Consultant - Large Language Model Advisor

Summary:

WRI’s Data Lab seeks to recruit a Large Language Model Advisor. The consultant will use their skill and knowledge to deliver tools and projects that leverage large language models (LLMs) across WRI’s programs and country offices. The consultant will design, develop, and test LLM-based applications ranging from "chat to map" agents to data cleaning tools to FAQ bots for technical corpuses. The consultant will evaluate prototypes with users, testing accuracy, effectiveness, and user satisfaction. Additionally, they will strategize on scaling successful projects considering cost-efficiency, sustainability, and security. The position requires a blend of technical expertise, creativity, and strategic insight, aimed at driving impactful data innovations globally.

Program Overview:

The Data Lab exists to inspire and fuel data innovation, product development, and technical infrastructure for World Resources Institute (WRI) and our community. We help our partners use advances in data and technology to improve lives, protect nature, and ensure just transitions. The Data Lab is composed of WRI’s core Engineering, Product, and Data teams. The Data Lab supports a wider network of quantitative researchers, data scientists, and product managers embedded across the organization.

Scope of Work and Deliverables/Outputs:

• Design and develop prototypes products and tool chains that leverage LLMs for data science tasks and interfaces. Examples of needs include data cleaning pipelines, FAQ bots for corpuses of technical literature, and chat-based agents that drive APIs and maps.
• Developing and implementing evals for key WRI use cases.
• Conduct thorough testing of prototypes with users to gather feedback and iterate on design.
• Analyze and recommend infrastructure setups and strategic approaches for transitioning successful prototypes into scalable products, focusing on cost-effectiveness, environmental impact, and security compliance.

Consultant Qualifications:

• Strong foundational skills in product management, UX/UI design, software engineering and/or data science.
• Strong understanding of machine learning and NLP fundamentals
• Proven experience in building applications with a variety of LLMs including open models, APIs, and established platforms.
• Ability to conceptualize and execute projects that leverage LLMs to enable practical, user-oriented applications.
• Experience using methods including prompt engineering, tool calling, retrieval augmented generation, and fine-tuning to improve “off the shelf” models.
• Experience developing and implementing evals for a range of tasks.
• Sound judgement about data governance and ethics.
• Understanding of the cost structures and implications of using LLMs in production environments.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with a capacity to work on complex challenges in a dynamic environment.

Evaluation and Selection:

The following elements will be the primary considerations in evaluating all applications submitted in response to this posting:

•        The extent to which the applicant’s proposal fulfills WRI’s stated requirements as set out in this posting;
•        Demonstrated expertise and experience with similar projects;
•        Experience with training and building clients’ technical capacity; 
•        Competitiveness of the applicant’s rates;
• Sustainability – WRI values sustainability and all other factors being equal, will favor a proposal to more sustainably perform the work.  

The consultant offering the best overall value will be selected. For this position, price and non-price aspects are considered to be of approximately equal importance.

Timing: Proposals must be submitted no later than 11:59pm ET on May 23, 2024.  Applicants will be notified of decisions within approximately 14 calendar days.  The estimated starting date for individual consultant contracts would be June 17, 2024, after which WRI will share the first work order.  Contracts will be valid for up to 1 calendar year.  Individual work orders are likely to have a duration of 4 weeks to 2 months, depending on the estimated time required to complete the desired deliverables

Compliance Requirements: Work orders may be funded by awards from a variety of funders. Depending on the terms of the award to WRI, work orders issued under the umbrella contract may be accompanied by additional terms and conditions not included in the umbrella contract. Terms and conditions in the umbrella contract may be negotiated in order to suit the nature of work requested.

How to Apply:

To apply, please submit the following:

• If an individual, your resume; if an organization, a one-page organizational capacity statement.
• A brief statement indicating your interest, hourly and daily rates [in USD and local currency, if applicable], and availability through the end of calendar year 2024;
• Links to your portfolio of work or example projects.

Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

Please note that WRI is an IRS-registered 501(c)3, tax-exempt organization. WRI is not VAT exempt. All prices or quotes should include VAT and tax, as applicable.

WRI Overview:

World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade in order to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean.

We are passionate. We value our diversity of interests, skills and backgrounds. We have a flexible work environment. And we share a common goal to catalyze change that will improve the lives of people. Our shared ideals are at the core of our approach. They include: integrity, innovation, urgency, independence and respect.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges, and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

We have been growing rapidly: our staff has doubled in size over the past 5 years and our operating budget is now $150 million. Founded in 1982, WRI has a global staff of 1,000+ people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.  

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices.  

The World Resources Institute (http://www.wri.org) is an environmental and development research and policy organization that creates solutions to protect the Earth and improve people’s lives. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, it is WRI’s policy to recruit, hire, and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, parental status, protected veteran status, or disability. WRI’s global agenda requires a staff that is diverse – with respect to race, gender, cultural, and international background. Diverse perspectives and experience enhance the way WRI selects and approaches issues, as well as the creativity and applicability of WRI's policy research and analysis. WRI, therefore, encourages applications from U.S. minorities, persons from other countries (especially developing nations), and from women of all backgrounds.