Senior AI Engineer, Vice President

Citi; Belfast City District; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid working model

Career development opportunities

Job summary

Citi is seeking a Senior AI Engineer to lead and hands-on build a strategic AI system powering Citi's Global Lending Platforms. You will mentor engineers, collaborate with product owners and architects, and shape architecture while delivering production-grade AI solutions.

The role emphasizes building data-driven AI components, applying LLMs, and balancing rapid delivery with platform health in a flexible hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• Significant experience as a Software Engineer with growing scope and leadership.
• Experience in complex enterprise environments and global teams.
• Experience applying large language models (LLMs) to real business problems, from ideation to production.
• Fluent in Python AI/ML ecosystem (Pydantic, REST, databases, orchestration).
• Strong SQL skills in enterprise data settings.
• Proven track record mentoring engineers and driving engineering standards.
• Ability to work autonomously as well as in a team, with strong English communication.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement AI system components focusing on data.
• Build MCP tools and AI agents leveraging data for business problems.
• Lead as a senior hands-on technical leader within a SCRUM team and own complex problems.
• Identify and mitigate technical risks to ensure production delivery.
• Lead code reviews, drive engineering standards, and mentor junior engineers.
• Collaborate with product owners and architects to translate requirements into scalable solutions.
• Balance short-term delivery with long-term platform health.
• Champion testing, observability, security, and production readiness.

Skills

Software engineer leadership

LLMs deployment

Python AI/ML

REST API integration

SQL

Team mentoring

Stakeholder management

Architecture design

English communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Pydantic

REST API

LangGraph

ADK

Job description

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior AI Engineer to join and help lead an experienced team of software developers. You will take a senior, hands‑on technical role in building a new, strategically important AI system that directly powers one of Citi's Global Lending Platforms. This is a great opportunity to build AI at real scale inside a leading global financial institution, shaping architecture and technical direction while mentoring engineers and partnering closely with senior stakeholders, in a culture that values craft, ownership, and continuous learning.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement software components and applications for AI systems, with a primary focus on data
• Build MCP (Model Context Protocol) tools and AI agents that effectively utilize this data to solve business problems
• Act as a senior, hands‑on technical leader within a skilled SCRUM team — take ownership of complex, ambiguous problems, drive features from design through production, and ensure delivery of high‑quality, production‑grade applications
• Thrive in a fast‑paced, results‑driven execution environment, balancing speed with engineering excellence, and proactively identify and resolve technical risks before they impact delivery
• Lead code reviews, drive technical discussions, and help define shared engineering standards; mentor and coach junior and mid‑level engineers to raise the overall capability of the team
• Partner with product owners, architects, and senior stakeholders to translate business requirements into scalable, resilient technical solutions
• Exercise sound judgment on architecture, design trade‑offs, and technology choices, balancing short‑term delivery needs with long‑term platform health
• Champion engineering rigor across the team, including testing, observability, security, and operational readiness for production AI systems

Skills & Qualifications

• Significant experience as a Software Engineer, with a track record of increasing scope, ownership, and technical leadership
• Experience working in complex enterprise environments, collaborating with global teams
• Experience applying large language models (LLMs) to solve real business problems, from ideation through to production deployment
• Deep fluency in the Python AI/ML ecosystem, including Pydantic, REST API integration, database access, and orchestration frameworks such as ADK or LangGraph
• Strong proficiency in SQL and working with complex data in enterprise environments
• Demonstrated experience leading or mentoring engineers, influencing technical direction, and driving engineering standards within a team – big plus
• A genuine team player who can also operate with full autonomy and ownership — equally effective in the office or working remotely
• Sharp, structured thinker with strong analytical skills, sound judgment, and the ability to independently research, evaluate, and master new technical domains
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder‑management skills in English
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field; advanced degree a plus

What's In It For You

• Take on a senior, high‑visibility role working alongside experienced engineers while helping shape the growth of others
• Work on a complex, high‑stakes project deployed globally within a leading financial institution
• Operate in a culture that actively encourages and sponsors personal and professional development
• Build with cutting‑edge AI tools — MCP, LLMs, agent frameworks — at real enterprise scale, with the latitude to influence architecture and technical direction
• Flexible hybrid working model supporting both office collaboration and remote productivity

Job Family Group

Technology

Job Family

Applications Development

Time Type

Full time

Most Relevant Skills

Please see the requirements listed above.

Other Relevant Skills

For complementary skills, please see above and/or contact the recruiter.

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