AI Automation Engineer bei County of Orange, CA

About the Department

AI AUTOMATION ENGINEER (LIMITED-TERM)

Please note that this position will be filled as limited-term. 

Limited term positions are funded for a specific duration—this assignment is estimated to last approximately three (3) years. While limited in funding, incumbents appointed to limited-term roles receive the same benefits as regular employees. All limited-term positions are subject to the same probationary period as regular-status positions within the same classification.

DESCRIPTION:
The Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS) invites you to join our team! We are now accepting online applications to fill the position of AI Automation Engineer.

WHO WE ARE:
Established in 1945, the Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS) provides retirement, death, disability and cost-of-living benefits to retirees of the County of Orange and certain County districts. Serving approximately 55,000 members, OCERS is governed by a ten-member Board of Retirement that is responsible for managing a $25 billion fund. For more information about OCERS, please click here.
 
Mission:
OCERS mission is to provide secure retirement and disability benefits with the highest standards of excellence.
 
Vision:
OCERS vision is to be a trusted partner providing premier pension administration, distinguished by consistent, quality member experiences and prudent financial stewardship. 
 
Values:

• Open and Transparent
• Commitment to Superior Service
• Engaged and Dedicated Workforce
• Reliable and Accurate
• Secure and Sustainable

THE OPPORTUNITY:

OCERS is seeking an AI Automation Engineer to design, develop, and implement advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) solutions that enhance operational efficiency, strengthen data integrity, and streamline workflows across the organization. The AI Automation Engineer will play a key role in OCERS’ multi-year initiative to modernize its Pension Administration environment by leveraging cutting-edge technologies—including natural language processing (NLP), document understanding, and predictive analytics—to deliver intelligent automation and actionable insights. This position contributes directly to OCERS’ commitment to innovation, accuracy, and service excellence through technology-driven transformation.

Reporting to the Director of Information Technology, the AI Automation Engineer is a critical member of OCERS’ modernization and technology team. This position supports the implementation of the new Pension Administration System (PAS) while delivering immediate automation benefits within existing business processes. The role collaborates closely with business units, IT professionals, and system vendors to design scalable, secure, and maintainable AI solutions that align with OCERS’ strategic goals. The AI Automation Engineer serves as a technical expert and trusted partner, advancing OCERS’ use of AI, ML, and data analytics to improve performance, decision-making, and member service delivery.

PERFORMANCE ATTRIBUTES:

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Automate high-volume, repetitive business processes such as document intake, classification, and data extraction to improve efficiency and accuracy. 
• Develop intelligent orchestration solutions that enable AI-driven decision support, automated workflow routing, and proactive data anomaly detection.
• Design, implement, and maintain an Azure-based DevSecOps and MLOps environment utilizing tools such as Azure DevOps, Git, pipelines, containerization, and model monitoring. 
• Develop and deploy machine learning and NLP-based models to extract, validate, and structure data from diverse sources including PDFs, forms, scanned images, and emails. 
• Build intelligent document processing (IDP) workflows that leverage OCR and classification models to streamline document management. Integrate AI automation with robotic process automation (RPA) tools (e.g., UiPath, Power Automate) and APIs to enhance existing pension system capabilities.
• Engineer data pipelines and validation frameworks to prepare, transform, and verify data from legacy systems and employer feeds for AI model training and inference. 
• Develop reusable AI components, frameworks, and governance guardrails that ensure security, privacy, model risk management, and responsible AI practices. 
• Design and implement predictive and rule-based models for anomaly detection and continuous data quality improvement. 
• Develop analytic dashboards and scripts that identify, summarize, and monitor data quality issues to enhance transparency and operational insight.
• Collaborate with business analysts, system integrators, and subject matter experts to identify automation opportunities and align AI initiatives with OCERS’ modernization roadmap. 
• Create documentation, repositories, and training materials to support knowledge transfer, ensuring long-term sustainability of AI solutions. 
• Lead AI enablement and adoption programs for internal technical teams and business users, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related field.
• At least 3 years of professional experience in AI/ML solution development, data engineering, or automation in a production or enterprise environment, ideally in public sector, financial services, or pension administration. 
• Minimum of three (3) years of professional experience developing and deploying AI/ML or automation solutions in enterprise environments. 
• Experience with one or more AI frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Hugging Face, Scikit-learn).
• Experience integrating AI with business systems, preferably in public sector, financial, or pension administration domains.
• Proficiency in Power BI and/or Tableau for dashboard design and analytics.
• Strong SQL skills and experience working with large, complex data sets.
• Familiarity with cloud data platforms (Microsoft Fabric, Azure, or similar).
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to collaborate across business and technical teams.

Special Notes, Licenses, or Requirements:

• A valid California Class C driver’s license or the ability to arrange timely transportation as required.  
• May be required to use personal vehicle.
• A full background investigation is required; a felony or misdemeanor conviction may disqualify applicants.

