Benchmark IT - Technology Talent

Principal Software Engineer, Model Inference About the Company:  Our client's scalable artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) platform enables enterprises to create and deliver AI-enabled applications at scale across hybrid cloud environments. Built using open-source technologies, OpenShift AI provides trusted, operationally consistent capabilities for teams to experiment, serve models, and deliver innovative apps. Role Overview: The OpenShift AI team seeks a Principal Software Engineer with Kubernetes and Model Inference Runtimes experience to join their rapidly growing engineering team. This team focuses on making machine learning model deployment and monitoring seamless and scalable across the hybrid cloud and the edge. This is a fascinating opportunity to build and impact the next generation of hybrid cloud MLOps platforms. What will you do?

• Develop and maintain a high-quality, high-performing ML inference runtime platform for multi-modal and distributed model serving.

• Contribute directly to upstream inference runtime communities such as vLLM, TGI, PyTorch, OpenVINO, and others.

• Maintain CI/CD build pipelines for container images that allow faster, more secure, reliable, and frequent releases 

• Coordination and communication with various stakeholders

• Applying a growth mindset by staying up to date with AI and ML advancements

What will you bring?

• Highly experienced with programming in Python and PyTorch

• Familiarity with model parallelization, quantization, and memory optimization using vLLM, TGI, and other inference libraries.

• Experience with Python packaging such as PyPI libraries

• Development experience with C++ especially with the CUDA APIs is a big plus

• Solid understanding of the fundamentals of model inferencing architectures

• Experience with Jenkins, Git, shell scripting, and related technologies

• Experience with the development of containerized applications in Kubernetes

• Experience with Agile development methodologies

• Experience with Cloud Computing using at least one of the following Cloud infrastructures AWS, GCP, Azure, or IBM Cloud

• Ability to work across a large distributed hybrid engineering team 

• Experience with open-source development is a plus

This position follows a hybrid work model, requiring 3 days per week on-site in Raleigh, NC.  This is a fantastic opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI/ML technology and contribute to innovative solutions in hybrid cloud environments. If this role excites you and matches your background, we encourage you to apply!

**Network Engineer** Our direct client, a successful and growing organization in Shelton, CT, is looking for a skilled Network Engineer with Cisco FirePower experience to support critical upgrades, network optimization, and high-priority IT initiatives. This role offers the chance to make a significant impact on their infrastructure by managing network upgrades and implementing a disaster recovery (DR) site for heightened security and resilience.  Growing, successful company investing in its IT infrastructure and processes, great career opportunity!   Key Responsibilities - **Network Security & Firewall Management**: Configure, manage, and troubleshoot Cisco FirePower and ASA and firewalls, with the expectation to transition from ASA to FirePower. Proficiency with Cisco FirePower firewalls is crucial to hit the ground running in this role. - **Disaster Recovery Implementation**: Participate in the setup and management of a warm/hot DR site, ensuring business continuity and security. - **System Upgrades**: Upgrade network devices and management applications to enhance performance, reliability, and security. Support best practice configurations to prevent and resolve network issues. - **Documentation & Monitoring**: Improve documentation practices and fully utilize network monitoring tools to enhance transparency and proactively address system health. Ideal Candidate Profile - **Experience**: 1-2 years of hands-on experience with Cisco FirePower and ASA firewalls, a must-have for this role. Knowledge of VMware vCenter and Nutanix is beneficial but can be learned on the job. Familiarity with Windows Server/Office 365 administration is advantageous. - **Personality**: Easy-going, collaborative, able to work well in a mid-sized, growing company - **Skills & Knowledge**: Competence with key tools and applications, including Cisco, VMware, Nutanix (for storage management), and ESXi hosts. Experience with disaster recovery and high-security environments handling PHI data is a plus.  Key Technologies & Projects - **Firewall Transition**: Implementing Cisco FirePower for enhanced security and control. - **DR Site Implementation**: A high-priority project aimed at establishing a warm/hot DR site for operational resilience. - **Performance Optimization**: Upgrade legacy infrastructure and implement best practices to address the performance of core applications - **Cloud Integration**: Support balance between on-premises infrastructure and cloud services, including Office 365 and SaaS applications. Why Join? - **Growing company with great IT management, opportunity to be very hands-on, learn, contribute, and grow.   - **Impactful Work**: Take ownership of critical network and security projects, including a high-priority DR site implementation. - **Growth Opportunities**: Gain hands-on experience with Cisco Firewalls, DR site configuration, and high-volume application performance optimization. - **Collaborative Environment**: Join a supportive team focused on innovation, proactive problem-solving, and system reliability. - **Schedule**: Start with 3 days/week on-site, with definite potential for more remote flexibility over time If you have solid Cisco firewall experience, a drive to enhance network security, and a collaborative spirit, we’d love to hear from you!  Apply today to join a forward-thinking team in a vital and impactful role!    

