Director, AI Engineering

Artefact

$200K *
Information Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 8+ years in data science and machine learning with 2-3 years in LLM architecture.
  • In-depth knowledge of generative AI and classical machine learning modeling.
  • Master's degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field.
  • Proficiency in machine learning libraries and agentic SDKs.
  • Experience in building end-to-end fine-tuning pipelines.
  • Understanding of AI system design and ML model lifecycle.
  • Experience in leading engineering teams and client-facing pre-sales activities.
  • Strong communication skills and adaptability.

Responsibilities

  • Lead architecture and delivery of production-grade AI solutions.
  • Establish context engineering practices for optimal model performance.
  • Oversee the development of robust agent harnessing frameworks.
  • Direct the fine-tuning and model adaptation pipelines.
  • Architect solutions using Google Gemini and Vertex AI.
  • Manage and mentor a team of AI & ML engineers.
  • Support pre-sales efforts through client engagement and demos.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work with cutting-edge AI technologies.
  • Collaborative work environment with a focus on innovation.
  • Professional development and mentorship within the team.
  • Dynamic, start-up atmosphere that fosters adaptability.
  • Access to industry-leading tools and frameworks.
Full Job Description
What you will be doing

You will lead a team of AI & machine learning engineers and managers, driving the design and delivery of production-grade AI solutions - from classical machine learning models to LLM-powered applications - and the pipelines that power them. You'll bring senior technical judgment to architecture and model decisions, partner closely with clients and business stakeholders - including hands-on pre-sales work shaping proposals and solution designs - and define how context engineering, agent harnesses, and fine-tuning practices get embedded into every solution, while reporting into senior AI/technology leadership on strategy and priorities.
  • AI & ML Solution Architecture: Leading the design, build, and optimization of production AI systems - classical machine learning models, LLM applications, and agentic systems - ensuring scalability, reliability, and cost-efficient inference.
  • Context Engineering: Defining and standardizing context engineering practices - prompt and system design, RAG architectures, vector stores, memory management, and tool/function calling - so models receive the right information at the right time.
  • Harness Engineering: Directing the build of robust agent harnesses - orchestration layers, evaluation frameworks, guardrails, and observability - that make LLM systems reliable, safe, and measurable in production.
  • Fine-Tuning Pipelines: Leading the design and operation of fine-tuning and model adaptation pipelines - training data curation, supervised fine-tuning, evaluation, and deployment - to specialize models for client use cases.
  • Platform Stack: Architecting and deploying solutions on Google Gemini Enterprise and Vertex AI as the primary stack, applying working knowledge of Microsoft AI Foundry and AWS Bedrock where client contexts require.
  • Team Leadership: Managing, mentoring, and developing a team of AI & ML engineers; setting technical standards and fostering best practices and knowledge sharing.
  • Pre-Sales & Business Development: Supporting pre-sales activities - scoping engagements, building demos and proofs of concept, and presenting solution architectures to prospective clients alongside account teams.
  • Machine Learning Modeling: Overseeing the development of classical and modern ML models - predictive modeling, forecasting, recommendation, and deep learning - choosing the right technique for each business problem, LLM or not.
  • Contributing to AI Strategy: Partnering with senior leadership to shape GenAI architecture direction, tooling decisions, and platform roadmap within your area.

What we are looking for
  • The ideal candidate has a substantial Data Science and machine learning background with 8+ years of experience, including at least 2-3 years working on LLM architecture, agentic design, and harness & context engineering.
  • Expertise in generative AI/LLM engineering (context engineering, agent harnesses, RAG, and fine-tuning) and in classical machine learning modeling, with proven production deployments.
  • Master's degree (or higher) in computer science, engineering, statistics/mathematics, or a related field.
  • Hands-on command of core machine learning libraries (scikit-learn, XGBoost, etc.), agentic SDKs (LangGraph/LangChain, Google ADK, Claude Agent SDK), and fine-tuning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow).
  • Experience building fine-tuning pipelines end to end: training data curation, supervised fine-tuning, evaluation, and deployment.
  • Solid grasp of AI system design: ML model lifecycle (MLOps), agents, tool use, evaluation harnesses, guardrails, and observability.
  • Deep experience with Google Gemini Enterprise / Vertex AI; basic working knowledge of Microsoft AI Foundry and AWS Bedrock.
  • Experience leading and growing engineering teams, and supporting pre-sales: proposals, demos, and solution scoping with clients.
  • Excellent communication skills and comfort collaborating across teams and with stakeholders.
  • Strong business acumen with an interest in business-facing work.
  • Adaptability and a start-up mentality to thrive in a dynamic environment.

Preferred:
  • Google Gemini Enterprise ecosystem (Vertex AI, Agent Builder) as the primary stack; basic knowledge of Microsoft AI Foundry and AWS Bedrock

The estimated base compensation for this role starts at $200,000 (NYC location). Individual compensation is determined by skills, qualifications, and experience. In addition, this role is eligible for competitive benefits.

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