About the job

I’m partnering with a fast-growing fintech to hire a Lead AI Engineer for a highly technical, hands-on leadership role.

This isn’t a typical “AI Engineer” position. We’re looking for someone whose foundations are genuinely in AI/ML, data science and research — someone who understands the mathematics behind the models, can read cutting-edge research and turn it into working software, but who has also developed the engineering breadth to build and ship complete products.

A PhD / significant academic research background in AI, Machine Learning, Computer Science or a closely related discipline is essential for this search.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead forward-looking AI/ML research and development from 0 → 1
• Build, train, validate and calibrate ML models — not simply integrate model APIs
• Turn new research papers and emerging techniques into working prototypes and production systems
• Work across foundation models, agents, causal inference, real-time ML and streaming analytics
• Take ideas from research through to production across models, data infrastructure, backend services and product interfaces
• Set the technical and architectural direction for ambitious AI initiatives
• Remain highly hands-on — coding, experimenting and prototyping
• Help build and mentor a high-performing AI/engineering team

What we’re looking for

• PhD / strong research background — essential
• Deep foundations in Machine Learning / Data Science / AI
• 8+ years’ experience across AI, ML and engineering with evidence of having built and shipped real ML models
• Strong Python and modern ML frameworks such as PyTorch / TensorFlow
• Experience with distributed data technologies such as Spark, Kafka, Snowflake or Databricks
• Ability to understand and implement ideas from academic AI/ML research
• Strong engineering capability across production-grade systems
• Experience taking AI/ML research from experimentation into scalable products
• Strong product mindset — you care about how what you build is actually used
• Comfortable operating as a senior individual contributor, not simply managing from a distance

Published research, open-source AI contributions and experience within fintech would be particularly interesting.

This is a rare opportunity for someone who wants to sit at the intersection of AI research, machine learning, engineering and product, with genuine ownership over what gets built.

• If your career started closer to models and research and expanded into engineering — rather than the other way around — I’d particularly like to hear from you.