AI Research Engineer

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The opportunity

Bring research discipline to practical technology validation, so that Hitachi Energy can distinguish credible AI advances from hype before it invests. As AI Research Engineer in the Technology Validation team, part of Hitachi Energy's Data, Analytics & Artificial Intelligence (DAAI) organization, you interpret emerging AI research, methods, models and evaluation approaches, turn the most relevant developments into practical validation questions and answer them through prototypes, benchmarks and comparisons. Your evidence informs architecture, platform and delivery teams. The team builds to learn and demonstrate, not to operate production systems.

How you will make an impact

• Monitor and interpret AI research, publications, benchmarks and model documentation. Identify developments that merit practical testing.
• Translate research insight into concrete validation questions and fair experimental designs, with explicit baselines, success criteria and the conditions that would invalidate the hypothesis, together with the AI Experimentation Engineer and AI Opportunity Lead.
• Run research-led prototypes, benchmarks and comparisons across LLMs, RAG, agentic AI, fine-tuning and responsible-AI evaluation.
• Interpret results with methodological rigor and state the limitations clearly. Recommend a proportionate next step: stop, keep watching, test further or hand over to the team that should build it.
• Exchange methods and learnings with Hitachi Group colleagues, DAAI peers, vendors and external research communities.
• Preserve reusable methods, benchmarks and test assets so that work is not repeated.

Your background

• A genuine passion for AI: you try new tools and models on your own initiative and can show a recent example of something you built or tried.
• 3+ years of experience in applied AI research, AI engineering or ML research, in a company, consultancy or research institution.
• Strong programming skills (Python preferred) with hands-on AI/ML experimentation, benchmarking and evaluation. You know LLMs, generative AI, fine-tuning, RAG, agentic AI and responsible-AI evaluation. Familiarity with cloud AI platforms (Azure preferred, GCP or AWS) is an advantage.
• Ability to read research and technical claims critically and translate them into practical, enterprise-relevant experiments.
• Clear communication of research-level topics and their limitations. You have experience collaborating across research, engineering and business communities.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience and fluent English. An MSc or PhD in AI, machine learning or computer science is an advantage when combined with practical work.

The final offer will be based on candidate location, skills and qualifications, experience, and aligned with internal pay structures.

This role may be open in multiple locations. If the salary information listed is not applicable for your current home location, salary details relevant to your location will be discussed with you at a later stage.

Our benefit offering is tailored based on your country of employment and generally includes:

• Competitive salary and incentives
• Well-being and care
• Paid and unpaid leave
• Flexible work options
• Benefits that support your financial security

You will receive more specific information during the recruitment process.

Accessibility and reasonable accommodation

Qualified individuals with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access the Hitachi Energy career site as a result of your disability. You may request reasonable accommodations by completing ageneral inquiry formon our website. Please include your contact information and specific details about your required accommodation to support you during the job application process.

This is solely for job seekers with disabilities requiring accessibility assistance or an accommodation in the job application process. Messages left for other purposes will not receive a response.

Use of Al and automated tools in recruitment

As part of our recruitment process, Hitachi Energy uses digital and automated tools, including Al-supported solutions, to assist with activities such as application screening, job matching, and interview scheduling. These tools are designed to support our recruiters and do not replace human decision-making. Candidate data is processed in accordance with applicable data protection and employment laws as well asHitachi's Global Data Privacy Notice.

Background Screening and Security Checks

As part of the hiring process, Hitachi Energy conducts pre-employment background checks that may include verification of employment history, education, criminal records, and other relevant information, in accordance with applicable laws.

For certain roles-particularly those involving access to sensitive information, financial responsibilities, client data, regulated environments, or security-sensitive functions-additional or more comprehensive background or security screenings may be required. These may include, but are not limited to, enhanced criminal history checks, credit history reviews (where legally permissible), sanctions screening, or other due diligence measures aligned with the responsibilities of the position.

The scope and depth of any background or security review will be determined based on the nature of the role and business necessity, and will always be conducted in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Candidates will be notified and, where required, asked to provide consent prior to the initiation of any such checks.