Metropolis

Director, Applied AI

Metropolis$225K — $265K *
Information Technology
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 7+ years in software engineering, AI/ML, or technical product leadership
  • 2+ years leading teams that delivered AI-powered production systems
  • Hands-on familiarity with LLMs, agentic workflows, and AI automation tools
  • Strong engineering skills for reviewing and guiding technical decisions
  • Experience driving organizational change through technology adoption
  • Ability to redesign processes across functional areas with strong change management instincts
  • Excellent communication skills for distilling complex AI concepts to non-technical audiences
  • Bias toward fast shipping and maintaining high standards

Responsibilities

  • Own the Applied AI roadmap to revolutionize business processes in finance, operations, and GTM
  • Hire, develop, and lead a high-performing team of AI Engineers and Process Analysts
  • Collaborate with functional leaders to design frictionless AI-first solutions
  • Set standards for designing, evaluating, and deploying AI workflows
  • Establish metrics for transformation and hold the team accountable for improvements
  • Serve as the internal expert on applied AI capabilities and emerging best practices
  • Present strategies, progress, and results to senior leadership

Benefits

  • Healthcare benefits
  • 401(k) plan
  • Short-term and long-term disability coverage
  • Basic life insurance
  • Lucrative stock option plan
  • Bonus plans
Full Job Description
Who you are

Metropolis is seeking a Director of Applied AI to lead our newly formed Applied AI organization and architect an AI-first operating model from the ground up. You are a technical leader with a rare blend of engineering depth, organizational influence, and a relentless instinct for shipping production-ready systems. Reporting to senior leadership, you will define where AI creates the most leverage across our business-including finance, operations, and GTM-and build the high-performing team of AI Engineers and Process Analysts required to make that vision a reality. Your success will be measured by your ability to partner cross-functionally to redesign core processes, eliminating friction and delivering tangible outcomes in time savings and cost impact.
What you'll do
  • Own the Applied AI roadmap by identifying high-leverage opportunities to rebuild business processes across finance, operations, revenue, and GTM
  • Hire, develop, and lead a team of AI Engineers and Process Analysts while establishing a culture of fast iteration
  • Partner deeply with functional leaders to understand current work flows and design AI-first solutions to eliminate friction
  • Set standards for how the team designs, evaluates, and deploys AI workflows, including prompt systems and LLM integrations
  • Establish metrics for each process transformation and hold the team accountable to time savings, error reduction, and cost impact
  • Serve as the internal authority on applied AI capabilities, tooling trends, and emerging best practices
  • Present strategy, progress, and results to senior leadership and the executive team
What we're looking for
  • 7+ years of experience in software engineering, AI/ML, or technical product leadership
  • At least 2 years leading teams that shipped AI-powered systems in production
  • Maintain deep hands-on familiarity with LLMs, agentic workflows, and AI automation tooling such as OpenAI, LangChain, and vector databases
  • Demonstrate strong engineering skills and the ability to credibly review and guide technical decisions
  • Show a track record of driving organizational change through technology and ensuring tools are adopted for sustained impact
  • Apply experience working across functional boundaries to redesign processes with strong instincts for change management
  • Utilize excellent communication skills to distill complex AI concepts for a non-technical executive audience
  • Maintain a bias toward shipping by moving fast and setting clear expectations for high standards
Our Stack
  • Languages + Frameworks: TypeScript, React, Scala (principally), Java (limited)
  • Datastores: MySQL, PostgreSQL, Snowflake
  • Cloud: AWS
  • Version control: Git & GitHub
  • AI Tooling: Copilot on GitHub and Claude Code
  • Observability: Datadog

4 Days in Office: Metropolis values in-person collaboration to drive innovation, strengthen culture, and enhance the Member experience. Our corporate team members hold to our office-first model, which requires employees to be on-site at least four days a week, fostering organic interactions that spark creativity and connection

When you join Metropolis, you'll join a team of world-class product leaders and engineers, building an ecosystem of technologies at the intersection of parking, mobility, and real estate. Our goal is to build an inclusive culture where everyone has a voice and the best idea wins. You will play a key role in building and maintaining this culture as our organization grows. The anticipated base salary for this position is $225,000.00 USD to $265,000.00 USD annually. The actual base salary offered is determined by a number of variables, including, as appropriate, the applicant's qualifications for the position, years of relevant experience, distinctive skills, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and the location of residence and/or place of employment. Base salary is one component of Metropolis' total compensation package, which may also include access to or eligibility for healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan, short-term and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, a lucrative stock option plan, bonus plans, and more. #LI-RR1 #LI-Onsite

About Metropolis

Metropolis is an architecture and construction firm that specializes in sustainable design and building practices. The company's projects include commercial, residential, and institutional buildings, as well as urban planning and development. Metropolis is committed to using environmentally responsible materials and methods in its projects, and has won numerous awards for its work. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Learn more about Metropolis
Size
100 employees
Industry
Net Income
$1 million
Founded
1989
5 Year Trend
+20%
Revenue
$5 million

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