Director, Applied AI Engineering

Big Wave Digital - USA; USA; Remote; USD 225.000 - 350.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

Big Wave Digital - USA is seeking a hands-on Director of Applied AI Engineering to lead the technical delivery for its life sciences markets team. You will design systems, build predictive models, and ship production AI applications while guiding a two-person engineering squad.

You must have 10+ years of hands-on experience, production ML expertise, and strong client-facing skills. This is a fully remote role within the US with monthly travel.

Qualifikationen

• Must have 10+ years as an applied AI engineer, data scientist, or quantitative researcher.
• Hands-on experience designing and shipping predictive models and production ML applications.
• Production experience integrating ML models and LLMs into real systems.
• Leadership experience guiding a small technical team (about 2 engineers).
• Strong client-facing skills and ability to present complex analyses to senior stakeholders.
• Hands-on Python, scalable data pipelines, automated testing, CI/CD and AWS.

Aufgaben

• Own technical delivery of AI applications for life sciences markets, from system design to production.
• Personally design, build and ship predictive models and production AI applications.
• Integrate ML models and LLMs into production systems: retrieval, tool use, outputs and evaluation.
• Set and maintain high reliability and production quality standards for AI systems.
• Lead and develop a two-engineer team while staying hands-on yourself.
• Work directly with clients, translating analytical workflows into product priorities and presenting analyses to stakeholders.

Kenntnisse

10+ years experience in applied AI/ML

Hands-on Python

Production ML systems

Client-facing experience

Leadership of small team

AWS / scalable data pipelines / CI/CD

Tools

Python

AWS

CI/CD

Jobbeschreibung

Our client, an AI and data company built around a large proprietary life sciences dataset, is hiring a hands-on Director of Applied AI Engineering to lead technical delivery for its life sciences markets team – turning that data into AI products that pharmaceutical and life sciences clients use to evaluate markets.

This is not a "manage the managers" role. You'll spend 80–90% of your time designing systems, building predictive models and writing production code, while leading a squad of two engineers, owning the technical roadmap and running working sessions directly with senior clients.

We're being very specific about who we speak to. Please read the requirements carefully. Every point below is a must-have.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Own technical delivery of AI applications for the life sciences markets team, from system design through to production
• Personally design, build and ship predictive models and production AI applications
• Integrate ML models and LLMs into production systems: retrieval, tool use, structured outputs and evaluation
• Set and hold a high bar for AI reliability and production quality
• Lead and develop a team of two engineers while staying hands‑on yourself
• Work directly with clients, translating their analytical workflows into product priorities and explaining complex analyses to senior technical and non-technical stakeholders

YOU MUST HAVE ALL OF THE FOLLOWING

• One of these two backgrounds, in full:
• Background A: Quant, quantitative researcher or data scientist at a boutique or mid-sized hedge fund where you wore many hats, building predictive models and trading or investment signals yourself, PLUS genuine exposure to life sciences, pharma, biotech or healthcare data
• Background B: Deep, hands‑on predictive modelling experience in life sciences at a VC/PE‑backed life sciences growth startup or one of: Tempus, Komodo Health, Flatiron Health, Veeva, ConcertAI, Definitive Healthcare, Datavant, Prognos, Clarivate, OWKIN, insitro, Recursion, Valo Health, Benchling, PathAI, Paige, Evidation, or the life sciences practices of ZS, Palantir, Trinity, Axtria, Fractal or QuantumBlack
• 10+ years as an applied AI engineer, data scientist or quantitative researcher
• Recent, hands‑on experience designing and implementing predictive models and classic machine learning yourself, not only directing others who do
• Production experience integrating ML models and LLMs: retrieval, tool use, structured outputs and evaluation
• A track record of personally building and shipping production AI applications while leading technical delivery
• Experience leading or managing a small technical team (around 2 people). Title doesn't matter, real leadership and executive presence do
• Client‑facing experience: leading working sessions with technical and non‑technical stakeholders and presenting complex analysis to senior clients
• Hands‑on Python, scalable data pipelines, automated testing, CI/CD and AWS
• Able to travel 1–2 times per month
• US citizen or Green Card holder. Visa sponsorship is not available

THIS ROLE IS NOT FOR YOU IF

• You haven't written production code or built models yourself in the last couple of years
• Your experience is mainly in academic research or a traditional CRO without production software engineering
• Your background is consumer or non‑healthcare tech with no life sciences or hedge fund modelling experience
• You're a quant whose work hasn't involved predictive modelling

THE DETAILS

• Fully remote within the US, with travel 1–2 times per month
• Base salary US$225,000–$350,000, depending on experience and technical depth
• Full‑time
• Interview process: hiring manager interview (30 min, technical and business), a case study with deliverables and a presentation (90 min), then a meeting with the Founder & CEO (60 min)