Lead AI Engineer

Alef Education; Abu Dhabi; Hybrid; AED 420,000 - 600,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual performance bonus

Health and life insurance

Enhanced leave policy

Hybrid work model & remote days

Job summary

Alef Education is seeking a Lead AI Engineer to oversee AI engineering efforts and deliver end-to-end Gen AI features in an educational context. You will lead a team, prototype concepts, and ensure reliable deployments in live learning environments.

The role requires 10+ years in AI/ML, 3+ years in Gen AI, strong Python, and cloud deployment on Azure/AWS. Fluency in English is essential; Arabic is a plus. We offer a hybrid work model with remote days and a focus on innovative education tech.

Qualifications

• 10+ yrs AI/ML engineering or equivalent software background.
• 3+ yrs hands-on Gen AI (LLMs, Agents, RAG, diffusion). Ed-Tech exp preferred.
• AI/ML certs or publications/patents preferred.
• Familiarity with Azure AI Services and Azure AI Foundry preferred.
• Proven end-to-end scalable AI apps in production.
• MLOps & CI/CD experience.
• Strong Python development with cloud deployment on Azure/AWS.

Responsibilities

• Drive end-to-end delivery of scalable AI features from concept to deployment.
• Prioritize scalable deployment strategies on Azure with CI/CD and MLOps.
• Collaborate with Product/Engineering to align AI with user needs and business goals.
• Mentor team; build reusable tools and pipelines for future features.
• Stay updated on Gen AI trends and apply findings pragmatically.
• Promote innovation culture through workshops and documentation.
• Ensure AI solutions meet safety, privacy, and ethics standards before scale-up.

Skills

AI/ML engineering

Python

MLOps

CI/CD

Generative AI

Leadership

English fluency

Cloud deployment

Azure/AWS

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Software Engineering or related

Tools

Azure AI Services

Azure AI Foundry

AWS

GCP

Job description

• Posted 88 Days Ago
• Office - Flexible

Who we are

Founded in 2016, Alef Education (ALEFEDT on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange) is an award-winning AI powered learning solutions provider redefining K to 12 education. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the company serves approximately 2.0 million students and 84,000 educators across 19,000 schools in the UAE, Indonesia, and Morocco.

Its flagship Alef Platform delivers personalized learning experiences that enhance student engagement and outcomes, while its supplemental solutions Alef Pathways, Abjadiyat, and Arabits extend learning across subjects and languages.

Through its innovative use of artificial intelligence, data insights, and culturally relevant content, Alef Education is transforming teaching and learning to advance equity, access, and excellence for every student.

About The Role

Lead AI Engineer will lead and manage AI Engineering Team, delivering projects from end-to-end: problem statement and conceptualization, proof-of-concept, and participation in the final deployment. The role combines technical leadership, people management, and applied AI Engineering, ensuring AI innovation translates into real educational impact.

Key Responsibilities:

• Drive the end-to-end delivery of scalable AI and Generative AI features, from initial conceptualization and prototyping through fast, reliable deployment, and continuous monitoring in live learning environments.
• Prioritize scalable implementation and efficient deployment strategies on Azure, leveraging CI/CD and MLOps principles. Ensure engineering excellence through rigorous technical reviews, maintaining high code quality and architecture standards.
• Partner closely with Product and Engineering teams to align AI innovation with user needs and business goals, providing clear communication on project status, risks, and technical decisions.
• Guide the AI engineering team in building reusable tools, frameworks, and experimentation pipelines to accelerate future feature launches.
• Stay updated on the latest Gen AI trends and technologies, applying findings pragmatically.
• Promote a strong innovation culture through mentoring, workshops, and documentation.
• Ensure all AI solutions meet safety, privacy, and ethical standards before scale-up.

To Be The Right Fit, You'll Need

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or related preferred.
• 10+ yrs AI/ML engineering or equivalent software engineering background with, 3+ yrs hands-on Gen AI (LLMs, Agents, RAG, diffusion, etc.); Ed-Tech industry experience preferred.
• AI/ML Specialty certs (AWS/GCP/Azure) or peer-reviewed publications/patents preferred.
• Familiarity with Azure AI Services and Azure AI Foundry preferred.
• Proven end-to-end scalable AI applications in production.
• MLOps & CI/CD experience.
• Strong Python development expertise with; cloud deployment on Azure/AWS; Usage of AI Coding Agents.
• Innovative, creative, and passionate mindset, and willing to learn.
• Proven leadership of AI projects or teams.
• Fluency in English; Arabic is preferred.

What we offer

We believe our people are our greatest advantage. We value curiosity, purpose, and the drive to make a real difference. When you join Alef, you join a mission — and a team that’s just as passionate about transforming education as you are. Here’s a glimpse of what we offer:

• Annual performance bonus
• Health and Life insurance
• Enhanced leave policy
• A hybrid work model and remote working days to work from anywhere

At Alef, we don’t just imagine a better future for education.