You have experience developing and architecting multi-tenant, cloud-based B2B applications. You have worked on real-time, distributed, messaging-based systems and are hands-on in those areas. You deeply understand the security and performance designs for a system with a large user base hitting both an API and web front-ends, with data updates needed in real-time at very low latency. You have a framework mindset: you are passionate about making an elegant and reusable pattern/library/framework every time you see boilerplate code or something done in a sub-optimal way. Key Responsibilities:

• Develop, enhance, and architect our highly scalable, distributed computing framework.

• Take full ownership of specific modules within the platform, from initial concept through to deployment. Drive the end-to-end design, development, and maintenance of these components, ensuring they align with overall system architecture and business objectives.

• Conduct deep performance analysis and implement optimizations at all levels of the stack, including database queries, backend services, and application code.

  Hard Requirements:    Technical:

• 10-15 years of development experience in C#.NET

• Extensive experience with gRPC and all the relevant cloud technologies

• Experience with backend technologies (database, messaging, interprocess communications)

• Current focus on hands on development work

     Non-Technical Requirements:

• Demonstrated analysis/assessment capabilities.

• Excellent task management skills with the ability to follow up and follow through on all outstanding items.

• A self-starter mentality with the ability to attempt to figure things out and perform due diligence before involving the broader team.

• The ability to ascertain when to ask for help.

   Miscellaneous:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a technical field (Computer Science/Math is a plus)

Nice to Have:

• Experience with Kafka, RabbitMQ, and distributed caching solutions like Redis is a plus.

• An affinity for well-architected solutions and a passion for high standards of quality.

• Based in NYC metro area – Remote role

Senior Software Engineer (UI) - Dashboard Team Company Overview: Our client is looking for a Software Engineer with Kubernetes and MLOps (Machine Learning) experience to join our rapidly growing engineering team. Our focus is to create a platform, partner ecosystem, and community by which enterprise customers can solve problems to accelerate business success using AI.. This is a very exciting opportunity to build and impact the next generation of hybrid cloud MLOps platforms, contribute to the development of the AI product, participate in open source communities, and be at the forefront of the exciting evolution of AI. You’ll join an ecosystem that fosters continuous learning, career growth, and professional development. Role Overview:  As a UI developer for one of the OpenShift AI teams, you will have the opportunity to actively participate in one of the component teams as well as the affiliated open-source communities. You will work as part of an evolving development team to rapidly design, secure, build, test, and release new capabilities. The role is primarily an individual contributor who collaborates closely with other developers and cross-functional teams. You should have a passion for working in open-source communities and for developing solutions, and partner technologies into a cohesive platform. Working with teams to build end user experiences that delight customers should energize you. This position follows a hybrid work model, requiring 3 days per week on-site at one of the following locations: Boston, MA (preferred), Lowell, MA, or Raleigh, NC.  What you will do

• Contribute to the architecture, design, development, and testing of new features and solutions for AI

• Innovate in the MLOps domain by participating in upstream communities

• Ensure non-functional requirements including security, resiliency, and maintainability are met

• Write unit and integration tests and work with quality engineers to ensure product quality

• Use CI/CD best practices to deliver solutions as productization efforts into AI

• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement by sharing recommendations and technical knowledge with team members

• Collaborate with product management, other engineering and cross-functional teams to analyze and clarify business requirements

• Utilize a pattern library and wireframes from user experience design counterparts to design and execute an ideal UI implementation for end users

• Communicate effectively to stakeholders and team members to ensure proper visibility of development efforts

• Give thoughtful and prompt code reviews

• Represent AI in external engagements including industry events, customer meetings, and open source communities

• Mentor and guide other engineers

What you will bring

• Strong experience developing applications in React, Typescript, and JavaScript or other frontend languages

• Strong experience with modern CSS frameworks and best practices

• Strong experience with testing frameworks such as Cypress, Jest, or React Testing Library

• Strong experience leading feature development, breaking down wireframes into components, and putting together a plan for implementation

• Ability to quickly learn and guide others on using new tools and technologies

• Experience with source code management tools such as Git

• Innovation skills and a passion for technology

• A proven record of being able to troubleshoot problems at a system level quickly and suggesting solutions that improve the overall experience of the system.

