Job ID: 11140
Location: Shakopee, Minnesota
Category: IT
Employment Type: Individual Consulting
Date Added: 01/20/2026
Job Title: AI/Machine Learning Engineer
Job Type: Contract-to-Hire
Job Location: Remote
Summary:
Join one of the nation's leading high-volume print and visual communications companies as we take a pragmatic approach to AI implementation. We're not chasing trends—we're solving specific, high-impact business problems.This is a greenfield opportunity. You're not maintaining someone else's system—you're building something from scratch that will directly impact how we operate every day. Our largest facility handles bulk printing campaigns for Fortune 50 retailers, and we're building AI solutions to optimize job scheduling and forecast labor needs with precision. The right hire will drive multi-million dollar efficiencies while working with real operational data at scale.
The Problems You'll Solve
You'll focus on two core operational challenges that sit at the heart of how we run our production facility.Production Job Scheduling Optimization
We have a constant stream of jobs flowing through our facility. Today, a team of people manually determines how to schedule and route those jobs—what goes where, in what order, on which equipment. We want an AI-powered tool that can analyze all incoming jobs, understand our facility's capacity and constraints, and determine the most efficient path to move work through production. The goal is smarter scheduling that reduces bottlenecks, improves throughput, and takes the guesswork out of daily planning.
Workforce Forecasting
Once jobs are scheduled, we need people to run them. We use a mix of permanent employees and temp workers. The challenge is knowing how many temps we'll need on any given day or week—before we actually need them. We want a system that looks at scheduled jobs, factors in permanent employee availability, and predicts temp labor requirements in advance so we can provide accurate headcount forecasts to our temp agencies instead of scrambling or over-hiring.
What You'll Do
- Design and develop AI/ML models focused on production scheduling optimization across multiple input sources (ERP systems, client applications)
- Build predictive analytics for labor forecasting—headcount, skills required, and timing for agency notification
- Leverage our Azure data platform (Azure SQL Database, Azure Data Factory) as the foundation for AI implementations
- Collaborate with an existing 4-5 person scheduling team to transition manual processes into AI-assisted workflows
- Work independently to assess business challenges, navigate ambiguity, and propose solutions
- Evaluate and select the right AI models for each problem; build and deploy working solutions—not perfect, but functional
- Gather feedback from end users, iterate, improve, and expand over time
- Partner with leadership on AI strategy, governance, and responsible implementation
Required Qualifications
- 7+ years of software engineering experience with a track record of building production systems
- Hands-on experience building and deploying AI/ML solutions in production (not just prototypes or research)
- Advanced Python proficiency; experience with ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, or similar)
- Azure ecosystem experience: Azure SQL Database, Azure Data Factory (required); Azure Machine Learning (preferred)
- Strong SQL and data modeling skills—complex queries, joins, Star Schema
- Ability to work with enterprise data sources (ERP systems, databases, APIs) and integrate AI modules into existing systems
- Proven ability to work autonomously through ambiguous problems with minimal direction
- Strong communication skills; able to translate technical solutions for business stakeholders
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with optimization, scheduling, or forecasting problems (any industry)
- Background in operations research (linear programming, constraint optimization)
- Experience with Azure Machine Learning, AI Agents, or LLMs (with understanding of when traditional ML is the better fit)
- Familiarity with Qwen or other open-source AI models
- Background in .NET or Java environments
- Manufacturing, printing, logistics, or high-volume production operations experience
- Exposure to ERP systems like SAP or Oracle
- AI security implementation experience
What We're Looking For
We need a pragmatic problem-solver—someone with the engineering foundation to implement solutions end-to-end, not just prototype them. You'll be given a problem and a data source; we expect you to figure out the path forward. This role requires someone who thinks incrementally: deploy something, learn from it, improve on it. If you thrive with autonomy, like owning problems end-to-end, and want to see the tangible impact of your work on a real production floor, this is the role.Interview Process
Single-stage panel interview with IT leadership.
The projected hourly range for this position is $70 to $75.
On-Demand Group (ODG) provides employee benefits which includes healthcare, dental, and vision insurance. ODG is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.