AI Design Engineer - AVP

Citi; Mississauga; On-site; CAD 94,300 - 141,500; Full time

Job summary

Citi is seeking an innovative AI Engineer for its AI & Design Systems Engineering team. This role involves the development and integration of specialized AI agents to automate workflows while maintaining design quality. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to refine agent behavior and leverage your skills in Python and AI/ML development.

The ideal candidate brings 1-3 years of experience and is passionate about user-centric design and AI technology.

Qualifications

• 1-3 years of experience in software engineering with AI/ML focus.
• Strong proficiency in Python, familiarity with FastAPI and asynchronous programming.
• Solid understanding of LLMs and AI agent development.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and deploy specialized AI agents for integration.
• Maintain robust tool interfaces for AI agent interaction.
• Implement logic and tools for compliance with design standards.

Skills

Python

Prompt engineering

AI/ML development

Analytical skills

User experience design

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

FastAPI

Figma APIs

Job description

We are seeking a versatile and innovative AI Engineer to join our AI & Design Systems Engineering team. In this pivotal role, you will contribute across various aspects of building AI-powered solutions, with a strong focus on specialized AI agents that seamlessly integrate into and enhance our core design and development processes. Your work will help to automate parts of our complex workflows while ensuring our digital products still adhere to the highest standards of design quality, accessibility, and robust risk management throughout their lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• AI Agent Development & Integration: Design, develop, and deploy specialized AI agents that plug into existing AI orchestration platforms and developer tools, implementing internal planning, decision‑making logic, and sub‑orchestration capabilities.
• Tool Integration (MCP/Function Calling): Create and maintain robust tool interfaces (e.g., via Model Context Protocol or Function Calling) that enable AI agents and orchestrators to programmatically access and interact with internal APIs, design system component libraries, validation tools, and other essential services.
• Prompt Engineering & Contextual Guidance: Develop and refine prompt‑engineering strategies and contextual inputs to effectively guide LLMs in understanding complex requirements and applying established rules within agentic workflows.
• Quality & Compliance Enforcement: Implement AI agent logic and tools that actively enforce and validate design standards, accessibility (e.g., WCAG), and development/security best practices within various digital assets and codebases.
• Collaboration: Work closely with cross‑functional teams, including product, design, and engineering stakeholders, to gather requirements and continually refine and improve agent behavior.
• Stay Current: Keep abreast of the latest advancements in AI agents, LLM capabilities, design tools, and developer platforms to recommend and implement cutting‑edge solutions.
• Data & Insights Contribution: Contribute to methods for extracting insights and metrics from agentic workflows to understand performance and impact, particularly from a design & UX perspective.

Qualifications

• Experience: 1‑3 years of professional experience in software engineering, with a focus on AI/ML development, particularly with LLMs or agentic systems.
• Programming Proficiency: Strong proficiency in Python is essential. Familiarity with FastAPI and asynchronous programming is highly valued.
• AI/ML Fundamentals: Solid understanding of large language models (LLMs) and the principles of AI agent development.
• ML/DL Frameworks: Familiarity with deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow, and concepts of model fine‑tuning.

Skills & Tools

• LLMs: Experience working with models such as Gemini, OpenAI (GPT series), Claude, or open‑source models like Llama and effective prompt engineering.
• Frameworks: Familiarity with agent frameworks like LangChain or LlamaIndex.
• Orchestration: Exposure to concepts like multi‑agent systems, including frameworks like LangGraph.
• RAG: Understanding of Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) principles, including vector databases and advanced retrieval techniques.
• CI/CD: Experience with containerization and deployment methodologies.
• System Integration & Design: Practical experience working with or contributing to modern design systems, component libraries, or other complex enterprise‑level systems.
• Problem‑Solving: Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills with a creative approach to complex challenges, comfortable navigating and optimizing workflows within highly regulated and process‑driven environments.
• User‑Centric Mindset: Passion for creating intuitive and delightful user experiences, with an understanding of design and UX thinking.
• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate technical concepts to both technical and non‑technical audiences equally.

Bonus Points

• Experience with Figma APIs and/or plugin development.
• Understanding of web accessibility standards (WCAG).
• Knowledge of MLOps practices for deploying and managing AI models.
• Contributions to open‑source AI or agent development projects.
• Familiarity with frontend technologies (e.g., React, Vue, Angular, HTML, CSS) for understanding how to validate the correctness of generated user interfaces.
• Proven ability to bridge design + technology.

Job Information

Job Family Group: Technology

Job Family: Applications Development

Time Type: Full time

Primary Location Full Time Salary Range: $94,300.00 - $141,500.00

Citi is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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