Applied AI Lead Engineer for Banking Technology

Citi Group; Jersey City (NJ); Hybrid; USD 220,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Citi is seeking an Applied AI Lead Engineer in Jersey City, NJ. This SVP-level role leads the design, development, and deployment of agentic AI solutions for banking, combining hands-on coding with architectural leadership. You will guide cross-functional teams to deliver scalable AI-enabled banking capabilities.

The role emphasizes MVP-driven delivery, robust APIs, and cutting-edge AI architectures in a hybrid work setup.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive software engineering experience with hands-on coding.
• 3+ years of dedicated professional experience in software development focused on AI, prompt engineering, ML, Generative and/or agentic AI systems.
• Experience architecting and delivering enterprise-scale AI projects.
• Proven experience with agent-based AI systems and APIs.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end design, implementation, and deployment of scalable agentic AI frameworks and generative AI solutions for banking use cases.
• Build full-stack apps that integrate ML/LLM tools into AI solutions.
• Drive MVP-first iterations with rapid experiments to shorten time-to-value.
• Design metrics and evaluation strategies for AI system performance.
• Prototype and integrate latest AI advancements and robust APIs for services.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership and collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders.

Skills

Python

Java

UI frameworks

APIs

AI concepts

Multi-agent systems

LangChain

TensorFlow/PyTorch

Docker/Kubernetes

CI/CD

Git

Agile methodologies

Security principles

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

Tools

FastAPI/Django/Flask

Spring Boot

Angular/React/Next.js/Node.js/TypeScript

Oracle/PostgreSQL/MongoDB

Job description

Applied AI Lead Engineer, Banking Technology SVP (Hybrid)

Role

Citi's Banking Technology organization is seeking an exceptional full stack hands-on AI Engineer to lead the design, development, and deployment of cutting-edge AI solutions for the banking sector. This pivotal role involves architecting and implementing a scalable agentic AI framework, translating complex ideas into robust, production-ready systems, and driving tangible business value within Citi. The ideal candidate will be a hands-on technical leader with deep expertise in AI principles, agent-based systems, machine learning, and advanced software engineering practices.

Key Responsibilities

• Spearhead the end-to-end design, hands-on implementation, and deployment of scalable, robust agentic AI frameworks and generative AI solutions for critical banking use cases, ensuring high performance, reliability, and security.
• Build full-stack applications that seamlessly integrate state-of-the-art ML/LLM tools and services into comprehensive AI solutions.
• Champion an MVP-first approach, focusing on rapid iterations, hypothesis testing, and A/B experiments to achieve continuous improvement and quick "time to value."
• Design and implement rigorous metrics and evaluation strategies for AI system and agent performance, driving continuous optimization and behavioral improvement.
• Proactively explore, prototype (POC), and integrate the latest advancements in AI, particularly in agent-based systems, autonomous AI, and generative AI technologies.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership, guiding architectural decisions, and fostering collaboration with cross-functional teams including AI researchers, data scientists, product managers, and software engineers to integrate and scale AI solutions across Citi's products and services.
• Exhibit excellent communication and collaboration skills, effectively engaging with diverse stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Deep hands-on experience in engineering and executing scalable enterprise solutions.
• Expert-level proficiency in Python (e.g., FastAPI, Django, Flask, PySpark) or Java (e.g., Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, Spring Security).
• Proficiency in UI (e.g., Angular, React, Next.js, Node.js, TypeScript) for full-stack development.
• Proficiency in database technologies, such as Oracle, Postgres, or MongoDB.
• Solid understanding of core AI concepts, including knowledge representation, automated planning, decision-making under uncertainty, and multi-agent systems.
• Hands-on experience with relevant frameworks (e.g., LanGraph, LangChain, AutoGen, CrewAI, N8N).
• Extensive experience with machine learning frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch) and relevant libraries (e.g., Scikit-Learn, NumPy, Pandas).
• Proven experience in creating, deploying, and integrating MCPs (Model Context Protocol) into agentic AI systems.
• Deep familiarity with large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Llama, including their application within agentic systems.
• Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing robust APIs for AI services.
• Proficient in software development best practices, including version control (Git), CI/CD pipelines, comprehensive testing, and code reviews.
• Strong understanding of agile methodologies, application resiliency, and security principles applied to complex AI projects.
• Proven expertise in system design, application development, and ensuring operational stability for AI initiatives.
• Deep experience with application and data architecture patterns and designs.
• Experience leveraging managed services and existing platforms, with a strong emphasis on API-First Design, microservices, and event-driven architectures.
• Hands-on experience with Docker and Kubernetes.
• Excellent analytical and innovative problem-solving skills, with a pragmatic and creative approach to overcoming complex technical challenges.
• Previous experience within the banking or financial services industry, understanding regulatory environments and specific challenges a plus.

Work Experience

10+ years of progressive software engineering experience with a strong emphasis on hands-on coding, demonstrating a proven track record of rapid delivery and successfully launching multiple AI features into production environments.

Minimum 3+ years of dedicated professional experience in software development focused on AI, prompt engineering, machine learning, Generative and/or agentic AI systems.

Strong hands-on experience with architecting and delivering enterprise scale AI projects.

Motivated self-starter with the ability to quickly learn new skills and effectively navigate complex organizational structures.

Education

Bachelor's degree/University degree or equivalent experience

Master's degree preferred

Job Family Group

Technology

Job Family

Applications Development

Time Type

Full time -------