Applied AI Research Scientist - Generative and Agentic AI

Applied AI Research Scientist - Generative and Agentic AI / Scientifique en IA Appliquée- IA Générative et Agentique

In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow's possible.

Within the group, Thales Digital Solutions (TDS) is a technological innovation hub supporting all sectors of activity, both in the local Canadian market and internationally. Join us to contribute to the development of mission critical solutions. Our various cutting‑edge projects use our expertise in Artificial Intelligence, Human Factors, Collaborative Autonomous Systems, Optimization, Knowledge Management, Cybersecurity and Design.

Applied AI Research Scientist - Generative and Agentic AI / Scientifique en IA Appliquée- IA

Générative et Agentique

Ville de Quebec, QC (Sur Site/Hybride) Temps plein

Quebec City, QC (On Site/Hybrid) Full‑time

Position Summary/Résumé du poste

Thales Group is a global organization with operations on all continents serving five major markets, all of them of vital importance for our societies: aerospace, space, defense and security, and digital identity and security. From the bottom of the ocean to the depth of space and cyberspace, Thales Group provides a unique range of technologies and services that make tomorrow possible, today. From helping cities and critical infrastructures to become safe and smart, to securing the global financial markets, protecting data and privacy and keeping security forces connected while on critical missions, Thales ensure that everyone can continue to share information, reap the benefits of a connected world and enjoy an enhanced quality of life, while staying safe and one step ahead of all forms of digital threat. Thales’ Applied AI Research Team in Canada is looking for a talented researcher with a great appetite to solve complex research questions and apply them to critical AI projects. This position is part of the Generative and Agentic AI team that is responsible for designing and proving the value of novel Agentic AI applications with a focus on trustable AI.

Essential Functions/Fonctions essentielles

A Research and Technology (R&T) AI Scientist in Generative and Agentic AI is responsible for discovering, enabling and integrating complex innovative AI concepts into Thales solutions. This role validates their feasibility through the implementation of Proofs of Concept (PoCs) and guides their maturity growth through prototypes and demonstrators that will in turn illustrate and enable their full business potential.

To be successful in this role, curiosity for what is new, willingness to challenge the status quo, open‑mindness and out‑of‑the‑box thinking are crucial. The individual should quickly learn and assess new techniques and technologies in order to decide whether to adopt, adapt or discard them. They also need to be able to come up with new ideas, present them, challenge them and improve them continuously. The individual must possess deep, hands‑on technical skills in the development and training of AI and ML, but more importantly, in the development of solutions using Generative AI, whether deployed as Agentic AI or LLM workflows. The candidate must demonstrate a strong understanding of the scientific method and his/her ability to deliver quality content at all steps of the research process, from the capability to summarize the theoretical background of a novel domain to the dissemination of research outputs through peer‑reviewed publications, patents or other means.

The AI scientist is part of a multi‑disciplinary team. Strong team spirit and teamwork capabilities are mandatory. The ideal candidate therefore is able to demonstrate transverse skills that would facilitate the transfer of the work carried out to all stakeholders involved.

He/she will contribute as a technical subject matter expert to Research and Technology projects across Thales and its business units. Therefore, good communication skills are required.

Minimum Requirements/Exigences minimales

• MSc in engineering, computer science, applied mathematics, statistics, or a related field.
• Prior experience in AI/ML
• Experience in applying paper or Github projects to new problems
• Demonstrated work experience using Large Language Models (LLM)
• Experience and understanding of data analysis and representation methods applied to sparse and dense data
• Experience in the development, test and tuning of complex LLM or Agentic workflows
• Experience with popular LLM integration frameworks like LangChain/Graph, LlamaIndex, Haystack.
• Strong foundation in mathematics, statistics and probability
• Work experience using Linux OS
• Demonstrated experience in completing an applied research project, from problem to results, with minimal guidance
• Demonstrated leadership abilities in school, civil or business organisations
• Ability to work creatively and analytically in a problem‑solving environment
• Communicating scientific work clearly and effectively (talks, presentations, publications, etc.)
• Fluency in French (spoken and written).

Preferred Qualifications/Qualification souhaitable

• Minimum 2 years of machine learning experience in Python
• Industry experience in developing code with other developers.
• Industry experience in building and deploying machine or deep learning models.
• Experience in developing clean and reusable data transformation pipelines applied to text data
• Experience in developing, tuning and testing LLM‑based agents, using tools, databases (MCP Servers) and complex workflows
• Experience with various provider and size of open source and proprietary LLMs
• Experience in designing and maintaining enterprise Agentic AI workflows, with appropriate databases and tools
• Demonstrated teamwork and collaboration in professional settings
• Scientific publications in AI, ML
• Fluency in English (spoken and written).

This position requires a good knowledge of English to interact with, support, and/or provide services to international clients, employees, and/or partners, as well as to foreign government authorities who do not speak French.

Physical Requirements/Exigences physiques

The job may require the employee to setup equipment and perform field trials in outdoor environments.

Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full‑time employees working 24 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following:

• Company paid Extended Health, Dental, HSA, Life, AD&D, Short‑term Disability, travel insurance, Employee Assistance Plan and Well‑Being program.
• Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP, DCPP, TFSA) with a company contribution and a match to a DCPP, with no vesting period.
• Company paid holidays, vacation days, and paid sick leave.
• Voluntary Life, AD&D, Critical Illness, Long‑Term Disability.
• Employee Discounts on insurance (home, and auto).

Thales is an equal opportunity employer which values diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. Thales is committed to providing accommodations in all parts of the interview process. Applicants selected for an interview who require accommodation are asked to advise accordingly upon the invitation for an interview. We will work with you to meet your needs. All accommodation information provided will be treated as confidential and used only for the purpose of providing an accessible candidate experience.

This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software or technical information controlled under the Canadian Export Control List, the Canadian Industrial Security Program, and/or the US Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be eligible or able to obtain authorization including a Canadian Enhanced Reliability security clearance.

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