15+ years in software engineering with leadership progression
3+ years in AI/ML systems (LLMs, generative AI, etc.)
3+ years managing and mentoring engineering teams
Hands-on experience with AWS, Azure, or GCP and containerization tools
Strong Python skills or proficiency in other AI/ML programming languages
Experience working in globally distributed teams
Solid understanding of software engineering practices including CI/CD and observability
Responsibilities
Lead and expand an AI engineering team while fostering a culture of technical excellence
Design and deliver AI applications for various business functions
Develop technical standards and best practices for software engineering
Mentor engineers on modern AI and cloud deployment practices
Collaborate with product and business teams to develop technical solutions
Make strategic technology decisions regarding AI frameworks and infrastructure
Maintain systems for data management and continuous improvement of AI applications
Formulate the technical strategy for scaling AI capabilities with key governance considerations
Benefits
Flexible work environment with remote options
Health, dental, and vision insurance
Professional development opportunities including conferences
Generous PTO policy and work-life balance support
Retirement savings plan with company matching
Full Job Description
Role Summary
We are seeking an experienced Director of AI Engineering to build and lead a world-class AI engineering team. This is a critical leadership role responsible for designing and delivering enterprise-grade AI applications that drive business value across Marketing, Finance, Legal, Enterprise Search, and R&D workflows. You will combine deep technical expertise with strong people leadership skills to grow the team, mentor engineers, establish best practices, and scale our AI capabilities across a globally distributed organization.
Key Responsibilities
Lead and grow an AI engineering team, recruiting top talent and building a high-performing culture focused on technical excellence
Design and oversee the delivery of enterprise AI applications across multiple business functions (Marketing, Finance, Legal, Search, R&D)
Establish technical standards, architecture patterns, and code review practices that ensure software engineering excellence and maintainability
Mentor engineers in modern AI/ML systems design, cloud infrastructure, production deployment, and operational excellence
Collaborate with product, data science, and business stakeholders to translate requirements into robust technical solutions
Drive technology decisions around AI frameworks, cloud platforms, and infrastructure to optimize for cost, performance, and reliability
Build and maintain systems for data pipelines, model serving, monitoring, and continuous improvement of AI applications
Lead technical strategy for scaling AI capabilities, including considerations for enterprise security, compliance, and governance
Required Qualifications
15+ years of professional software engineering experience with demonstrated progression to senior/leadership roles
3+ years of experience with AI/ML systems (including LLMs, generative AI, RAG architectures, or similar modern AI applications) in production environments
3+ years of technical leadership experience managing and mentoring engineering teams
Deep hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP), containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), and modern deployment practices
Strong expertise in Python and/or other languages commonly used for AI/ML applications
Proven ability to work effectively in globally distributed teams with experience managing across time zones
Strong understanding of software engineering best practices: version control, testing, code review, CI/CD, observability
Track record of shipping production systems at scale with focus on reliability, performance, and maintainability
Excellent communication skills; ability to articulate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in manufacturing, industrial, or enterprise software environments
Familiarity with enterprise systems (ERP, CRM, workflow automation) and integration patterns
Background in developing retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems or knowledge management applications
Experience with MLOps, model monitoring, and LLM evaluation frameworks
Expertise in establishing and scaling engineering culture, documentation, and knowledge sharing practices
Experience with enterprise security, compliance, and data governance requirements
Track record of building systems that integrate with modern API ecosystems and third-party AI services
About Lumentum Operations LLC
Lumentum is a leading provider of photonics products for optical networking and commercial laser customers worldwide. The company designs and manufactures innovative optical and photonic products enabling optical networking and commercial laser customers worldwide. Lumentum's optical components and subsystems are part of virtually every type of telecom, enterprise, and data center network. The company's commercial lasers enable advanced manufacturing techniques and diverse applications including next-generation 3D sensing capabilities. Lumentum is headquartered in Milpitas, California, and has R&D, manufacturing, and sales offices worldwide. The company was founded in 2015 as a spinoff from JDS Uniphase Corporation.
