AI Engineer

Acra Lending; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Wellness programs

EAP counseling services

FSA & HSA

Job summary

Acra Lending is seeking an experienced AI Engineer focused on Agentic AI and Workflow Automation to architect, build, and deploy intelligent systems that could transform our business. The role involves designing AI agents, autonomous workflows, and enterprise automation to improve borrower and broker experience, compliance, and EBITDA.

The ideal candidate combines expertise in LLMs, agentic architectures, orchestration frameworks, and enterprise systems integration within regulated financial

Qualifications

• 5+ years of software engineering, AI engineering, or machine learning experience.
• 2+ years building LLM-based applications or agentic AI systems.
• Experience with orchestration frameworks such as LangChain, LangGraph, CrewAI, AutoGen, Semantic Kernel, or MCP-based architectures.
• Strong Python development skills and experience with APIs, vector databases, prompt engineering, RAG architectures, and workflow automation.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and deploy AI agents and multi-agent systems to automate mortgage workflows across the loan lifecycle.
• Build intelligent orchestration frameworks capable of autonomous decision support, task execution, and workflow routing.
• Develop AI copilots and internal assistants for underwriting, loan processing, sales, operations, secondary markets, compliance, capital markets, and executive leadership.
• Create AI-powered exception handling and escalation frameworks for complex loan scenarios.
• Identify, redesign, and automate high-friction operational workflows across the mortgage platform.

Skills

5+ years software/AI

LLM-based applications

Orchestration frameworks

Python development

Tools

LangChain

LangGraph

CrewAI

AutoGen

Semantic Kernel

Job description

At Acra Lending our employees enjoy an opportunity to work with great people. We celebrate several events throughout the year accompanied by raffles and giveaways for employees nationwide. We are especially proud to give back to our community and truly enjoy one another's company.

We are looking for candidates to join our team who are passionate about their vocation. Who are committed to making a contribution and are looking to gain experience in order to grow in their career. Our headquarters are located on a beautiful campus in Irvine, California and if you work out of our Irvine office we can also provide a free gym membership.

Summary

We are seeking an experienced AI Engineer focused on Agentic AI and Workflow Automation to architect, build, and deploy intelligent systems that could transform our business.

This role will be responsible for designing and implementing AI agents, autonomous workflows, and enterprise automation systems that drive operational efficiency, reduce cycle times, improve borrower and broker experience, enhance compliance, and increase EBITDA through scalable automation.

The ideal candidate combines expertise in LLMs, agentic architectures, orchestration frameworks, and workflow automation with a practical understanding of enterprise systems integration and regulated financial services environments.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

Agentic AI Architecture & Development

• Design, develop, and deploy AI agents and multi-agent systems to automate mortgage workflows across the loan lifecycle.
• Build intelligent orchestration frameworks capable of autonomous decision support, task execution, and workflow routing.
• Develop AI copilots and internal assistants for underwriting, loan processing, sales, operations, secondary markets, compliance, capital markets, and executive leadership.
• Create AI-powered exception handling and escalation frameworks for complex loan scenarios.

Workflow Automation

• Identify, redesign, and automate high-friction operational workflows across the mortgage platform.
• Develop automation solutions for loan intake, document classification, income and asset analysis, credit review, conditions management, broker communication, borrower engagement, QC and compliance reviews, and post-close processes.

LLM & AI Engineering

• Implement Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems using lending guidelines, overlays, investor matrices, and SOPs.
• Build prompt orchestration, memory systems, and agent reasoning frameworks.
• Evaluate and deploy emerging AI technologies for document intelligence, NLP, computer vision, and decision support.

Systems Integration

• Integrate AI systems with LOS platforms, CRM systems, pricing engines, OCR/document recognition tools and data platforms.
• Develop APIs and middleware to enable seamless AI workflow orchestration.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure AI implementations align with mortgage regulatory requirements and governance standards.
• Design controls around explainability, auditability, model monitoring, and human-in-the-loop approvals.

Strategy & Innovation

• Help define and execute the enterprise AI strategy.
• Prioritize high-ROI automation opportunities that improve revenue, pull-through, turn times, cost-to-originate, scalability, and EBITDA.

Required Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• 5+ years of software engineering, AI engineering, or machine learning experience.
• 2+ years building LLM-based applications or agentic AI systems.
• Experience with orchestration frameworks such as LangChain, LangGraph, CrewAI, AutoGen, Semantic Kernel, or MCP-based architectures.
• Strong Python development skills and experience with APIs, vector databases, prompt engineering, RAG architectures, and workflow automation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in mortgage lending, fintech, banking, or financial services.
• Familiarity with Non-QM underwriting guidelines including DSCR, Bank Statement, Asset Qualifier, ITIN, Foreign National, and Jumbo products.
• Experience with mortgage LOS platforms and deploying AI in regulated environments.

Technical Stack (Preferred)

• Languages: Python, SQL, JavaScript/TypeScript
• AI/LLM: OpenAI, Anthropic, open-source LLMs, Hugging Face
• Automation: n8n, UiPath, Zapier, Make, Apache Airflow
• Cloud & DevOps: AWS, Azure, GCP, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD

Benefits

Our benefit offerings include:

• Medical
• dental
• vision
• wellness programs
• EAP counseling services
• FSA & HSA
• company sponsored life insurance for employee
• voluntary life insurance for employee
• spouse and child
• AD&D Insurance
• voluntary short-term and long-term disability
• critical illness insurance
• accident insurance
• legal assistance
• pet insurance
• living will and trust preparation discounts
• commuter program
• annual walking challenge
• employee appreciation events and monthly sales awards

At Acra Lending, we were founded with a clear purpose: to specialize in alternative income loan products that help borrowers qualify for our flexible loan programs. We operate in 39 States, out of nine offices in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Missouri, Nevada, Texas, and Utah along with a growing team of remote professionals across the country. Throughout the mortgage industry, Acra Lending is widely known for responsible lending practices, product innovation and operational efficiency. The foundation of our Company is built on helping our customers by providing Non-QM mortgage solutions for today’s borrower in residential and commercial properties across America.

Our Leadership team will encourage you to grow, make time to have fun, and work together to make great things happen.

We embrace the strengths and values of each team member.

We believe in having diverse perspectives where everyone is included, to serve customers from all walks of life.

We reward our employees with a competitive salary and a variety of benefits to help our team members reach their health, retirement, and professional goals along with an exceptional 401k match program.

We look forward to meeting you!