[Hiring] Gen AI Engineer 1 (Data Scientist, Assessment & Learning Analytics) @AMIRA LEARNING INC

Role Description

We are seeking an exceptional Data Scientist to work at the intersection of applied statistics, data science, and educational analytics. In this role, you will own the quantitative rigor behind our AI-powered literacy platform — designing and validating the statistical models, pipelines, and experiments that determine how millions of students are assessed and supported in learning to read.

You will collaborate closely with AI engineers, product managers, and external partners to ensure our measurement systems are statistically sound, interpretable, and continuously improving. This is a high-impact, technically deep role for someone who thinks rigorously about measurement and analytics, and loves building things that matter.

Essential Functions

• Statistical Modeling & Validation
  • Design and validate models underlying adaptive assessment systems, automated scoring pipelines, and real-time diagnostic feedback.
  • Develop and maintain automation pipelines for evaluating the impact of system changes on downstream score distributions and student classifications.
  • Apply and extend a variety of state-of-the-art statistical models and approaches to estimate student performance, growth, and score trajectories.
  • Develop simulations to evaluate and validate assessment design decisions.
  • Conduct rigorous validity and reliability analyses on data from early reading/literacy assessments.
• Data Science & ML Collaboration
  • Partner with ML engineers to design experiments validating AI scoring models, including automated speech recognition, NLP-based scoring, and adaptive algorithm performance.
  • Build AI-powered data pipelines and analytical tooling to monitor score quality, flag anomalies, and support continuous improvement of assessment models.
  • Use AI-assisted development tools — including Cursor, Claude Code, and similar platforms — as core parts of your daily workflow; comfort and enthusiasm for these tools is essential.
  • Develop and validate norm-referenced and criterion-referenced score reporting frameworks grounded in statistical best practices.
  • Conduct linking, equating, and comparability studies to ensure consistent score interpretation across years, cohorts, and assessment variants.
• Research, Communication & External Engagement
  • Translate complex statistical methodology and results into clear, compelling narratives for non-technical audiences including school district leaders and state procurement teams.
  • Contribute to technical reports, white papers, and RFP responses demonstrating statistical rigor and validity evidence.
  • Support ongoing research addressing the unique challenges of AI-powered formative literacy assessment at scale.
• Continuous Learning Systems
  • Oversee data collection frameworks and longitudinal analytical designs that support ongoing model improvement.
  • Monitor assessment system performance across diverse student populations, and produce solutions to alleviate issues of fairness and equity.
  • Collaborate cross-functionally to deliver analytical insights that directly inform product decisions and instructional recommendations.

Qualifications

• Master's or Ph.D. in Statistics, Data Science, Quantitative Social Science, Applied Mathematics, Educational Measurement, or a closely related field.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience applying statistical and data science methods in applied, production settings (educational assessment experience is a strong plus).
• Deep expertise in applied statistics: generalized linear models, mixed-effects models, latent variable modeling, Bayesian methods, and survival/longitudinal analysis.
• Fluency in R and/or Python for statistical modeling, data manipulation, simulation, and reproducible research.
• Strong foundation in experimental design, causal inference, and A/B testing methodology.
• Experience with measurement models (e.g., item response models, classical test theory analogs, diagnostic classification models) expressed in statistical terms.
• Proficiency with NLP, automated speech assessment, or similar AI applications a strong plus.

Requirements

• Actively uses AI-assisted coding tools (Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, or similar) in your daily workflow — not just familiar with them, but genuinely enthusiastic about and reliant on them.
• Comfortable iterating rapidly using AI pair-programming, prompt engineering, and code generation to accelerate statistical analysis and pipeline development.
• Experience building or contributing to data science infrastructure in cloud or distributed environments.
• Familiarity with version control (Git), reproducible research pipelines, and collaborative code review practices.
• Exceptional ability to communicate complex quantitative findings to technical and non-technical stakeholders alike.
• Familiarity with K–12 education data, federal/state assessment regulations, or AI governance frameworks a strong plus.
• Experience with literacy assessment, oral reading fluency, or early childhood learning data is highly desirable.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficient in Python.
• Comfortable and proficient in using state-of-the-art AI tools like Claude Code and Cursor in your data analytic and development pipelines.
• Ability to bridge applied data science implementation and its impact.
• Exceptional skill communicating complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.

Personal Attributes

• Passionate about leveraging AI to advance literacy and ensure every child becomes a reader.
• Strategic thinker balancing innovation with scientific rigor.
• Collaborative leader thriving in fast-paced, mission-driven environments.
• Strong advocate for responsible AI, transparency, and explainability.
• Mission-driven focus on tangible, measured impact for students.

Benefits

• Competitive Salary
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• 401(k) with company matching
• Flexible time off
• Stock option ownership
• Cutting-edge work
• The opportunity to help children around the world reach their full potential

Commitment to Diversity

Amira Learning serves a diverse group of students and educators across the United States and internationally. We believe every student should have access to a high-quality education and that it takes a diverse group of people with a wide range of experiences to develop and deliver a product that meets that goal. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.