Machine Learning Resident

"If you are interested in the application of machine learning, Computer Vision, and Optical Character Recognition for automating information extraction from architectural/engineering drawings, this is the right opportunity for you. Be a part of the team of research and machine learning scientists building a multi-stage information extraction pipeline from the ground up and get mentored by some of the best minds in AI during the process."

-Soumik Farhan, Machine Learning Scientist  

Description

About the Role

This is a paid residency that will be undertaken over a 12-month period with the potential to be hired by our client, Dune Engineering, afterwards (note: at the discretion of the client). The Resident will report to an Amii Scientist and regularly consult with the client team to share insights and engage in knowledge transfer activities. Successful candidates will be members of a cross-functional project team with backgrounds in ML research, project management, software engineering, and new product development. This is a rare opportunity to be mentored by world-class scientists and to develop something truly impactful.

About the Client

Dune Engineering Inc. is an innovative engineering firm specialising in high-performance energy modelling, building energy assessments, decarbonization studies, and commissioning services. We support commercial, institutional, and industrial clients in improving building performance, reducing energy use, and achieving long-term carbon goals. At Dune, we promote a collaborative, forward-thinking environment where engineers are empowered to innovate, grow, and make meaningful contributions to a more energy-efficient future.

About the Project

We are developing a new generation of AI-driven methods and tools to support the engineering design process across mechanical and electrical domains in buildings. This work blends modern machine learning with traditional computational and software-engineering techniques to create intelligent capabilities that assist at key stages of the design process.  Our goal is to build practical, reliable technologies that expand what engineers can achieve, improving efficiency and decision-making while keeping the underlying workflows and IP confidential. As a Machine Learning Resident, you will help shape these capabilities through research, prototyping, and collaboration with Dune Engineering's experts.

Required Skills / Expertise

Are you passionate about building great solutions?  You'll be presented with opportunities to both personally and professionally develop as you build your career. We're looking for a talented and enthusiastic individual with a solid background in machine learning, specifically Computer Vision (CV), Optical Character Recognition (OCR), or related information extraction techniques. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, implement, optimize, and evaluate models for information extraction, document classification, object detection, and relational linking  tasks.
• Prepare, curate, and preprocess high-quality datasets for training or fine-tuning, and validating models.
• Utilize state-of-the-art Computer Vision (CV), OCR, and ML frameworks, tools and open-source libraries to enhance model performance, accelerate workflows, and optimize data processing.  
• Undertake applied research on ML and Computer Vision (CV)/OCR techniques to address the limitations in existing models.
• Optimize ML pipelines to ensure efficiency, scalability, and real-time processing capabilities.
• Collaborate with the project team and stakeholders to develop MVP and client focused solutions.
• Engage in regular client meetings, contributing to presentations and reports on project progress.

Required Qualifications: 

• Completion of a Computer Science (or a related graduate degree program) MSc. or PhD with specialization in Computer Vision/ Optical Character Recognition applications.
• Proficient in developing and training, fine-tuning and evaluating machine learning and deep neural network models in PyTorch and/or TensorFlow.
• Proficient in Python programming language and related ML frameworks, libraries, and toolkits (e.g., Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, OpenCV, Pandas, HuggingFace).
• Solid understanding of classical statistics and its application in model validation.
• Familiarity with Linux, Git version control, and writing clean code.
• A positive attitude towards learning and understanding a new applied domain .
• Must be legally eligible to work in Canada.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with and hands-on experience with architectural/engineering drawings (e.g., PDFs, CAD files) or GBXML data and its application in ML domain.
• Publication record in peer-reviewed academic conferences or relevant journals in machine learning.
• Experience/familiarity with software engineering best practices.
• Experience with deploying machine learning models in production environments or strong software engineering (or MLE) skills is a plus.

Non-Technical Requirements: 

• Desire to take ownership of a problem and demonstrate leadership skills.
• Interdisciplinary team player enthusiastic about working together to achieve excellence.
• Capable of critical and independent thought.
• Able to communicate technical concepts clearly and advise on the application of machine intelligence.
• Intellectual curiosity and the desire to learn new things, techniques, and technologies.

Why You Should Apply

Besides gaining industry experience, additional perks include:

• Work under the mentorship of an Amii Scientist for the duration of the project
• Participate in professional development activities
• Gain access to the Amii community and events
• Get paid for your work (a fair and equitable rate of pay will be negotiated at the time of offer)
• Build your professional network
• The opportunity for an ongoing machine learning role at the client's organization at the end of the term (at the client's discretion)

About Amii

One of Canada's three main institutes for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, our world-renowned researchers drive fundamental and applied research at the University of Alberta (and other academic institutions), training some of the world's top scientific talent. Our cross-functional teams work collaboratively with Alberta-based businesses and organizations to build AI capacity and translate scientific advancement into industry adoption and economic impact.

How to Apply

If this sounds like the opportunity you've been waiting for, please don't wait for the closing December 8, 2025 to apply - we're excited to add a new member to the Amii team for this role, and the posting may come down sooner than the closing date if we find the right candidate before the posting closes When sending your application, please send your resume and cover letter indicating why you think you'd be a fit for Amii. In your cover letter, please include one professional accomplishment you are most proud of and why.

Applicants must be legally eligible to work in Canada at the time of application.

Amii is an equal opportunity employer and values a diverse workforce. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age or disability. Accommodations for disability-related needs throughout the recruitment and selection process are available upon request. Any information provided by you for accommodations will be kept confidential and won't be used in the selection process.