Demo

Applied Scientist

FalconFirst AI
Chicago, IL Full Time
POSTED ON 4/18/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 5/17/2026

Company Description


FalconFirst is a decision intelligence company building an AI-native decision layer for product teams. Instead of shipping features based on gut feel and noisy opinions, we help teams validate ideas inside real workflows before development - using prototype interactions, user feedback and experiment signals to produce decision-grade outputs.



Role Description


If you want predictable hours and a slow pace, don’t apply.

If you want to build the “brain” of a new product category and ship weekly, this is for you.


You’ll help build the intelligence layer behind Falcon Terminal: systems that convert messy behavioral signals unstructured feedback into Decision Cards; clear claims with evidence, uncertainty and recommended next tests. You’ll work across inference, agent workflows, evaluation/guardrails and instrumentation foundations.


This is not a “model in a notebook” role. You’ll ship production systems, iterate weekly and influence core product direction.


How we work: fast cycles, direct feedback, high ownership. Not a 9–5.



Responsibilities (high-level)

  • Turn prototype interactions feedback into structured evidence and decision-ready insights
  • Build inference that quantifies uncertainty and improves as evidence accumulates
  • Design lightweight NLP pipelines (clustering/embeddings) and use LLMs pragmatically (with evaluation)
  • Build evaluation guardrails so outputs are grounded, consistent and reliable
  • Collaborate with engineering on instrumentation/SDK primitives and workflow orchestration
  • Help define what “good” looks like (quality metrics, stability checks, regressions)



Qualifications


Must-have

  • Strong fundamentals in statistics/inference (Bayesian experimental design is a plus)
  • Strong Python (SQL is a plus; R/Stan/PyMC helpful)
  • Practical experience with NLP (embeddings, clustering, summarization) and an evaluation mindset
  • High agency: you move from ambiguity → shipped system quickly
  • Ability to communicate clearly under uncertainty (PM-friendly explanations)


Nice-to-have

  • Fine-tuning/distillation or prompt eval pipelines
  • Product analytics experience (funnels, cohorts, paths)
  • Reliability patterns for LLM/agent workflows (routing, fallbacks, caching, monitoring)

Salary.com Estimation for Applied Scientist in Chicago, IL
$107,898 to $132,229
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Applied Scientist?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Applied Scientist career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$103,625 - $127,928
Income Estimation: 
$88,975 - $120,741
Income Estimation: 
$68,121 - $81,836
Income Estimation: 
$71,928 - $87,026
Income Estimation: 
$125,958 - $157,570
Income Estimation: 
$83,039 - $104,143
Income Estimation: 
$105,489 - $131,507
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Applied Scientist jobs in the Chicago, IL area that may be a better fit.

  • MultiPlan dba Claritev Naperville, IL
  • At Claritev, our mission is to simplify healthcare workflows, improve transparency, and bend the healthcare cost curve . We believe that data, technology, ... more
  • 13 Days Ago

  • uberfreight Chicago, IL
  • Schedule: Full Time Employment Job Type: Hybrid Salary Type: Salary Req #: 2520 About the Role As an Applied Scientist III at Uber Freight, you will develo... more
  • 14 Days Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!