Lead AI Engineer

Harnham; Rotterdam; On-site; EUR 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Benefits package

Ownership of AI strategy

Direct exposure to leadership

Career progression

Modern tech stack learning

Job summary

Harnham in Rotterdam is seeking a Lead AI Engineer to shape and scale AI solutions in a fast-moving business. The role blends deep technical expertise with an entrepreneurial mindset and a focus on turning ideas into commercially valuable products.

You will lead the design and deployment of AI/ML systems, partner with senior stakeholders to identify opportunities for commercial AI value, and drive production-grade implementations across the stack.

Qualifications

• Strong commercial experience designing and deploying AI/ML solutions in production.
• Expertise in Python and modern AI frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, LangChain.
• Experience building solutions using Large Language Models, Retrieval Augmented Generation, vector databases, and generative AI applications.
• Strong understanding of cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
• Experience implementing MLOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and scalable AI infrastructure.
• Ability to translate business problems into practical AI solutions with measurable outcomes.
• Proven capability to influence stakeholders and drive adoption across the business.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a track record of building, testing, and scaling new ideas.
• Excellent communication skills and a hands-on approach to leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of AI and machine learning solutions that solve real business challenges.
• Partner with senior stakeholders to identify opportunities where AI can create commercial value.
• Build and scale production-grade AI systems, ensuring reliability, performance, and security.
• Drive the adoption of modern AI technologies, including generative AI, LLMs, agentic AI, and MLOps frameworks.
• Establish engineering best practices across AI development, testing, deployment, and monitoring.
• Lead architectural decisions and define the long-term AI technology roadmap.
• Mentor and support AI engineers, data scientists, and cross-functional teams.
• Take ownership of AI products from idea generation through to business adoption and measurable outcomes.
• Act as a key bridge between technical teams and business stakeholders.

Skills

Python

PyTorch

TensorFlow

LangChain

LLMs

MLOps

CI/CD

Cloud platforms

Stakeholder influence

Leadership

Tools

LangChain

Vector databases

Retrieval Augmented Generation

Job description

Location: Rotterdam (5 Days per Week in Office) | Salary: €100,000 - €130,000 + Benefits

This is an opportunity for a Lead AI Engineer to play a pivotal role in shaping and scaling AI solutions within a fast-moving business environment. The position is ideal for someone who combines deep technical expertise with an entrepreneurial mindset and enjoys turning ideas into commercially valuable products.

The Company

They are a growing organisation investing heavily in AI, data, and innovation to transform how the business operates. With strong leadership support and a commitment to experimentation, they provide the backing needed to take AI solutions from concept through to production. The environment is collaborative, ambitious, and focused on delivering measurable business impact. You will have significant autonomy to influence strategy, technology choices, and product direction.

The Role

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of AI and machine learning solutions that solve real business challenges
• Partner with senior stakeholders to identify opportunities where AI can create commercial value
• Build and scale production-grade AI systems, ensuring reliability, performance, and security
• Drive the adoption of modern AI technologies, including generative AI, LLMs, agentic AI, and MLOps frameworks
• Establish engineering best practices across AI development, testing, deployment, and monitoring
• Lead architectural decisions and define the long-term AI technology roadmap
• Mentor and support AI engineers, data scientists, and cross-functional teams
• Take ownership of AI products from idea generation through to business adoption and measurable outcomes
• Act as a key bridge between technical teams and business stakeholders

Your Skills & Experience

• Strong commercial experience designing and deploying AI and machine learning solutions in production environments
• Expertise in Python and modern AI frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, LangChain, or similar technologies
• Experience building solutions using Large Language Models, Retrieval Augmented Generation, vector databases, and generative AI applications
• Strong understanding of cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud
• Experience implementing MLOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and scalable AI infrastructure
• Ability to translate business problems into practical AI solutions with measurable outcomes
• Proven capability to influence stakeholders and drive adoption across the business
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a track record of building, testing, and scaling new ideas
• Excellent communication skills and a hands-on approach to leadership

What They Offer

• Salary of €100,000 - €130,000 depending on experience
• Annual bonus and comprehensive benefits package
• Significant ownership over AI strategy and technical direction
• Direct exposure to senior leadership and business-critical initiatives
• Clear opportunities for career progression as the AI function expands
• Modern technology stack and investment in continuous learning
• A highly collaborative office-based environment in Rotterdam