AI Scientist, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)

We are hiring an AI Scientist to build the models behind PLM on the Avathon platform. Engineering data is some of the richest and least used data in a manufacturer: BOMs, part attributes, CAD metadata, drawings, specifications and years of engineering change history. You will build models that find similar and substitute parts, predict the impact of an engineering change, extract structure from drawings and documents, and help engineers search across all of it. Our models run on top of a Computational Knowledge Graph that links parts to suppliers, orders, production and assets in the field. This role sits in Product Engineering. You will take models from research to production with the PLM engineering team. You Will Engineering Data Intelligence • Build part similarity, classification and substitution models using part attributes, BOM structure and CAD metadata • Build models that predict the downstream impact of an engineering change across BOMs, suppliers and production • Extract structured data from drawings, specifications and engineering documents using vision and language models Graph and Language Models • Apply graph learning on the Computational Knowledge Graph for link prediction, entity resolution and change impact • Build retrieval and LLM-based tools so engineers can search parts, drawings and change history in plain language • Use Normal Behavior Models to flag unusual change activity, such as spikes in ECR volume on a product line Productization • Work with engineering to put models into production with evaluation, monitoring and clear explanations • Work with AI agents that help engineers and planners act on change impact • Write up methods and results clearly for product, customers and leadership You'll Have • PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Mechanical Engineering or a related field, or an MS with 5+ years of relevant industry experience • Strong foundation in machine learning, with depth in at least one of graph learning, NLP / LLMs or computer vision on documents • Experience applying ML to engineering or manufacturing data such as BOMs, CAD, drawings or part catalogs • Experience at a PLM or CAD vendor such as Siemens, PTC, Dassault Systemes, Autodesk or Oracle, or at an engineering-heavy manufacturer, is a strong plus • Strong Python and the standard ML stack (PyTorch, Hugging Face, graph libraries) • Experience shipping models to production, not only notebooks • Publications or patents in related areas are a plus Compensation Pay Range: $160k - $240k salary annually. Pay for this position is based on a number of factors including geographic location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Location: This role is not remote. Candidates must be based in the Bay Area, CA and are expected to report to our Pleasanton office 5 days a week.