Applied AI, Technical Lead - Forward Deployed AI Engineer

Mistral; United States; On-site; USD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Relocation support

Wellness programs

Meal and transportation allowances

Job summary

Mistral AI is seeking a Technical Lead, Applied AI to steer technical strategy and delivery of complex AI solutions for enterprise customers. You will lead project teams of Applied AI Engineers, guiding pre-sales to post-implementation and collaborating with research, product, and engineering to shape offerings.

You will bridge cutting-edge AI research with real-world deployments, ensuring robust, scalable solutions aligned with customer needs and Mistral’s vision.

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s in AI/ML/CS or related field.
• 7+ years in AI/ML with 2+ years in a technical leadership role (Tech Lead, Eng. Manager, or similar).
• Proven track record leading teams to deliver complex AI projects from prototyping to production.
• Deep expertise in fine‑tuning LLMs, RAG, and agentic systems for enterprise use.
• Strong software engineering, API design, and cloud familiarity (AWS/GCP/Azure).
• Excellent technical communication to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Hands-on coding and de-risking critical parts of complex AI projects.
• Lead Applied AI Engineer teams with mentoring and best practices.
• Translate customer needs into actionable AI solutions during pre-sales.
• Design and oversee complex AI systems including fine‑tuning and agentic workflows.
• Identify trends and drive best practices in fine‑tuning, inference, and deployment.
• Collaborate with product, research, and engineering to integrate feedback into roadmaps.

Skills

Python

PyTorch

API design

backend/full-stack

system architecture

technical communication

Education

PhD or Master’s in AI/ML/CS

Tools

LangChain

HuggingFace

AWS

GCP

Azure

Job description

About Mistral

Mistral provides full-stack AI solutions: from frontier models to developer tools, applications, and compute. We partner with enterprises tackling the hardest problems—across high-stakes industries like finance, manufacturing, defense, healthcare, and the public sector—co-creating customized AI systems that they can run on their terms.

We are a dynamic, collaborative team passionate about AI and its potential to transform society. Our diverse workforce thrives in competitive environments and is committed to driving innovation. Our teams are distributed between Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East. We are creative, low-ego and team-spirited.

The Role

Mistral AI is seeking a Technical Lead, Applied AI to drive the technical strategy, execution, and delivery of complex AI solutions for our enterprise customers. In this role, you will lead a project teams of Applied AI Engineers, ensuring the successful deployment of Mistral AI products and the development of high-impact, scalable AI use cases.

You will act as the primary technical point of contact for our most strategic customers, guiding them through the entire lifecycle—from pre-sales to post-implementation—while collaborating closely with research, product, and engineering teams to shape the future of our offerings.

As a Technical Lead, you will bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI research and real-world enterprise applications, ensuring our solutions are robust, scalable, and aligned with both customer needs and Mistral’s technological vision.

What You Will Do

• Deliver as an IC the critical lines of codes of our complex projects, you’ll be hands‑on and de-risk the critical parts of our complex projects. You’ll stay deeply involved in coding, reviewing, and optimizing AI solutions.
• Lead technical teams of Applied AI Engineers, providing mentorship, technical guidance, and best practices for deploying state‑of-the‑art GenAI applications across industries.
• Lead technical discussions during pre-sales, translating customer requirements into actionable solutions and communicating Mistral’s technological advantages to diverse stakeholders.
• Design and oversee the implementation of complex AI system’s, including fine‑tuning, RAG, agentic workflows, and custom LLM applications, ensuring alignment with Mistral’s product roadmap and open‑source initiatives.
• Drive innovation by identifying emerging trends in AI, evaluating new tools and methodologies, and championing best practices for fine‑tuning, inference, and deployment.
• Work closely with product managers, researchers, and engineers to ensure seamless integration of customer feedback into Mistral’s product development cycle.

What We’re Looking For

• You hold a PhD or Master’s degree in AI, Machine Learning, Computer Science, or a related field.
• You have 7/8+ years of experience in AI/ML, with at least 2+ years in a technical leadership role (e.g., Tech Lead, Engineering Manager, or Solutions Architect) focused on AI products or enterprise solutions.
• You have a proven track record of leading teams to deliver complex AI projects, from prototyping to production, in industries such as tech, finance, healthcare, or industrial automation.
• You possess deep expertise in fine‑tuning LLMs, advanced RAG, agentic systems, and deploying NLP applications at scale.
• You are proficient in Python, PyTorch, and modern AI frameworks (e.g., LangChain, Hugging Face). Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and MLOps tools is a plus.
• You have strong software engineering skills, including API design, backend/full-stack development, and system architecture.
• You excel in technical communication, with the ability to articulate complex concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences, including executives and engineers.
• You thrive in fast‑paced, collaborative environments and are passionate about mentoring and growing technical talent.

Ideally, you have:

• Contributed to open-source projects, particularly in the LLM or AI space.
• Experience in customer‑facing roles (e.g., Solutions Architect, Customer Engineer, or Technical Product Manager) with a focus on enterprise AI adoption.
• A track record of driving technical strategy and influencing product direction based on customer needs and market opportunities.

Why join us?

You’ll have the opportunity to shape the future of AI adoption in enterprises, work with a world‑class team, and contribute to open‑source projects that impact millions. If you’re excited about leading technical innovation and solving real‑world challenges with AI, we’d love to hear from you!

What We Offer

We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your well‑being, growth, and work‑life balance. Benefits vary by country and may include healthcare coverage, parental leave, retirement plans, relocation support, wellness programs, meal and transportation allowances, and other location‑specific perks.

For the most up‑to‑date details on benefits available in your location, please refer to our Benefits page.

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