Head of AI (R&D) (100% remote)

Tether Operations Limited; Remote; AED 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading fintech company in Dubai is seeking a Head of AI (R&D) to lead teams in developing advanced AI systems. In this pivotal role, you'll drive innovation on multimodal language and video models, ensuring scalability and real-world applicability. The ideal candidate has over 5 years in leadership roles, a PhD in a related field, and deep expertise in model training and development. Join us to push the boundaries of technology and enhance global financial solutions.

Benefits

Collaborative work environment

Opportunity to lead cutting-edge projects

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience leading AI R&D teams with production-grade models.
• Deep expertise in training foundation models and hands-on experience in relevant frameworks.
• Strong understanding of scalable training and inference on edge devices.

Responsibilities

• Lead interdisciplinary teams in AI research and development.
• Innovate model architectures and training methodologies for LLMs.
• Scale R&D team and oversee effective project management.

Skills

AI leadership

Team scaling in fast-paced environments

Expertise in multimodal models

Strong programming in Python

Knowledge of distributed systems

Education

PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or related field

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

JAX

Kubernetes

Ray

Job description

Join Tether and Shape the Future of Digital Finance

At Tether, we’re not just building products, we’re pioneering a global financial revolution. Our cutting‑edge solutions empower businesses—from exchanges and wallets to payment processors and ATMs—to seamlessly integrate reserve‑backed tokens across blockchains. By harnessing the power of blockchain technology, Tether enables you to store, send, and receive digital tokens instantly, securely, and globally, all at a fraction of the cost. Transparency is the bedrock of everything we do, ensuring trust in every transaction.

Innovate with Tether

Tether Finance : Our innovative product suite features the world’s most trusted stablecoin, USDT , relied upon by hundreds of millions worldwide, alongside pioneering digital asset tokenization services.

But that’s just the beginning :

Tether Power : Driving sustainable growth, our energy solutions optimize excess power for Bitcoin mining using eco‑friendly practices in state‑of‑the‑art, geo‑diverse facilities.

Tether Data : Fueling breakthroughs in AI and peer‑to‑peer technology, we reduce infrastructure costs and enhance global communications with cutting‑edge solutions like KEET , our flagship app that redefines secure and private data sharing.

Tether Education : Democratizing access to top‑tier digital learning, we empower individuals to thrive in the digital and gig economies, driving global growth and opportunity.

Tether Evolution : At the intersection of technology and human potential, we are pushing the boundaries of what is possible, crafting a future where innovation and human capabilities merge in powerful, unprecedented ways.

Why Join Us?

Our team is a global talent powerhouse, working remotely from every corner of the world. If you’re passionate about making a mark in the fintech space, this is your opportunity to collaborate with some of the brightest minds, pushing boundaries and setting new standards. We’ve grown fast, stayed lean, and secured our place as a leader in the industry.

If you have excellent English communication skills and are ready to contribute to the most innovative platform on the planet, Tether is the place for you.

Are you ready to be part of the future?

About the job

As Head of AI (R&D), you will lead cross‑functional teams to drive innovation in training multimodal large language models (LLMs), video foundation models, and other advanced AI systems. These models will be optimized for both cloud‑based deployments and edge computing environments, ensuring scalability, efficiency, and real‑world applicability. You will report directly to senior leadership and play a pivotal role in shaping the company's AI strategy, from research breakthroughs to production‑ready solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor interdisciplinary teams of researchers, engineers, and data scientists to pioneer cutting‑edge AI research and development.
• Innovate on model architectures, training methodologies, and optimization techniques for multimodal LLMs (integrating text, image, audio, and video) and specialized video foundation models.
• Scale the R&D team by recruiting top talent, fostering a collaborative culture, and implementing processes for efficient growth and knowledge sharing.
• Oversee scalable training pipelines, including data curation, distributed computing strategies (e.g., using HPC clusters or cloud resources), and hyperparameter optimization to handle massive datasets.
• Deliver high‑quality, general‑purpose models tailored to specific applications and use cases, ensuring they meet performance benchmarks for accuracy, latency, and resource efficiency on cloud and edge devices.
• Collaborate with product, engineering, and deployment teams to transition research prototypes into production systems.
• Stay abreast of industry trends, publish research findings, and represent the company at conferences or in partnerships.
• Manage budgets, timelines, and resources for R&D projects, ensuring alignment with business objectives and pragmatic AI practices.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading AI R&D teams (5+ years in a leadership role) with a track record of delivering production‑grade models from concept to deployment.
• PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field.
• Deep expertise in training foundation models, including multimodal LLMs and video models, with hands‑on experience in frameworks like PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX.
• Strong understanding of scalable training techniques, such as data parallelism, model parallelism, and efficient inference on edge devices (e.g., mobile, IoT).
• Demonstrated ability to scale teams and projects in fast‑paced environments.

Preferred

• Publications in top‑tier conferences / journals (e.g., NeurIPS, CVPR, ICML) on relevant topics.
• Experience with real‑world deployments of AI models in datacenter and edge settings.
• Familiarity with ethical AI, bias mitigation, and regulatory compliance in model development.
• Strong programming skills in Python and experience with distributed systems (e.g., Kubernetes, Ray).

Important information for candidates

Recruitment scams have become increasingly common. To protect yourself, please keep the following in mind when applying for roles :

Apply only through our official channels. We do not use third‑party platforms or agencies for recruitment unless clearly stated. All open roles are listed on our official careers page : https : / / tether.recruitee.com /

Verify the recruiter’s identity. All our recruiters have verified LinkedIn profiles. If you’re unsure, you can confirm their identity by checking their profile or contacting us through our website.

Be cautious of unusual communication methods. We do not conduct interviews over WhatsApp, Telegram, or SMS. All communication is done through official company emails and platforms.

Double‑check email addresses. All communication from us will come from emails ending in @tether.to or @tether.io

We will never request payment or financial details. If someone asks for personal financial information or payment at any point during the hiring process, it is a scam. Please report it immediately.

When in doubt, feel free to reach out through our official website.