Job Description

Turn decades of data into intelligence that helps feed the world.

VAS has decades of longitudinal data from some of the most productive dairy operations in the world. Our next challenge is turning that data into actionable intelligence that helps producers make better decisions.

We're looking for an AI Engineer to help build the next generation of intelligent capabilities within our products. You'll work at the intersection of data, machine learning, software engineering and product to turn complex, real-world data into production AI solutions.

This isn't about AI for AI's sake. Sometimes the right answer is machine learning. Sometimes it's optimization, classical statistics or generative AI. We want someone with the technical depth and judgment to know the difference.

What You'll Do

• Build and deploy production-grade AI/ML solutions that turn complex farm data into actionable intelligence.

• Explore large, distributed and legacy datasets to uncover patterns and opportunities for new product capabilities.

• Engineer features, select modeling approaches and design experiments to evaluate outcomes.

• Move models from exploration into scalable, real-time production applications.

• Integrate, deploy, fine-tune and monitor models using cloud infrastructure, including AWS and Databricks.

• Build testing and observability for AI systems, including behavioral testing, trace analysis and agent debugging.

• Evaluate emerging technologies such as agentic AI, MCP and orchestration frameworks.

• Partner with product, engineering and dairy science teams to turn ambiguous customer problems into working solutions.

• Help advance the tools, standards and practices that will support AI development at VAS.

• Collaborate on user-facing AI experiences using React and TypeScript when needed.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for someone who has gone deep at the intersection of data + machine learning and has a track record of putting models into production.

Your background might include software engineering, data engineering, data science, machine learning engineering or AI engineering. The path matters less than the depth of what you've built.

Ideally, you bring:

• Significant experience building production software and AI/ML solutions, with demonstrated depth in data, machine learning and model deployment.

• Experience working with complex, distributed or legacy data, including inconsistent schemas and incomplete records.

• Strong experience with feature engineering, model selection, experimentation and evaluation.

• The ability to work across approaches, from classical statistics and machine learning to modern generative AI, choosing the right solution for the problem.

• Experience taking models from experimentation through production deployment and monitoring.

• Experience with deep learning frameworks and cloud-based AI services.

• Experience with AWS and/or Databricks.

• Exposure to agentic architectures, MCP or modern AI orchestration frameworks.

• Strong software engineering fundamentals and a pragmatic approach to solving problems.

• The ability to translate ambiguous requirements into working systems and communicate technical tradeoffs across engineering, product and domain teams.

• A bachelor's degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, AI/ML or a related field is preferred.

Why VAS?

VAS is the operating system of the modern dairy, with a leading U.S. market position and growing global reach. Our highly customizable systems have created an incredibly rich and complex data environment.

You'll have an opportunity to help shape what comes next. You'll help turn our rich data into intelligent, customer-facing solutions that create real-world value.

You can build AI anywhere. Here, you can use it to help feed the world.

For the past 40 years we’ve woken up each day to support those that never stop feeding the world – and we have no plans to quit. We set the standard for farm management solutions and fix our eyes on raising the bar to meet the next generation of expectations.

Our software and information solutions help collect and connect a farm's data – from herd management to feed performance, tracking and more. These insights are a source of truth, empowering producers and their trusted advisors to make profit-driven and sustainable management decisions.

Whether near or far, large or small, VAS is at the heart of your dairy.

VAS has deep roots in the industry through its origin within the URUS family of companies. As a holding company with cooperative and private ownership, URUS is a family of businesses at the heart of the dairy and beef industry – Alta Genetics, GENEX, Genetics Australia, Leachman Cattle, Jetstream, PEAK, SCCL, Trans Ova Genetics and VAS. Each organization has its unique identity, products, and services. These companies work globally to provide cutting-edge dairy and beef genetics, customized reproductive services to maximize conceptions, dairy management information to take producers to the frontline of progressive dairy farming, and an array of products and services to help bovines reach their full genetic potential. URUS has 9 brands in 17 retail countries and employs nearly 2,800 people globally.