AI Engineer

Primary Function of the Position

The AI Engineer plays a key role in developing and optimizing advanced AI solutions for medical imaging and diagnostic applications in the field of colorectal cancer screening. This position is critical for advancing innovative, non-invasive technologies that improve early detection and patient outcomes across diverse healthcare settings. The role collaborates closely with clinical, research, and product teams to:

• Design, develop, and enhance deep learning models for medical image analysis.
• Translate clinical and customer requirements into robust AI-driven solutions.
• Support the full lifecycle from research and prototyping to validation, regulatory compliance, and deployment.
• Work with cross-functional stakeholders, including clinicians, data scientists, and external partners.
• Contribute to market expansion efforts by ensuring solutions meet regional and global standards.
• Demonstrate strong technical leadership, problem-solving, and collaboration to drive project success in a fast-paced startup environment.

Essential Job Duties

AI Model Development and Optimization

• Research, design, and implement state-of-the-art deep learning architectures for medical image processing tasks (e.g., segmentation, detection, and enhancement).
• Develop and refine models for high-accuracy performance in real-world clinical conditions.
• Conduct experiments, analyze results, and iterate to improve model robustness, efficiency, and generalizability.

Data Pipeline and Validation

• Build and maintain scalable data processing pipelines for large-scale medical imaging datasets.
• Collaborate on data annotation, curation, and augmentation strategies.
• Support clinical validation, performance evaluation, and regulatory documentation processes.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Deployment

• Act as a technical bridge between AI development and clinical needs, gathering feedback from users and partners.
• Partner with engineering, clinical, and commercial teams to integrate AI solutions into end-to-end systems.
• Troubleshoot issues, optimize for deployment (on-premise or cloud), and ensure compliance with medical device standards.
• Contribute to continuous improvement through monitoring, updates, and innovation.

Required Education, Training, Skills, and Expertise

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Biomedical Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Strong experience with deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, etc.) and computer vision techniques.
• Proven track record developing AI models for medical imaging or healthcare applications.
• Solid understanding of data science workflows, including data preprocessing, model training, evaluation, and deployment.
• Experience working in collaborative, cross-functional environments, preferably in medical technology or regulated industries.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to thrive in a high-energy, fast-paced startup environment with evolving priorities.
• Willingness to be flexible with work hours and collaborate across time zones.
• Fluent in English and Japanese (business level).

Working Conditions

• Primarily office/lab-based with occasional travel for clinical collaborations or conferences.
• Ability to work effectively in a dynamic team setting.
• May require extended periods of focused computer work.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in a relevant field.
• Hands-on experience with medical image analysis, particularly CT, endoscopy, or radiology data.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements for AI medical devices (e.g., FDA, PMDA).
• Experience deploying AI models in clinical or production environments.
• Background in gastrointestinal imaging or cancer screening technologies.
• Publications or contributions to open-source AI projects in healthcare.