About the Role

Our client is seeking an experienced Lead Natural Language Processing (NLP) Engineer to spearhead the development of advanced cognitive computing solutions. This role involves a hybrid work model, combining the flexibility of remote work with essential in-office collaboration. You will be instrumental in designing, building, and deploying sophisticated NLP systems that understand, interpret, and generate human language. This position is based in Kansas City, Missouri , and offers a unique opportunity to lead a talented team of engineers and researchers at the forefront of AI innovation. You will drive the technical direction, mentor team members, and ensure the successful delivery of projects that have a significant impact on user experience and business intelligence. This is a chance to make a substantial contribution to a rapidly evolving field within a supportive and challenging environment.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the design and implementation of state-of-the-art NLP models and algorithms, including sentiment analysis, entity recognition, topic modeling, and machine translation. Oversee the end-to-end development lifecycle of NLP projects, from ideation to deployment and maintenance. Collaborate closely with product managers and data scientists to define project requirements and technical specifications. Mentor and guide junior NLP engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous learning. Optimize NLP models for performance, scalability, and efficiency in production environments. Research and integrate new NLP techniques and technologies to enhance product capabilities. Develop and maintain robust data pipelines for training and evaluating NLP models. Ensure the quality and accuracy of language understanding and generation systems. Present technical findings and project updates to stakeholders.

Requirements

Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computational Linguistics, or a related field with a strong focus on NLP. 5+ years of professional experience in NLP engineering and software development. Demonstrated expertise in programming languages like Python, and familiarity with NLP libraries (e.g., NLTK, spaCy, Hugging Face Transformers). Proven experience with machine learning frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, or Keras. Strong understanding of linguistic principles and computational linguistics. Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes). Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills. Ability to work effectively in a hybrid team setting, balancing independent work with in-office collaboration in Kansas City, Missouri . Experience with large language models (LLMs) and their applications.

Benefits

Our client provides a competitive compensation package, including a robust salary and performance bonuses. Employees enjoy comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with employer matching, and generous paid time off. Professional development opportunities, including access to training, conferences, and continuing education, are readily available. The hybrid work structure offers flexibility, and the office environment in Kansas City, Missouri is designed to foster innovation and teamwork.