AI Research Intern, PhD Part-time

Assent is a leading solution provider for supply chain sustainability, recognized for its rapid growth and innovative approach. They are seeking a PhD-level AI Research Intern to join their AI & Innovation team, focusing on developing LLM-driven prototypes that enhance sustainability and compliance platforms. Responsibilities Research and prototype LLM-based agent architectures, exploring task decomposition, reasoning, and collaboration between agents Implement and evaluate proof-of-concept AI systems using open-source or proprietary LLM models and frameworks Develop scalable experiment pipelines to assess model behavior, safety, and reliability Build and optimize Python-based backend components, including prompt chains, vector stores, and evaluation tooling Integrate prototypes with internal data systems and APIs, simulating realistic enterprise environments Collaborate with ML engineers and product teams to define success metrics and transition promising prototypes toward production Document findings in internal research reports, technical memos, and demonstrate the results Skills Currently pursuing a PhD (3+ years completed) in Computer Science, Machine Learning, AI, or a related discipline, available to work 20/hrs per week Strong coding and prototyping skills in Python, including familiarity with one or more of: PyTorch, TensorFlow, or similar ML frameworks Familiarity with LLM agent frameworks (LangChain, LlamaIndex, DSPy, AutoGen, or Semantic Kernel) Familiarity with vector databases (FAISS, Chroma, Pinecone, or Milvus) Understanding of RAG and retrieval systems using embeddings and knowledge graphs Deep understanding of LLM internals, including prompting strategies, fine-tuning, and model evaluation Experience with cloud-based development (AWS) and modern MLOps or LLMOps workflows is an asset Strong experimental design, data analysis, and communication skills Benefits Comprehensive benefits packages (details vary by country) Life leave days Corporate bonus program Retirement savings options Flexible work options Volunteer days Professional development days Company Overview Assent Inc. provides cloud-based SaaS solutions for product compliance, trade compliance and ESG. It was founded in 2010, and is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, CAN, with a workforce of 501-1000 employees. Its website is