Project Staff — RAG Systems Research

About this RAG Engineer role at IIT Bombay

IIT Bombay, one of India's premier research institutions, is hiring a Project Staff member to work on retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems applied to Indic legal documents. This is a research-focused contract role in Mumbai that offers junior engineers direct exposure to cutting-edge AI systems and large language models — a strategic move into AI that employers across India are actively seeking. If you're a fresher or early-career engineer with NLP foundations, this is a high-visibility opportunity to build expertise in RAG, one of the fastest-growing specializations in generative AI.

What you'll do

• Build and optimize retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines using LangChain or LlamaIndex to process Indic legal documents
• Work with vector databases (Pinecone, Weaviate, or Chroma) to index and retrieve context for language models
• Develop and fine-tune workflows using Hugging Face Transformers to improve retrieval accuracy and generation quality
• Implement document embeddings and semantic search for legal text in Indian languages
• Conduct experiments and document findings to advance the research on RAG for specialized legal domains

Who should apply

The role requires an M.Tech or MS in Computer Science with some NLP exposure — freshers and junior engineers with this background are eligible. You'll need hands-on experience or strong familiarity with Python, Hugging Face Transformers, and at least one vector database framework. If you've worked through NLP coursework or built small language model projects, you have the foundation to succeed here, even without prior industry experience.

Salary & offer in context

IIT Bombay offers ₹45,000–₹70,000 per month for this 2-year project role. For a junior RAG Engineer position in India, this aligns with mid-range startup and research salary bands; in the private sector, RAG Engineer salaries for freshers typically start around ₹35,000–₹50,000 monthly, so an IIT research contract at the upper end reflects the specialized nature of the work and the institution's standing.

Path to apply

This is a direct-application role — no entrance exam required. You'll apply directly to IIT Bombay via email and proceed to an interview, moving faster than typical recruitment processes. The application deadline is June 4, 2026, so act soon to secure your spot. Mention your NLP projects, Python proficiency, and any vector database or transformer experience in your cover note to stand out.