AI Research Scientist- Associate Director

Known for being a great place to work and build a career, KPMG provides audit, tax and advisory services for organizations in today's most important industries. Our growth is driven by delivering real results for our clients. It's also enabled by our culture, which encourages individual development, embraces an inclusive environment, rewards innovative excellence and supports our communities. With qualities like those, it's no wonder we're consistently ranked among the best companies to work for by Fortune Magazine, Consulting Magazine, Seramount, Fair360 and others. If you're as passionate about your future as we are, join our team.

KPMG is currently seeking an AI Research Scientist to join our Audit Technology Alliance organization.

Responsibilities:

• Lead applied research initiatives related to AI models, advanced AI agent patterns, optimizing knowledge retrieval, among other areas, to solve complex audit challenges.
• Collaborate closely with AI engineers and product managers to translate cutting-edge research in areas like context engineering and RAG into scalable, production-ready components
• Design and champion a rigorous experimentation framework to measure, validate, and ensure the quality and reliability of AI-driven outcomes
• Drive the team's research agenda by identifying emerging trends in generative AI, proposing innovative solutions, and mentoring junior scientists and engineers to foster a culture of continuous learning and excellence
• Design and implement processes to perform for AI model training; from infrastructure, to data labelling, evaluations, among other areas; work to ensure models can be deployed and managed in production
• Architect and prototype novel research and new solutions; share findings with colleagues across KPMG globally to advance wider AI initiatives
  
  

Qualifications:

• Minimum eight years of recent experience in applied AI/ML research, with a focus on natural language processing, information retrieval, and large-scale language models
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university in Computer Science, AI, Statistics, or a related quantitative field is required; advanced degree (Ph.D. or Master's) from an accredited college or university
• Deep theoretical knowledge and practical expertise in key research areas such as knowledge retrieval (RAG), AI agent architecture, and techniques for fine-tuning and evaluating language models
• Proven experience designing and implementing the end-to-end lifecycle for AI models, including data processing, labeling, training, and production deployment (MLOps)
• Extensive hands-on experience prototyping and experimenting with modern AI frameworks like LangChain/LangGraph or Semantic Kernel.
• Exceptional ability to translate ambiguous business challenges into defined research problems and articulate complex findings and their strategic implications to both technical and executive audiences
  
  

KPMG LLP and its affiliates and subsidiaries (“KPMG”) complies with all local/state regulations regarding displaying salary ranges. If required, the ranges displayed below or via the URL below are specifically for those potential hires who will work in the location(s) listed. Any offered salary is determined based on relevant factors such as applicant's skills, job responsibilities, prior relevant experience, certain degrees and certifications and market considerations. In addition, KPMG is proud to offer a comprehensive, competitive benefits package, with options designed to help you make the best decisions for yourself, your family, and your lifestyle. Available benefits are based on eligibility. Our Total Rewards package includes a variety of medical and dental plans, vision coverage, disability and life insurance, 401(k) plans, and a robust suite of personal well-being benefits to support your mental health. Depending on job classification, standard work hours, and years of service, KPMG provides Personal Time Off per fiscal year. Additionally, each year KPMG publishes a calendar of holidays to be observed during the year and provides eligible employees two breaks each year where employees will not be required to use Personal Time Off; one is at year end and the other is around the July 4th holiday. Additional details about our benefits can be found towards the bottom of our KPMG US Careers site at Benefits & How We Work.

Follow this link to obtain salary ranges by city outside of CA:

https://kpmg.com/us/en/how-we-work/pay-transparency.html/?id=7503_9_25

KPMG offers a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. KPMG is an equal opportunity employer. KPMG complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws regarding recruitment and hiring. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, disability, protected veteran status, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. The attached link contains further information regarding KPMG's compliance with federal, state and local recruitment and hiring laws. No phone calls or agencies please.

KPMG recruits on a rolling basis. Candidates are considered as they apply, until the opportunity is filled. Candidates are encouraged to apply expeditiously to any role(s) for which they are qualified that is also of interest to them.

Los Angeles County applicants: Material job duties for this position are listed above. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness, and safeguard business operations and company reputation. Pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act, Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.