JOB CLASSIFICATION:

Please click here for additional details about the AI Automation Engineer classification. 

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES:
The Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities necessary to perform essential duties of the position:
Knowledge of:

• Principles, theories, and practices of machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing.
• Modern programming languages and frameworks (Python, .NET, JavaScript/TypeScript).
• Data engineering concepts: ETL pipelines, data cleansing, and database integration (SQL, NoSQL).
• Cloud-based AI platforms such as Microsoft Azure AI, AWS SageMaker, or Google Cloud AI.
• API development and integration methods including REST, JSON, and GraphQL.
• Agile software development lifecycle (SDLC), DevOps, and version control systems (Git).
• Data security, privacy, and compliance standards applicable to government systems (e.g., NIST, CJIS, HIPAA).

Skills/Ability to:

• Designing and deploying AI models for automation, classification, and data quality validation.
• Applying NLP and computer vision tools for document understanding and unstructured data extraction.
• Using visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent) to present insights.
• Translating complex technical outputs into clear business outcomes.
• Troubleshooting and optimizing AI performance and system integration issues.
• Establishing and maintaining working relationships with members of the Retirement Board, members of the retirement system, public officials, staff, consultants, and others encountered in the course of work.
• Making effective oral presentations to individuals and groups.
• Working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, including business analysts, software engineers, and pension subject matter experts.
• Designing scalable, maintainable AI solutions aligned with enterprise architecture standards.
• Adapting to evolving project requirements within a multi-year modernization initiative.
• Communicating effectively both orally and in writing with technical and non-technical audiences.
• Exercising sound judgment in prioritizing tasks and managing multiple deliverables under tight deadlines.

PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

Physical and Mental Requirements: 

• Ability to speak, hear, and read in English clearly.
• Manual dexterity sufficient to use standard office equipment and perform data entry.
• Mental stamina to interact with members of the Board of Retirement, stakeholders, and staff with professionalism.
• Visual ability to read detailed financial reports and computer screens.
• Ability to sit for extended periods.
• Body strength sufficient to lift up to 15 pounds and carry files.

Environmental and Working Conditions:

• Work is performed in an office setting with standard equipment.
• Moderate noise level from office devices.
• Frequent interaction with government officials, consultants, and the public.
• Occasional travel may be required for conferences and meetings.

BENEFITS:
OCERS offers a competitive benefits package that includes a choice of several health plans, annual leave, and paid holidays. Additionally, OCERS has a defined benefit pension plan which has reciprocity with the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) and a deferred compensation 457 plan. OCERS offers up to an annual $10,000 Educational and Professional Reimbursement, a $3,500 taxable optional benefit plan, and a flexible/hybrid work schedule.  
 
For additional information and details about the OCERS pension and benefits offered, please click here.

RECRUITMENT PROCEDURE:

OCERS' Human Resources Department will screen all application materials to identify qualified candidates. Applications submitted without a completed supplemental information form will be disqualified from further consideration. After screening, the more qualified candidates will be referred to the next step in the recruitment process and notified via e-mail of all further procedures applicable to their application status.
  
Applications Appraisal Panel (AAP) | Application Rating (Refer/Non-Refer):

A panel of job knowledge experts will screen and evaluate all application materials for job knowledge, competencies, and related education and experience as described above. Please be thorough in your responses to supplemental questions as each will be evaluated and rated accordingly.  Additionally, please be thorough in aligning your education and work experience to the competencies and qualifications listed in this bulletin. Clarity of expression, grammar, spelling and ability to follow instructions will also be considered in the evaluation.  This is a competitive process and only the more qualified candidates will be referred to the next step.
  
Qualifications Appraisal Panel | Oral Interview:

Candidates will be interviewed and rated by a panel of job knowledge experts. Each candidate's rating will be based on responses to a series of structured questions designed to elicit the candidate's qualifications for the job.
  
Based on OCERS' needs and the number of applications received, the selection procedures listed above may be modified, and all affected candidates will be notified.

Position Duties

HOW TO APPLY:

You may apply to this position online via the OCERS Job Board. Only online applications with completed supplemental questions will be accepted.

It is recommended that you record or print your confirmation page, as this verifies receipt of your online application. For specific information pertaining to this recruitment, please contact John Nguyen at (714) 569-4855 or email [email protected].
 

Please do not submit resumes to this email address as they will not be considered in lieu of the required application process.

EMAIL NOTIFICATION: 
Email is the primary form of notification throughout the recruitment process. Please ensure that you include your correct email address in the application and that you use only one email account. NOTE: User accounts are established for one person only and should not be shared with another person. Multiple applications with multiple users may jeopardize your status in the recruitment process for any positions for which you apply. Candidates will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via email through the GovernmentJobs.com site. Please check your email folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept emails ending with "governmentjobs.com" and "ocers.org." If your email address should change, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com. 
 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Click here for additional Frequently Asked Questions.

Minimum Qualifications

OCERS, as an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.