Machine Learning Resident (12 Months)

at  Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute

“Come work with us to explore the application of reinforcement learning to address a critical emissions problem in the oil & gas industry. If you are an RL/ML researcher or engineer looking to apply your skills to an important real-world industrial application, we want to talk to you. You will have the opportunity to innovate on a problem that has the real potential to reduce the emissions footprint of an entire legacy industry and get mentored by some of the best minds in AI during the process.”

• David Staszak, Lead Machine Learning Scientist and Mara Cairo, Product Owner, Advanced Technology

REQUIRED SKILLS / EXPERTISE

Are you passionate about building great solutions? Do you want to help move the needle on a large-scale emissions reduction problem? You’ll be presented with opportunities to both personally and professionally develop as you build your career. We’re looking for a talented and enthusiastic individual with a solid background in machine learning, specifically reinforcement learning.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Completion of a graduate level program or higher (M.S./Ph.D) in Computer Science, ML or Engineering
• Research or project experience in machine learning, specifically using reinforcement learning tools and techniques
• Proficient in Python programming language and related ML frameworks, libraries and toolkits (e.g. Scikit learn, PyTorch, Pandas, Tensorflow, JAX)
• Familiarity with linux, Git version control, and writing clean code
• A positive attitude towards learning and understanding a new applied domain
• Must be legally eligible to work in Canada

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Publication record in peer-reviewed academic conferences or relevant journals in machine learning (specifically reinforcement learning or applied ML in industrial applications)

NON-TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Desire to take ownership of a problem and demonstrated leadership skills
• Interdisciplinary team player enthusiastic about working together to achieve excellence
• Capable of critical and independent thought
• Able to communicate technical concepts clearly and advise on the application of machine intelligence
• Intellectual curiosity and the desire to learn new things, techniques, and technologies

ABOUT THE ROLE

This is a paid Residency that will be undertaken over a twelve month period. The Resident will report to an Amii Scientist and regularly consult and work with our partners to share insights and engage in knowledge transfer activities. Successful candidates will be members of a cross-functional project team with backgrounds in ML research, project management, software engineering, and new product development. This is a rare opportunity to be mentored by world-class scientists and to develop something truly impactful.
As a Machine Learning Resident specializing in Reinforcement Learning (RL), you will spearhead an innovative project that revolutionizes operational efficiency and environmental sustainability in the energy sector through autonomous process control and automation. Your primary task will be to develop, test, and refine advanced RL models designed to autonomously manage set points in upstream natural gas systems, significantly reducing methane emissions and enhancing operational efficiencies and worker safety.
This role demands a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical skills in machine learning, data science, and software engineering. You will collaborate closely with a team of researchers and industry professionals to integrate these models into existing systems, ensuring they not only meet but exceed the current industry standards. Additionally, your work will involve analyzing vast datasets to refine models that can predict and adapt to complex operational scenarios in real-time.
The models you develop will directly influence the operational strategies of natural gas assets valued at several billion dollars, marking a significant step forward in the use of AI for environmental and economic sustainability in the energy sector. Your efforts will play a crucial role in reducing global methane emissions related to methane venting and increase operational safety of field personnel in the energy sector.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop, train, and evaluate RL agents specifically tailored to control the set points used in plunger lift methods within natural gas wells
• Design and optimize RL models to mitigate emissions and optimize operations in plunger lift systems
• Conduct applied research on ML techniques, with a focus to understanding and addressing the limitations of existing models
• Prepare and curate the relevant industrial control data for ML training
• Manage the productionalization and deployment of models to devices used to control key plunger lift processes
• Collaborate with project team and stakeholders to develop minimum viable products (MVPs) and client focused solutions
• Engage in regular client meetings, contributing to presentations and reports on project progress
• Optimize ML pipelines to ensure efficiency, scalability, and real-time processing capabilities