Lead AI Engineer - Copperleaf

IFS; Vancouver; Hybrid; CAD 135,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

A global leader in enterprise software is seeking a Lead AI Engineer to develop Generative AI-powered systems. The ideal candidate has substantial experience in software development, particularly in AI technologies, and strong programming skills in Python. This role offers a salary between CAD 135,000 - 165,000 and flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Flexible paid time off

Tuition assistance

Life insurance and disability benefits

Tuition assistance

Community involvement and volunteering events

Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in Machine Learning, AI, or Data Science is a plus.
• 5+ years of software development experience, with 2 years in machine learning or AI engineering.
• Experience in a fast-paced, dynamic startup or agile development environment.

Responsibilities

• Design and build multi-agent systems using frameworks like LangChain.
• Implement observability and monitoring to enhance Gen AI applications.
• Collaborate to integrate systems into SaaS solutions.

Skills

Generative AI expertise

Python programming

Software engineering principles

Team collaboration

Innovative thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field

Tools

Azure services

Git

AI development frameworks

Job description

Overview

IFS is a billion-dollar revenue company with 7000+ employees on all continents. We deliver award winning enterprise software solutions through the use of embedded digital innovation and a single cloud-based platform to help businesses be their best when it really matters–at the Moment of Service™.

At IFS, we're flexible, we're innovative, and we're focused not only on how we can engage with our customers but on how we can make a real change and have a worldwide impact. We help solve some of society's greatest challenges, fostering a better future through our agility, collaboration, and trust.

We celebrate diversity and accept that there are so many different perspectives in this world. As a truly international company serving people from around the globe, we realize that our success is tantamount to the respect we have for those different points of view.

By joining our team, you will have the opportunity to be part of a global, diverse environment; you will be joining a winning team with a commitment to sustainability; and a company where we get things done so that you can make a positive impact on the world.

We're looking for innovative and original thinkers to work in an environment where you can #MakeYourMoment so that we can help others make theirs.

If you want to change the status quo, we'll help you make your moment. Join Team Purple. Join IFS.

About the Role

We are looking for a Lead AI Engineer with a strong software engineering background and deep expertise in Generative AI to join our team. In this role, you will conceive, research, and develop Gen AI-powered multi-agent systems (MAS) for an enterprise SaaS product. The team operates in a fast-paced startup mode with regular stakeholder check-ins and dynamic objectives and you will work among other high-performing, high-initiative individuals.

What you’ll do

• Design and build multi-agent systems that plan, delegate, and reason to achieve complex objectives, using frameworks such as LangChain, LangGraph, and Azure AI Foundry.
• Build retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems with techniques such as vector search, hybrid retrieval, knowledge graphs, re-ranking, document chunking, embedding, and long-term memory, using AI developer frameworks and technologies such as Azure AI Search, Neo4j, and MongoDB.
• Implement observability, evaluation, monitoring, and guardrails to maximize performance, quality, security, and robustness in Gen AI applications. These systems will reduce hallucinations and drift, mitigate the risk of attacks, ensure data-handling compliance, and maximize the relevance, reliability, and accuracy of system output.
• Inform architectural choices and technology selection.
• Stay current with new Gen AI technologies and frameworks, prompt techniques, tooling, and LLMs. Prototype new patterns and inform team direction.
• Collaborate to integrate and deploy these systems into larger software stacks via APIs and multi-tenant enterprise SaaS hosted in cloud infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field. (Master’s or PhD in Machine Learning, AI, or Data Science is a plus, but not required.)
• 5+ years of software development experience, with at least 2 years focused on machine learning or AI engineering. Experience working in a fast-paced, dynamic startup or agile development environment is highly desirable. Ability to make trade-offs and deliver results quickly with limited resources.
• Practical experience with Gen AI technologies and expertise in Gen AI concepts. Solid understanding of different types of LLMs and Gen AI architectures, such as Mixture-of-Experts (MoE), embedding models, reasoning models, foundation models, and fine-tuned LLMs, among others. Proven track record of building and shipping Gen AI features—context engineering, evaluation, RAG, and multi-agent systems. Experience with observability, evaluation, and guardrails.
• Advanced programming skills in Python and experience with AI-powered IDEs or tools such as Cursor or Windsurf. Strong programming fundamentals and software engineering best practices, with proficiency in leveraging AI code-generation tools effectively and safely.
• Experience with Azure services and Git, or similar developer tools.
• A strong intuition for how people engage with agentic AI systems, combined with the creativity, passion, and innovative thinking needed to imagine and build new software experiences that truly meet user needs.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively in a team.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and lead projects.

What We’re Offering

• Salary Range: $135,000 - $165,000 CAD
• Flexible paid time off, including sick and holiday
• Flexible spending accounts
• Life insurance and disability benefits
• Tuition assistance
• Community involvement and volunteering events

We believe that coming together as a community, in person, is important for innovation, connection and fostering a sense of belonging. Our roles have the right balance of remote and in-office working to enable flexibility for managing your life along with ensuring a real connection with your colleagues and the broader IFS community.