model training, evaluation, and tuning to optimize performance.
• Integrate, test, and monitor AI solutions while collaborating with cross-functional teams.
• Document technical workflows and contribute to team knowledge sharing.
• Stay current with emerging AI tools and technologies to support continuous improvement.

Key requirements

• Earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Proficiency with programming languages such as .net, Python, or R.
• Internship or project experience in AI/ML demonstrating hands-on exposure.
• Basic understanding of statistics and data analysis.
• Experience with SQL or NoSQL databases.
• Ability to write clean, maintainable code and follow coding standards.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Effective communication and collaboration abilities.
• Typically reports to the AI Project Manager.

Technologies you may work with

• .net, Python, R
• SQL, NoSQL
• MLOps tools
• RESTful APIs, microservices
• Docker, containerization
• Power-BI, Git
• Agile/Scrum

Preferred skills

• Exposure to MLOps tools and practices.
• Experience with RESTful APIs or microservices.
• Familiarity with containerization (Docker).
• Experience working in Agile/Scrum environments.
• Experience with data visualization and version control (for example, Power-BI and Git).

Salary and work details

• Location: Richmond, VA (Hybrid)
• Work arrangement: Hybrid (3 days in office, 2 days remote)
• Status: Full-Time, Salaried Exempt
• Salary range: USD 66,000 – 88,300 per year
• Final compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and internal equity according to the company’s compensation structure.

Benefits

• 401(k) match
• Pension
• Merit increases
• Paid holidays
• Medical, dental, vision
• Life insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability benefits
• Tuition assistance

Work authorization

• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
• Universal Corporation is unable to provide visa sponsorship or transfer sponsorship for this position now or in the future.
• All applicants must be authorized to work in the United States.

EOE: M/F/DISABLED/VET EMPLOYER.