Applications Developer III

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a world leader in proven, reliable remotely piloted aircraft and tactical reconnaissance radars, as well as advanced high-resolution surveillance systems.

We currently have an exciting opportunity for an AI & Automation Engineer to work within our GA-ASI Finance Solutions (FS) team in Poway, CA.  The person selected for this role will be responsible for partnering with FS team members, Information Technology Services (ITS) and the business at large to lead our Finance & Administration (F&A) group in leveraging emerging technologies in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) space to deliver solutions which drive value to the business through transformative automation.  These solutions may include Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), Advanced Analytics through Machine Learning (ML) and Agentic AI in addition to standard Data Science.  

With the increase in available AI tools & technologies, this role will be responsible for being a conduit into these rapidly evolving capabilities, suggesting solutions to business needs by embedding within our teams to learn how we functionally operate.  This may also include translating business needs into functional requirements documents, communicating those requirements to Information Technology technical staff, developing and testing solutions, and participating in the roll out and stabilization of these solutions to the business. 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
AI & Machine Learning Development

• Design, build, and deploy AI/ML solutions (including LLMs, agents, and predictive models) to provide advanced descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive insights across finance and administrative functions.
• Apply advanced prompt engineering and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) techniques to enhance internal AI tools and ensure accurate, context-aware responses.
• Use statistical and ML methods (e.g., decision trees, regression, Bayesian analysis) to improve model accuracy, data management, and automation performance.

Finance & Business Process Enablement

• Partner closely with Finance and Accounting teams to understand business workflows and translate them into scalable AI solutions.
• Augment and optimize key processes (e.g., journal entry automation, forecasting, reconciliation, anomaly detection, and reporting).
• Integrate AI and automation workflows with enterprise systems such as SAP, and other financial platforms.
• Ensure all AI implementations adhere to compliance and audit standards while maintaining data security and governance best practices.

Data Engineering & Analytics

• Build robust data pipelines using Python, SQL, and Azure services to extract, clean, and prepare data for AI, ML and reporting use cases.
• Leverage tools like Power BI and Azure ML to visualize insights, track automation performance, and communicate results to stakeholders.
• Evaluate and recommend emerging AI tools, frameworks, and cloud capabilities that drive operational efficiency and innovation.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Act as a liaison between business end-users and technical teams, ensuring alignment between financial objectives and technical execution.
• Provide user training and develop documentation to promote self-service AI and analytics adoption.
• Define and report key performance indicators (KPIs) and success metrics for AI initiatives.
• Participate in the full lifecycle of solution development—from conceptualization through deployment, end-to-end test scripting, rollout, and continuous improvement.
• Identify, plan and manage continuous improvement initiatives.
• Maintains strict confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Responsible for observing all laws, regulations and other applicable obligations wherever and whenever business is conducted on behalf of the Company.

We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.
 

• Typically requires a bachelor's degree in Information Technology or related discipline and five or more years of professional applications developer experience.  Equivalent professional experience may be substituted in lieu of education. 
• 5+ years of experience with proven track record of developing, deploying, and maintaining AI/ML applications and solutions in production environments.
• Strong proficiency in Python (AI/ML Libraries), SQL, and tools such as Azure AI Services, Azure ML, Power BI, MS Power Platform, and Copilot.
• Proven ability to translate business needs into technical specifications and deliver scalable AI/ML solutions.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, capable of bridging technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong organizational and project leadership abilities, with experience managing end-to-end solution lifecycles.

Preferred:

• Master’s or Ph.D. in a quantitative field such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or Data Science.
• Experience with SAP modules (FI, CO, PS, MM, SD, PP) and understanding of key finance processes such as Order to Cash, Procure to Pay, and Plan to Deliver.
• Background in financial analytics, business process automation, or finance transformation initiatives.
• Familiarity with Azure ML, Databricks, AWS Redshift, or similar cloud platforms.