Applied Data Scientist - AI Enablement (Transportation)

At HDR, our employee-owners are fully engaged in creating a welcoming environment where each of us is valued and respected, a place where everyone is empowered to bring their authentic selves and novel ideas to work every day. As we foster a culture of inclusion throughout our company and within our communities, we constantly ask ourselves: What is our impact on the world?

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Each and every role throughout our organization makes a difference in our ability to change the world for the better. Read further to learn how you could help make great things possible not only in your community, but around the world.

We believe transportation is more than movement, it’s the foundation of connected, thriving communities. As part of HDR’s Transportation Business Group, you’ll help shape the systems that move people and goods safely, efficiently, and sustainably. From designing resilient highways and iconic bridges to advancing transit, passenger and freight rail, aviation, federal transportation ports and marine infrastructure, your work will directly support economic vitality, public safety, sustainable and resilient communities and quality of life. We bring together planners, engineers, architects, construction management staff, environmental, strategic communications, economists, management consultants and specialists across disciplines to solve complex mobility challenges with innovation, technical excellence, and a deep understanding of community needs. Whether you’re modernizing aging infrastructure or pioneering next-generation transportation solutions, your contributions will help define the future of mobility. This isn’t just a job, it’s a chance to lead progress, drive meaningful impact, and leave a legacy of smarter, more connected transportation networks. We are all employee-owners at HDR, which is the foundation of our collaborative culture that connects employees around the world.

Primary Role: The Applied Data Scientist – AI Enablement is a high-impact individual contributor role focused on building internal AI capabilities and removing systemic constraints that limit HDR’s ability to scale artificial intelligence across the Transportation Business Group. In the initial phase, this role is primarily internally focused, developing AI solutions, improving data and technology foundations, and identifying bottlenecks in systems, processes, and tooling. As internal capabilities mature, the role will progressively transition to client-facing AI delivery and advisory work, leveraging internally proven solutions as repeatable services.

Utilization Expectations:

• 40% Internal AI solution development
• 40% Client AI delivery and pilot engagements (as capabilities mature) (0% year 1)
• 20% Skill development and continuous learning

Primary Responsibilities: Internal AI Capability Development:

• Design, develop, and deploy AI solutions addressing internal transportation business needs (e.g., document intelligence, predictive analytics, copilots, workflow automation).
• Build reusable AI components, data pipelines, and workflows that can be scaled for future client delivery
• Manage full model lifecycle including development, deployment, monitoring, drift detection, retraining, and inference.

Constraint & Bottleneck Identification:

• Proactively identify limitations in data availability, system integration, tooling, governance, and processes that inhibit AI adoption.
• Partner with IT, data architects, and business stakeholders to recommend scalable improvements.
• Document technical debt and architectural gaps that must be addressed before scaling AI capacity.

Collaboration & Communication:

• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to translate ambiguous problems into structured AI solutions.
• Communicate AI concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Future Client-Facing Work:

• Support client pursuits and pilot projects using internally developed AI capabilities.
• Contribute to the evolution of repeatable AI services and offerings.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. This role requires flexibility to perform other duties as required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a closely related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience with generative AI and modern AI services.
• Hands-on experience developing, deploying…