Principal Investigator, AI Hub

Principal Investigator, AI Hub
COMPETITION NO. ADP24-01

About Durham College:
Durham College (DC) is a leading post-secondary institution with a clear purpose: transforming lives, building careers, and enriching communities.

We prepare students to thrive in a rapidly changing world of work through innovative, hands-on and industry-connected learning. From co-ops and field placements to applied research and other experiential opportunities, DC students develop the practical skills, knowledge, and confidence to make an immediate impact in their careers and communities.
Known for future-focused, innovative teaching and strong connections to industry, DC offers a diverse range of market-driven programs designed to respond to evolving workforce needs. Our programs span business, information technology, engineering, construction and skilled trades, health care, science and technology, culinary, hospitality and horticulture, social and community services, and media, art and design.

Across our modern campuses in Oshawa and Whitby, DC offers 145 programs, including eight degrees and 11 apprenticeship programs, serving nearly 11,000 full-time post-secondary and 2,800 apprenticeship students. We also support lifelong learning through more than 18,000 registrations in professional and part-time learning, while our community of more than 125,000 alumni is making an impact locally and around the world.

Our impact extends well beyond our campuses. DC contributes more than $913 million annually to Durham Region’s economy. Remaining community-connected, DC works closely with employers, industry, and partners to strengthen our communities and create new opportunities. We are committed to embedding sustainability in the way we learn, work, and contribute to the communities we serve.

At DC, employees are at the heart of that impact. As a people-centred college, our culture is grounded in our values of collaboration, diversity and inclusion, excellence, innovation, integrity, respect and social responsibility. Together, we are creating exceptional learning experiences, supporting student success, and helping to shape a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future.

Position Information:
Hourly Rate: $56.28
Hours: Up to 24 hours per week, Monday to Friday.
Reporting To: Director, Applied Research
Vacancy status: This posting is part of an ongoing recruitment process to maintain an applicant pool. Recruitment is continuous and dependent on project needs; candidates may be contacted as new projects arise.

Durham College is seeking experienced and motivated professionals who share our commitment to quality and student success. The Office of Research, Innovation and Training Services (RITS) is currently seeking applications from qualified individuals who are interested in joining the AI Hub, on a part-time, project-based contract to oversee the development of real-world solutions for industry partners through applied research and knowledge transfer projects.

Teams of expert faculty, students and recent graduates collaborate with industry partners and their staff to deliver innovative AI-based solutions to pressing business problems and opportunities. Projects can include producing and testing prototypes, evaluating new technologies, and developing new or improved products or processes for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). All projects are funded by provincial or federal government grants.

The AI Hub is located at the Oshawa Campus and provides SMEs access to facilities, equipment, technical expertise, and project services to assist them in product development, technology adoption, expansion into new markets and commercialization of new products, services and processes.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conducting applied research projects in collaboration with college staff and industry partners.
• Developing work plans in collaboration with industry partners, including specific resource requirements, milestones and deliverables.
• Attending meetings and presenting project scopes, deliverables and metrics.
• Identifying human resource needs and interviewing / hiring student research assistants.
• Supervising student research assistants.
• Providing technical expertise and leadership for applied research projects.
• Preparing and implementing dissemination activities, including assisting Research Assistants in the preparation of final materials/reports.
• Assisting college staff and students with development and completion of final reports and collection of metrics.
• Assisting with follow-up activities with industry clients or funders.
• Presenting findings at internal and external events, including conferences and seminars, as required - assisting with development of case studies
• Some travel to industry partner premises.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will meet or exceed the following qualifications:

• An undergraduate degree in Computing Science, Information Technology, Business or a related field, preferably a masters degree.
• Three to five years of relevant industry experience and demonstrated ability in fields and technologies relevant to project opportunities.
• Demonstrated research skills and project delivery abilities preferably with experience carrying out research projects.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with excellent attention to detail, and the ability to multi-task and prioritize projects.
• Strong written and verbal communication and analytical skills, with ability to work and communicate effectively in an office environment with frequent interruptions and dynamic deadlines.
• Proficient computer skills with recent working knowledge of Microsoft applications (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) in a Windows environment.
• Self-motivated and independent worker who also functions well in a collaborative team environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to present and interact with a variety of stakeholders including students, other faculty members, support staff, administrators, other departments within the college and with external partners.
• Uncompromised commitment to confidentiality.

The ideal candidate will possess the following technical skills:

• Established track record of delivering commercial projects involving Deep Learning, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision, Recommendation Systems, Pattern Recognition, Large Scale Data Mining.
• Established track record of delivering commercial projects involving Generative AI, Deep Learning, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Large Language Models, Computer Vision, Recommendation Systems, Pattern Recognition, Large Scale Data Mining.
• Knowledge of high performance computing clusters and working with traditional cloud environments within Azure, AWS and other private clouds
• Knowledge of database structures and functionalities
• Experience with deep learning applications in speech, vision, audio, NLP, semantic analysis, and/or multi-modal data.
• Experience using project management trackers.
• Experience in open source deep learning frameworks including TensorFlow, MXNet, Theano, and/or Caffe. Solid understanding of underlying algorithmic and architectural concepts.
• Hands-on coding experience with C/C++, Python, Scala, Lua, R, , and/or Java. GoLang would be an asset
• Strong experience with systems for large scale data analysis including Spark, Hadoop and Kafka.

Please apply below by submitting your cover letter and resume to the online portal. Competition number ADP24-01.

Contact Us T:905.721.3073 [email protected]
C Wing, Second Floor - 2000 Simcoe St. N. Oshawa, ON

Durham College invites applications from all qualified individuals. Durham is committed to fostering workplace diversity, and, provides accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout our hiring process. If you require this information in alternate format; require communication supports; an accommodation in applying for a posting and/or if you are selected for an interview, please contact our Human Resources (HR) department and an HR assistant will work with you to meet your needs.

We thank you for your interest in employment with Durham College however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Land Acknowledgement
Durham College is situated on the traditional lands of the First Peoples of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. These lands are covered under the Williams Treaties and rest within the traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg. We offer our gratitude to the Indigenous Peoples who care for and, through the treaty process, share the lands on which we live, learn, teach and prosper today.