Data Scientist – AI / Machine Learning

Data Scientist – AI / Machine Learning Location: Fort Worth, TX 76155 (Onsite – near the south entrance of DFW Airport) Client: American Airlines Duration: Through 12/31/2026 (High likelihood of extension) Rate: Open to market (Target: $80–90/hr W2 + Benefits) Key Responsibilities • Serve as the primary Data Scientist supporting the Service Recovery Modernization initiative. • Design, build, and maintain scalable data pipelines to support machine learning and AI solutions. • Prepare, cleanse, transform, and validate structured and unstructured datasets for analytics and model development. • Develop, test, deploy, and optimize machine learning models for production environments. • Design and implement Generative AI applications that improve operational efficiency and customer experience. • Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Data Engineers, Software Engineers, and business stakeholders to identify high-value AI use cases. • Evaluate model performance, monitor production results, and continuously improve model accuracy and reliability. • Apply statistical analysis and data visualization techniques to communicate insights and influence business decisions. • Ensure AI and ML solutions follow best practices for scalability, maintainability, and governance. • Support experimentation, proof-of-concepts, and rapid prototyping of emerging AI technologies. Required Qualifications • 5+ years of experience as a Data Scientist or Machine Learning Engineer developing production-grade AI solutions. • Strong experience building and deploying machine learning models. • Experience developing end-to-end data pipelines and data preparation workflows. • Hands-on experience with Generative AI technologies and Large Language Models (LLMs). • Strong programming experience with Python and common data science libraries. • Experience working with SQL and large-scale datasets. • Familiarity with cloud-based AI/ML platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP). Preferred Qualifications • Experience developing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) applications. • Experience with vector databases, embeddings, prompt engineering, or AI orchestration frameworks. • Knowledge of MLOps, CI/CD pipelines, and model lifecycle management. • Previous experience supporting airline, transportation, travel, or customer service modernization initiatives. • Experience working in enterprise-scale AI transformation programs.