Lead AI/ML Engineer

Why you:

As a Lead AI / ML Engineer, you will define the technical vision, strategy, and overall architecture for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning solutions. Beyond building robust, scalable AI/ML pipelines, you will lead engineering teams, mentor junior and mid-level engineers, and drive technical decision-making across projects. You will take full ownership of integrating advanced models—including Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative AI—into enterprise products, partnering closely with executive leadership, product management, and cross-functional engineering teams to deliver impactful business outcomes.

If this is you, and you wonder what it would be like to work at Pythian, reach out to us and find out!  

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What you will be doing:

• Lead the architectural design and strategic development of high-performance AI and machine learning pipelines for complex enterprise initiatives.
• Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance to AI/ML engineers and data scientists, fostering technical excellence and career growth.
• Deploy, manage, and scale diverse AI models, including pre-trained models (e.g., LLMs, vision models) and custom ML models, into production environments.
• Work with data scientists and researchers to operationalize models, transforming prototypes into resilient, production-grade AI systems that meet stringent business requirements.
• Optimize model performance, latency, and cost-efficiency across various cloud and edge deployment targets.
• Integrate AI/ML solutions with major cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and leverage containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes) for consistent deployment.
• Implement comprehensive MLOps practices, including automated testing, continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) for models, model versioning, monitoring, and proactive maintenance systems.
• Drive stakeholder management and partner with senior leadership, product managers, and clients to align technical AI roadmaps with business strategy.
• Work closely with software engineering teams to ensure seamless and ethical integration of AI capabilities into larger applications and user workflows.
• Stay up to date with the latest advancements in AI/ML research, Generative AI, data engineering, and MLOps deployment strategies.

What we need from you:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, or a related quantitative field. Ph.D. is a plus.
• 7 to 10 years of progressive experience in machine learning engineering, software development with an ML/AI focus, or a related role.
• Expert knowledge of ADK and other agentic frameworks with deep experience implementing agents in production.
• Proven technical leadership experience, including mentoring engineers, driving architectural choices, and managing project delivery.
• Expert programming skills in Python and proficiency in ML/AI frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, or Scikit-learn.
• Demonstrable, hands-on experience in deploying and fine-tuning advanced pre-trained models, such as Large Language Models (LLMs) or similar Generative AI technologies, into low-latency production environments.
• Extensive experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and container orchestration using Docker and Kubernetes.
• Proficiency in Data Engineering principles, ETL/ELT processes, and version control systems (e.g., Git).
• Proven experience in orchestrating complex Machine Learning pipelines using open-source tools like Kubeflow, MLflow, or managed cloud services.
• Experience in building and optimizing scalable, distributed AI/ML systems.
• Deep familiarity with MLOps best practices, including model monitoring, logging, explainability, and CI/CD pipelines for AI assets.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills, with an ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams including solution architects, data scientists, and business stakeholders.

What you will receive:

• Love your career: Competitive total rewards package. Blog during work hours; take a day off and volunteer for your favorite charity.
• Love your work/life balance: Flexibly work remotely from your home, there’s no daily travel requirement to an office! All you need is a stable internet connection. 
• Love your coworkers: Collaborate with some of the best and brightest in the industry!
• Love your development: Hone your skills or learn new ones with our substantial training allowance; participate in professional development days, attend training, become certified, whatever you like! 
• Love your workspace: We give you all the equipment you need to work from home including a laptop with your choice of OS, and an annual budget to personalize your work environment!  
• Love yourself: Pythian cares about the health and well-being of our team. You will have an annual wellness budget to make yourself a priority (use it on gym memberships, massages, fitness and more). Additionally, you will receive a generous amount of paid vacation and sick days, as well as a day off to volunteer for your favorite charity.

Hiring Disclaimer

• The successful applicant will need to fulfill the requirements necessary to obtain a background check.
• Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in any aspect of the selection process.

AI Disclaimer

Pythian may utilize Enterprise Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools or features throughout its hiring process. These tools help us manage high volumes of applications efficiently and may be employed to review applications, analyze resumes, and assist with other recruitment steps. While Pythian uses AI in its hiring process, it does not substitute for human judgment. Our Talent Acquisition Team reviews all AI-generated recommendations, and the system is subject to regular bias audits to ensure fairness and compliance with all applicable employment and human rights laws. All final hiring decisions are made by, and remain the responsibility of, human decision-makers. By applying for this position, you consent to Pythian’s use of these AI tools in the evaluation of your application. You have the right to request a human review of any solely AI-driven decision or to request an accommodation. Should you require further details regarding the processing of your data, please reach out to us.