• Autonomous work ethic, thriving in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

• Experience with agile development and open source projects 

• Experience mentoring junior developers

• Excellent cross-team communication experience

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

The following will be considered a plus:

• While a Bachelor’s degree or higher in computer science or a related discipline is valued, we prioritize practical experience and technical prowess

• Understanding of how Open Source and Free Software communities work

• Experience with Kubernetes, OpenShift or other cloud-native technologies

• Knowledge or experience working with MLOps and AI technologies

This position follows a hybrid work model, requiring 3 days per week on-site at one of the following locations: Boston, MA (preferred), Lowell, MA, or Raleigh, NC.  Ready to advance AI innovation and make a meaningful impact? Apply today and join a team pushing the boundaries of hybrid cloud MLOps!

Technology Account Executive  – Hybrid - Benchmark IT

Benchmark IT, a leading technology consulting and recruitment firm in the NY Metro area, has an outstanding opportunity for a Technology Account Executive in our Stamford, CT headquarters.  We operate in Hybrid mode, 1 day/week in the office and 4 days/week from home.   

We’re looking for candidates with a minimum of 2 years technical sales or account management experience to join our team, working and learning from the best in a supportive, ethical and fun environment.

What’s in it for you:

·       Base salary plus unlimited commission plan ·       Full benefits including 401K ·       Comprehensive training with industry-leading tools and techniques ·       Career advancement opportunities

Here’s your day to day:

·       Build and maintain strong client relationships and identify new business opportunities by contacting and visiting clients and prospects. ·       Generate sales leads utilizing social and professional media platforms, along with your own network. ·       Convert leads into qualified prospects and clients through your persistent ability to connect via phone calls, emails, and referrals. ·       Work with internal recruiting team to vet and select top candidates and ensure they are the right technical and cultural fit for your clients. ·       Ongoing account management and contact with all managerial levels and roles within the client company. ·       Serve as client advisor regarding IT industry staffing trends and staffing mix.

Here’s what you’ll  bring to the team:

·       Ability to confidently identify and engage with all levels of IT decision makers. ·       Strong, persistent, and diplomatic sales and customer service skills. ·       Excellent listening, written, presentation and negotiation skills ·       Confident and engaging interpersonal and people skills. ·       Strong personal initiative to follow up and close business ·       Ability to thrive in and contribute to a team environment.

Here’s what will make you stand out:

·       Understanding of the tech marketplace ·       Sophisticated understanding of all social media platforms ·       Proven track record of meeting and exceeding goals. ·       Willingness to learn and implement new techniques that are necessary for success.

Required Experience:

·       Bachelor’s Degree or higher ·       2+ years in technology sales, recruiting, staffing or related business-to-business technology sales field  

Our client, a renowned travel and hospitality company with a nearly century-long commitment to service, is looking for a Copywriter with a talent for thoughtful, customer-centered communication. This role is a chance to join a team that places a high value on sensitivity, accuracy, and care in all customer interactions. They’re seeking someone ready to join the company and contribute for the long term, enhancing the customer journey and supporting the team’s dedication to exceptional service. About the Role: In this role, you’ll be responsible for creating clear, supportive messaging for guests, travel advisors, and team members. Whether it’s communicating trip updates, handling sensitive crisis messaging, or crafting post-journey follow-ups, your words will play a pivotal role in ensuring guests feel valued and well-informed at every step. This role offers flexibility, ideally involving 3 days on-site per week, with potential for more remote work after an initial ramp-up period. What You’ll Do: - Develop Thoughtful Communications: Craft a variety of messages, including itinerary updates, expectation-setting communications, and post-trip follow-ups. You’ll also manage crisis communications when needed, supporting guests with a calm, informed, and reassuring tone. - Collaborate Across Teams: Work closely with Worldwide Operations, Reservations, and Guest Relations to deliver messages that are clear, consistent, and aligned with the company’s commitment to guest care. - Ensure Accuracy and Sensitivity: Research thoroughly to make sure all content is precise, relevant, and respectful of guests’ needs, especially in time-sensitive or delicate situations. - Maintain a High Standard: Proof and refine communications to ensure each message is professional, respectful, and reflects the company’s standards for guest experience. What Makes You a Great Fit: - Experience: 8+ years of professional copywriting, with a portfolio that shows sensitivity and attention to detail in customer-focused communications. - Skills: Exceptional ability to present complex or difficult information in a positive, accessible way, with proofing skills grounded in AP Style and The Chicago Manual of Style. - Empathy and Poise: You’re capable of handling sensitive issues thoughtfully and responding to guest needs with care and accuracy. - Adaptability: Comfortable using AI tools for content creation and editing, open to feedback, and able to work calmly under pressure. - Team-Centric: Strong communication skills and a genuine ability to work effectively with a collaborative team. Why Join This Team? - Work in a company where thoughtful communication is a priority and guest care is a shared responsibility. - Enjoy flexible work arrangements and a positive, supportive culture. - Have the opportunity to research, implement and use new AI-enhanced writing tools and applications - Build a long-term career in a role where your attention to detail and empathy for customers can make a real difference. If you’re passionate about crafting messages that inform and reassure, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now to join a company where every word matters!  Please send resume today for immediate consideration!  

