Classification: Salary Job Description: Are you looking for a new challenge? Passionate about innovation? Want to work for a global company that values integrity, teamwork, and loyalty? At LATICRETE International, we aim to be the leading construction brand trusted globally for high-performance tile and stone installation systems and building finishing solutions. We’ve been in business for over 65 years, family-owned for three generations, and can be found in over 100 countries. The Hartford Business Journal even named us one of Connecticut’s top family-owned companies in 2017! We don't just make innovative, industry-leading products. Our purpose is to improve the built world and the lives of those who build it. We strive to connect with, engage with and improve the lives of our employees, our customers, our partners, and the global communities in which we operate. We are seeking passionate and ambitious employees who want to make a difference not just within our organization, but within their communities, our industry, and the world. If that sounds like you, then what are you waiting for? Join the family and expand your horizons! Just some of our benefits: + Medical + Dental + Vision + 401k + Tuition reimbursement + 13 paid holidays in addition to paid vacation and sick time + Flexible spending + Life Insurance, AD&D and Supplemental Insurance POSITION SUMMARY LATICRETE International is seeking an enthusiastic Entry-Level AI Engineer to support our innovation initiatives by developing AI-driven solutions to optimize product development, supply chain, quality control, and overall customer experience. Working under the guidance of senior engineers and project leads, the AI Engineer I will design, develop, and deploy intelligent agents, copilots and AI & ML models using Microsoft technologies. The AI Engineer I will contribute to the development of bots and agents that interact with data from Microsoft Dataverse, Dynamics 365, Power Automate, and SharePoint, as well as the deployment of custom-trained models for demand forecasting, predictive maintenance, quality prediction and other advanced analytics workloads. The ideal candidate is a problem-solver with a passion for AI, data analytics, and contributing to a sustainable, innovative construction industry. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Additional duties and responsibilities may be assigned, as necessary. Copilot / Agent Development & Integration (50%) + Design, develop and deploy AI-powered copilots and agents surfaced in customer-facing apps, Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot. + Design RAG and MCP integrations with Microsoft Dataverse, Dynamics 365, JD Edwards, SharePoint and other business systems. + Create test plans and feasibility analyses for agent and copilot workloads and monitor, maintain and continuously improve deployed solutions. + Work with senior engineers and infrastructure team to assist with the implementation of cloud infrastructure required for AI workloads. + Uphold and contribute to the design of AI governance and security standards. Abide by corporate responsible AI usage policies. + Document solutions, including architecture, data flows, and user interaction patterns. + Coordinate with stakeholders and project leads to gather requirements and use-cases, refine user stories, and contribute to creation of project plans. + Stay current with emerging AI technologies and Microsoft platform updates. AI & ML Model Development (50%) + Design and implement machine learning models to support applications such as predictive maintenance for manufacturing equipment, quality prediction for construction materials, or customer demand forecasting. + Clean and preprocess datasets from LATICRETE manufacturing, sales, and R&D processes, addressing issues like missing values or outliers to ensure robust AI model inputs. + Assist business intelligence team with development of Power BI dashboards to visualize AI model outputs, enabling stakeholders to monitor and act on insights. + Use Python code and Azure AI Foundry tooling to develop prompt flows, perform data manipulations and train models. + Diagnose AI model performance issues (e.g., overfitting) and apply techniques like cross-validation, regularization, or hyperparameter tuning to improve accuracy and reliability. + Create features from raw data (e.g., combining material composition and environmental factors) to enhance AI model performance in predicting product outcomes. + Support the organization’s commitment to innovation by exploring AI applications for sustainable manufacturing practices, such as optimizing raw material usage or reducing waste and environmental impact. + Document all AI processes and Power BI artifacts, providing training to end-users to foster effective adoption of tools. + Partner with R&D, Production, Sales and other teams to understand business needs, translate them into technical solutions, and communicate AI-driven insights to non-technical stakeholders, such as how predictive models improve product quality. REQUIRED SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Education and Experience: + Undergraduate degree in computer science, data science, engineering, mathematics or a related field. Master’s degree preferred. + Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate certification or equivalent strongly preferred. Specialized Skills and Experience: + 2 years of experience in AI, machine learning, or data analysis (internships, academic projects, or coursework acceptable). + Proficiency in Python programming for data science (e.g., pandas, scikit-learn, numpy). + Hands-on experience with Power BI, including building dashboards using Power Query, and writing DAX formulas. + Working knowledge of Microsoft Copilot Studio, Azure AI Foundry and related Microsoft AI development tooling, and experience with above or previous versions of the platform. + Exposure to Microsoft Power Platform, including Power Automate and Dataverse. + Familiarity with REST APIs, Model Context Protocol and cloud-based development. + Working knowledge of various foundational and open-source LLM models and retrieval-augmented generation solutions built based upon them. + Exposure to data preprocessing methodologies and AI model development through projects or coursework. + Foundational knowledge of machine learning concepts (e.g., supervised/unsupervised learning, overfitting, feature engineering). + SQL-based relational database experience preferred. + Experience with AI/ML frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch) or statistical analysis tools preferred. + Familiarity with manufacturing or construction industry data and metrics (e.g., material properties, production metrics) preferred. + Analytical mindset with strong problem-solving abilities and attention to detail. + Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders, aligning with the collaborative culture at LATICRETE. + Passion for innovation and contributing to the LATICRETE mission of improving the built world. + Team-oriented with a willingness to learn and adapt in a dynamic, family-like work environment. Travel Requirement: + 10%, domestic. Physical Requirements: + Lift: Must be able to lift and/or carry a minimum of 25 pounds.  + Push/Pull: Must be able to push/pull 25 pounds. + Standing: Must be able to stand at least 25% of the day. + Sitting: Must be able to sit at least 50% of the day.