Principal Scientist - Artificial Intelligence

GE Vernova • Elgin Township, IL

2d • Onsite

About The Position

As a global leader in the energy domain, GE Vernova is a purpose-built energy technology company on a mission to electrify and decarbonize the world. Our Artificial Intelligence (AI) team at GE Vernova's Advanced Research Center is at the heart of this mission, developing and demonstrating innovative AI technologies to transform the future of energy. You can be a part of a highly skilled, dynamic and motivated team of AI Researchers, who are laying the groundwork for GE Vernova to succeed in its mission. As a Principal Scientist, you will serve as a thought leader and technical visionary, driving the ideation, definition, and execution of high-impact AI research programs that address the most critical challenges in the energy sector. You will define problems worth solving in close partnership with business leadership, internal stakeholders, and external collaborators, translating strategic priorities into innovative AI solutions. Your work will span the entire research spectrum — from fundamental theoretical and empirical investigations to prototyping and scaled solution development — across applications in power generation, renewable energy, electric grids, robotics, manufacturing, and internal business processes. You will shape the research agenda, build cross-functional alignment, and champion AI innovation at the highest levels of the organization, while advancing the global state of the art through partnerships with academia, government, and industry.

Requirements

• PhD in Computer Science, Electrical/Computer Engineering, Mathematics, or related fields and a minimum of 8 years of work experience with a focus on Artificial Intelligence OR MS degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Computer Engineering, Mathematics, or related fields with a minimum of 12 years of work experience with a focus on Artificial Intelligence
• Demonstrated ability to write Python code and hands-on development of AI solutions
• Demonstrated ability to lead and influence multi-stakeholder AI research programs
• Demonstrated ability to engage business and technical leadership to define strategy and secure organizational alignment
• Familiarity with GenAI packages including models from OpenAI, Google, Meta, etc. and ML frameworks like PyTorch, TensorFlow, etc.
• Legal authorization to work in the U.S. is required.
• Must be willing to work out of an office located in Niskayuna, NY

Nice To Haves

• Completed PhD with a focus on new advancements in Artificial Intelligence, with a track record of recognized contributions to the field
• Experience in one or more of: (a) Multi-Modal Foundation Models with image, text, tabular data, and/or time-series data, (b) Integrating generative AI with knowledge graphs and graph-based reasoning, (c) Integrating physics and domain knowledge in scalable machine learning solutions, and (d) Integrating AI on resource-constrained edge platforms for reliable energy-aware solutions.
• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, with demonstrated ability to engage diverse audiences — from research teams to C-suite leaders — to align on problems, progress, and outcomes
• Proven experience leading large-scale research efforts with cross-functional and cross-organizational teams
• Strong track record in writing and winning competitive grant proposals; demonstrated experience collaborating with government agencies such as DoE, ARPA-E, DoD, and DARPA
• Experience building and sustaining relationships with external academic, government, and industry partners
• Contribution to public domain codebases and/or significant GitHub portfolio

Responsibilities

• Lead ideation and problem definition by partnering with business leaders, internal stakeholders, and external partners to identify, frame, and prioritize the highest-value problems worth solving with AI
• Lead and oversee complex, multi-stakeholder research programs, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives, maintaining technical rigor, and delivering measurable outcomes
• Drive thought leadership in AI by shaping the strategic research direction of the team and representing GE Vernova's AI capabilities to internal and external audiences
• Secure business leadership buy-in for new research initiatives by clearly articulating technical vision, potential impact, and roadmaps in terms relevant to business and organizational goals
• Conceptualize and develop breakthrough AI solutions for hard industrial problems, spanning machine learning, deep learning, generative AI, and foundation models
• Provide technical depth and guidance across key AI domains, setting the bar for technical excellence and driving innovation within the team
• Work independently as well as guide the development of new technologies to demonstrate and realize the value of AI through early prototypes and solutions for real-world problems
• Mentor and develop researchers at all career stages, fostering a culture of technical excellence, intellectual curiosity, and impactful execution
• Employ software libraries, tools, and practices to implement efficient, scalable, and reusable solutions
• Create intellectual property by writing invention disclosures and filing patents
• Publish research work in peer-reviewed conferences and journals
• Lead the development of grant proposals and oversee the execution of externally funded R&D programs

Benefits

• GE Vernova offers a great work environment, professional development, challenging careers, and competitive compensation.
• Available benefits include medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage; access to Health Coach from GE Vernova, a 24/7 nurse-based resource; and access to the Employee Assistance Program, providing 24/7 confidential assessment, counseling and referral services.
• Retirement benefits include the GE Vernova Retirement Savings Plan, a tax-advantaged 401(k) savings opportunity with company matching contributions and company retirement contributions, as well as access to Fidelity resources and financial planning consultants.
• Other benefits include tuition assistance, adoption assistance, paid parental leave, disability benefits, life insurance, 12 paid holidays, and permissive time off.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree