AI Engineer job at Ascend Learning in Leawood, KS, Burlington, MA

Title: AI Engineer

Location: Leawood United States

Job Description:

We Impact Lives Through Purpose-Driven Work in A People First Culture

Ascend Learning, a leading healthcare and learning technology company, is the connection between a powerful portfolio of brands serving students, educators, and employers with outcomes-based, data-driven solutions across the lifecycle of learning. From testing to certification, Ascend Learning products are used by physicians, emergency medical professionals, nurses, allied health professionals, certified personal trainers, financial advisors, skilled trades professionals and insurance brokers.

Headquartered in Burlington, MA, with additional office locations and hybrid and remote workers in cities across the U.S., Ascend Learning was recognized by Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group as one of America's 2025 Greatest Workplaces as well as America's Best Places to work for Mental Well-Being for 2025.

We're always looking for talented, passionate professionals to join us in our mission to help change lives. If this sounds like an environment where you'd thrive, read on to learn more.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

As an AI Engineer, you will be instrumental in developing and implementing Ascend's AI-powered products and solutions, contributing to the transformation of education through innovative technology. This role builds, tests, and deploys scalable solutions using Generative AI and Machine Learning (ML) foundational models. The AI Engineer is a product-minded, hands-on technical contributor who moves quickly from idea to working prototype, translating user needs into impactful AI features. This role works closely with other AI engineers (including on-shore and off-shore contractors) and cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality AI solutions while continuously developing technical expertise in the field.

WHERE YOU'LL WORK

This position will work a hybrid schedule from either of our office locations in Leawood, KS or Burlington, MA.

HOW YOU'LL SPEND YOUR TIME

Develop and deploy distributed systems and backend services that integrate LLMs / ML Models into real-world educational products

Contribute to the design and development of Generative AI/ML system within established architecture

Partner closely with product teams to rapidly prototype and ship AI-powered features, translating user needs into working solutions quickly

Leverage agentic coding tools and AI-assisted development workflows to accelerate prototyping, and ship higher-quality solutions faster

Participate in code review ands and technical discussions to continuously improve solution quality

Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product teams, data scientists, data engineers, and software engineers to develop AI capabilities into existing and new products

Take ownership of defining project milestones, timelines, and ensuring successful delivery within specified deadlines

Maintain and update technical documentations for implemented features and processes

Support team members through knowledge sharing and collaborative problem-solving

Research and evaluate new tools and techniques

Stay current with the latest AI technologies and methodologies through continuous learning

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

High school diploma or GED required. Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering or closely related field or equivalent experience preferred

3+ years of progressive work experience in AI or software engineering roles

Microsoft Azure AI Engineer certification preferred

Working knowledge of Large Language Models, prompt engineering, context management, and embedding techniques

Experience in Python, REST API development (FastAPI)

Experience with cloud infrastructure (Azure) preferred

Experience with containerization (Docker), orchestration (Kubernetes), CI/CD and basic DevOps practices

Strong product sense with the ability to understand user needs and contribute to building intuitive, impactful AI experience

Experience with event-driven architectures and distributed messaging systems such as Apache Kafka or similar technologies

Knowledge or experience with modern web development frameworks such as Angular or React preferred

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Aspirations for professional development and growth opportunities

Team-oriented mindset with ability to work independently on assigned tasks

BENEFITS

Flexible and generous paid time off

Competitive medical, dental, vision and life insurance

401(k) employer matching program

Parental leave

Wellness resources

Charitable matching program

On-site workout facilities (Leawood, Gilbert, Burlington)

Community outreach groups

Tuition reimbursement

Fostering A Sense of Belonging

Our values-driven culture unifies our teams and inspires a mindset of action, innovation, and collaboration, with a relentless focus on customers. We seek out and celebrate