AI Software Engineering Lead

RELX; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 115,400 - 192,300; Full time

Job summary

Elsevier is seeking a Software Engineering Lead to guide a six-member team within the CK AI Service, shaping technical strategy and delivering scalable RAG workflows and API expansion. You will mentor engineers, remove bottlenecks, and ensure delivery excellence while setting up the team for growth.

The role requires hands-on coding on complex systems, plus leadership of cross-functional initiatives and collaboration with Data Science to drive the product roadmap.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to lead, mentor, and grow engineering teams.
• Track record of reducing knowledge silos and improving team health.
• Experience removing blockers and increasing delivery velocity.
• Experience designing distributed systems and APIs at scale.
• Hands-on with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) workflows and AI-powered APIs.
• Understanding of LLMs, embeddings, and vector search.

Responsibilities

• Managing and mentoring of six direct reports.
• Drive and own the technical strategy for the CK AI Service, including the design and governance of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) workflows and API expansion.
• Improving the delivery velocity, reducing bottlenecks and single points of failure, driving standardization, mentoring, and cross-functional alignment as the platform matures
• Establishing a sustainable leadership model to support the planned division and growth of the team.
• Collaborating with our Data Science team to help drive product road map and feature design forward.

Skills

Leadership & mentoring

Distributed systems

API design

RAG workflows

LLM integration

Embeddings & vector search

Microservices

Technical strategy

Performance optimization

Job description

Are you a collaborative Software Engineering Lead looking to work for a mission driven global organization?

About the role

As Engineering Lead—You will lead and manage a small team of engineers, fostering their growth and ensuring delivery excellence. You will be entrusted with making sure your team is set up for success as they deliver products. This position serves as a subject matter expert for a specific team of Software Engineers. In addition to writing code on complex systems and applications, this position provides direction on project plans, schedules, and methodologies.

About the team

This team supports CK AI Service team. The new Lead Engineer will have six direct reports and will own the technical strategy and execution for the CK AI Service, including the design and governance of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) workflows and API expansion. This role will improve delivery velocity, reduce bottlenecks and single points of failure, drive standardization, mentoring, and cross-functional alignment as the platform matures, and establish a sustainable leadership model to support the planned division and growth of the team.

Requirements

• Proven ability to lead, mentor, and grow engineering teams, including managing performance, career development, and team health
• Established track record of creating high-performing, collaborative team environments and reducing knowledge silos
• Ability to remove blockers, manage priorities, and improve delivery velocity across a team
• Experience establishing scalable team structures and leadership models to support growth
• Deep expertise in designing and delivering distributed systems and APIs at scale
• Ability to define and execute technical strategies, balancing short-term delivery with long-term platform sustainability
• Experience with microservices architecture, API design, and system integration
• Proven ability to identify and eliminate single points of failure and improve system resilience
• Hands-on experience designing and implementing retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) workflows
• Understanding of:
  • LLM integration and orchestration
  • Embeddings and vector search
  • Retrieval pipelines and ranking strategies
• Experience building AI-powered APIs and services for production environments
• Ability to govern and standardize AI patterns, including evaluation, observability, and performance optimization

Responsibilities

• Managing and mentoring of six direct reports.
• Driving and owning the technical strategy and execution for the CK AI Service, including the design and governance of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) workflows and API expansion.
• Improving the delivery velocity, reducing bottlenecks and single points of failure, driving standardization, mentoring, and cross-functional alignment as the platform matures
• Establishing a sustainable leadership model to support the planned division and growth of the team.
• Collaborating with our Data Science team to help drive product road map and feature design forward.

Elsevier is a renowned global information analytics company that primarily focuses on providing scientific, technical, and medical (STM) research content, tools, and services. It is one of the largest publishers of academic journals and scholarly literature in the world.

Elsevier operates in various domains, including science, technology, medicine, social sciences, and more. They publish a vast number of peer-reviewed journals covering a wide range of disciplines. These journals act as platforms for researchers and academics to share their findings and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in their respective fields.

In addition to publishing, Elsevier offers a suite of digital solutions and services to support researchers, scientists, and professionals in their work. They provide online platforms like ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Mendeley, which offer access to a vast repository of scholarly articles, research papers, and other scientific content. These platforms often serve as essential resources for software developers seeking to stay updated with the latest scientific advancements.

Furthermore, Elsevier offers tools and services to help researchers with tasks such as data management, article submission, and citation tracking. They also provide metrics and analytics to assess the impact and reach of scientific publications. Additionally, Elsevier hosts conferences and events to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration within the scientific community.

U.S. National Base Pay Range: $115,400 - $192,300. Geographic differentials may apply in some locations to better reflect local market rates. If performed in New Jersey, the base pay range is $136,213 - $217,587. This job is eligible for an annual incentive bonus.

We know your well-being and happiness are key to a long and successful career. We are delighted to offer country specific benefits.