We seek an experienced Azure infrastructure architect to join our direct client's team, working on a large project to modernize systems and bring them into the Azure cloud.    This position will work primarily onsite in the Tallahassee, FL area, so we seek someone in that area, or who can move themselves to be based there for the duration of the project.   6 month project with likely extension and potential contract-to-hire as well.  Responsibilities:

• Design and implement Azure core services, including Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) and enterprise identity solutions
• Set up and configure infrastructure components for Azure deployments
• Design networking solutions, including ExpressRoute for secure and reliable connections
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to architect and implement scalable and secure Azure solutions
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to project teams and stakeholders
• Ensure successful implementation and integration of Azure core services and networking components
• Stay current with the latest Azure technologies, best practices, and industry trends
• Design, implement, and manage complex data warehouse solutions on Microsoft Azure
• Utilize Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offerings to build and deliver scalable, secure, and high-performing data systems
• Implement networking configurations and ensure seamless integration between various Azure services
• Design Azure core services, including Identity and Access Management (IAM), Networking, and security
• Develop expertise in data warehouse and data integration platforms on Azure
• Experience with desired services such as Azure Fabric, Azure Data Factory (ADF), Azure Service Bus, Azure Functions, etc.

Requirements:

• Proven experience as an Azure Solution Architect, with a strong focus on data warehouse solutions
• In-depth knowledge and hands-on experience with Azure services and Azure data platforms
• Strong understanding of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) concepts in the Azure ecosystem
• Ability to design and implement secure and scalable solutions, with a focus on networking and data integration
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams
• Relevant certifications, such as Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert, are highly desirable
• Preferably located in Tallahassee FL

Send resume today for immediate consideration!  

Our direct client, a prestigious global firm, seeks a contract Power BI Developer for a 6 month project with possible extension.  This position is hybrid primarily remote, may require occasional trips to a Northern NJ office location.  Operate on East Coast hours. 

In this role, you will be responsible for designing, developing, and publishing Power BI applications. Focus on data transformation, modeling, and best practices in Power BI development.  The role will involve managing Power BI App audiences. Must be able to quickly understand complex business practices and work efficiently in a dynamic environment.  

• Power BI,  Data Modeling and Visualization design, delivering Executive Dashboards, Power BI Apps and Diagnostic Utilities
• Transform raw data into meaningful insights using Power BI.
• Publish and manage Power BI Apps and audiences.

• Implement Power BI development best practices.
• Model data effectively to support business needs.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to understand business requirements.
• Transfer knowledge and provide training to team members.
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues related to Power BI reports and dashboards.
• Stay updated with the latest Power BI features and updates.

Skills and Experience Desired:

• Proven experience as a Power BI Developer.
• Proficient in T-SQL
• Expertise in data modeling and transformation in Power BI.
• Strong expertise in data transformation, DAX, and Power Query.
• Proficiency in publishing and managing Power BI Apps and audiences.
• Experience leveraging Copilot on the Power BI Service
• Strong understanding of Power BI development best practices.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to understand complex business processes quickly.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to transfer knowledge effectively.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced environment.

Education:

A university degree is preferred

    Immediate interview and hire, start in early January 2025.  Send resume today for immediate consideration! 

Client has a business process involving the intake of a myriad of bills and invoices related to the family members in the Ford Family Office, and wants to automate the scanning/sorting of those invoices to get them into their bill/pay system more efficiently, using RPA.  They have a current consultant working on it with Blue Prism but it's not going well, they want Matthew to turn off security to make the system work, and the business user apparently isn't that happy working with these other consultants either.