AI Developer

Join Our Team as a AI Developer at Trico Electric Cooperative!

Posting Period: Tuesday, July 21 - Until Filled 

Annual Salary: $111,500 - $130,000 DOE 

Cooperative Expectations

We are committed to fostering a culture of excellence, where employees are empowered to grow, collaborate, and contribute to meaningful work. Just as we strive to provide 5-star customer service to our members, we also hold ourselves to the highest standards in how we work and support one another.

What You Will Do:

This role plays a critical part in advancing the organization's data and AI strategy by designing, developing, and maintaining enterprise data warehouses, data lakes, and integration platforms. The position is responsible for creating scalable, secure, and high-performing data solutions that support business intelligence, advanced analytics, automation, and artificial intelligence initiatives.

The ideal candidate will bring expertise in data architecture, ETL/ELT development, cloud data technologies, and system integrations, ensuring reliable and seamless access to high-quality data across the organization. By transforming complex data into strategic assets, this role enables data-driven decision-making, operational efficiency, and innovation throughout the Cooperative.

Key duties and expectations include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Designs, develops, and implements AI-powered software that solves real business problems.
2. Design, develop, and maintain scalable backend systems to support data warehousing and data lake initiatives.
3. Develop and implement integration solutions for seamless data exchange between systems, applications, and platforms.
5. Incorporates machine learning (including large language models/LLMs) into scalable applications, owns data/model pipelines end-to-end, and partners with product, security, and platform teams to deliver measurable outcomes in production.
6. Leads AI development from discovery through deployment, translating business needs into clear technical specifications and milestones.
7. Designs, trains, fine-tunes, and evaluates AI models (e.g. transformers/LLMs, NLP, CV, anomaly detection,
   recommendations).
8. Builds production-grade services and APIs that expose AI capabilities, including versioning, contracts, and usage analytics.
9. Develops reliable data workflows (ingestion, validation, feature computation, labeling, lineage) and enforces data quality and observability.
10. Integrates AI systems with enterprise platforms.
11. Documents architectures, datasets, experiments, and models to ensure reproducibility and maintainability.
12. Upholds responsible-AI standards, including privacy, security, explainability, and compliance with applicable frameworks.
13. Document technical designs, processes, and standards for the team and stakeholders.
14. Perform other related duties as assigned to support departmental and organizational goals.

What You Bring to Trico:

1. Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or a related field required.
2. 5+ years of related experience in IT App Support, IT Development, IT Networking, or similar field.
   
3. Certifications in cloud platforms (AWS Certified Data Analytics, Azure Data Engineer, etc.) is preferred.
4. Knowledge of data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) for supporting downstream analytics.
5. Familiarity with DevOps practices and tools.
6. Advanced knowledge of Intelligent Automation concepts including Robotics Process Automation (RPA), automated workflows is preferred.
7. Advanced knowledge of Generative AI (e.g., OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, etc.) and Agentic AI concepts and development practices is preferred.
8. Knowledge and experience in multiple software development languages (i.e. Java, Javascript, C#, C++, Python, etc)
9. Strong technical aptitude with excellent proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office Solutions (Word, Excel, Outlook).
   

Why work at Trico

Trico Electric Cooperative is a member-owned, not-for-profit, distribution cooperative headquartered in Marana, Arizona. We service more than 55,000 Members in rural areas surrounding the City of Tucson across three counties in southern Arizona. Trico is dedicated to making a difference in the communities we serve by providing our Members cost-effective and sustainable energy solutions. In our pursuit of excellence, Trico seeks innovative ways to enhance utility services, ensuring they align with the dynamic needs of our communities. We understand the importance of staying ahead of the curve and are dedicated to exploring cutting-edge solutions that redefine the provision of critical resources. Our present and future success depends on the creative and dedicated employees of our company who demonstrate Trico’s Core Values of: Service, Dependability, Innovation, and Integrity.

What We Offer

Trico’s success is rooted in our employees’ talent, well-being, health, and safety. As an electric cooperative and utility, our role in the community is vital, and we recognize the value of a high-achieving and diverse workforce to serve our Members.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package to meet the needs of our employees and their families and enhance their well-being. In addition to competitive pay, eligible employees can take advantage of the following benefits:

• Pension Plan (at no cost to the employee)
• 401(k) plan with employer matching
• Medical, vision, dental, and life insurance
• MTO/Catastrophic Leave
• Holiday pay
• Wellness programs (including access to a recreation and fitness facility)
• Tuition assistance for both undergraduate and graduate programs

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Trico Electric Cooperative, Inc. is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, military status, or any other protected status under applicable federal, state or local law.

Drug/Alcohol Policy Statement

To promote the safety and well-being of our employees, Members, and the communities we serve, Trico is committed to maintaining a drug/alcohol free work environment. Although marijuana may now be legal in Arizona, except as otherwise specified under Arizona law, Trico considers it to be an illegal drug for the purpose of our drug/alcohol policy because marijuana remains illegal at the federal level. Any candidate found to be impaired during the hiring process or who has the presence of an illegal drug or unauthorized substance in their system during the pre-employment drug/alcohol test may be disqualified from further consideration in the hiring process.

Work Authorization

All candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship. Trico does not sponsor employment-related visas.