Head of AI Engineering

Harrington Starr; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 340,000; Full time

Job summary

Harrington Starr in Boston is seeking a hands-on Head of AI Engineering to define AI strategy and build a greenfield AI-native platform. You will lead production-grade AI systems, stay close to code, and scale the AI Engineering team while shaping governance and responsible AI.

You'll partner with Product and Engineering leadership to drive architecture, evaluation, and performance. This role combines startup pace with long-term stability in a regulated financial context.

Qualifications

• Strong production experience building AI applications with Python, LLMs, RAG and agentic AI.
• Player-coach mindset with experience leading engineers while staying close to the code.
• Deep understanding of production AI, observability and model performance.
• Experience with modern AI frameworks and cloud platforms (Azure or AWS).
• Experience building AI products within financial services or regulated environments.

Responsibilities

• Own the AI vision and technical strategy across a greenfield AI-native platform.
• Design and build production-grade AI systems using LLMs, RAG and agentic architectures.
• Lead and grow a team of AI Engineers while remaining hands-on with architecture and development.
• Define best practices around evaluation, monitoring, governance and responsible AI.
• Work closely with Product and Engineering leadership to shape the future of the platform.

Skills

AI leadership

Production AI systems

Python/LLMs

Agentic AI

Observability & governance

Tools

Azure

AWS

Vector databases

Workflow orchestration

Job description

Head of AI Engineering | Build an AI-First Platform from the Ground Up

I'm recruiting on behalf of an AI-native software company backed by an established financial services business. They're building a next-generation platform that's set to redefine how financial institutions create, manage and automate complex data integrations and transformations.

This isn't about adding AI to an existing product. AI is the product.

They're looking for a hands-on Head of AI Engineering to define the AI strategy, build and scale the AI Engineering function, and remain deeply involved in the technical direction. Whether you're already leading AI teams or you're a Principal AI Engineer ready to take that next step, this is a genuine opportunity to build something from day one and have a lasting impact on the business.

What You'll Do

• Own the AI vision and technical strategy across a greenfield AI-native platform.
• Design and build production-grade AI systems using LLMs, RAG and agentic architectures.
• Lead and grow a team of AI Engineers while remaining hands‑on with architecture and development.
• Define best practices around evaluation, monitoring, governance and responsible AI.
• Work closely with Product and Engineering leadership to shape the future of the platform.

What They're Looking For

• Strong production experience building AI applications with Python, LLMs, RAG and agentic AI.
• A player-coach mindset with experience leading engineers while staying close to the code.
• Deep understanding of production AI, including evaluation frameworks, observability and model performance.
• Experience with modern AI frameworks, vector databases, workflow orchestration and Azure or AWS.
• Experience building AI products within financial services or another regulated environment is advantageous.

Why This Opportunity?

• Build the AI capability from the ground up with real ownership over architecture and technical direction.
• Join early enough to shape the product, engineering culture and future AI team.
• Solve complex engineering challenges where accuracy, explainability and trust are critical.
• Work on genuinely cutting-edge AI rather than incremental feature development.
• Backed by an established financial services organisation, combining startup pace with long‑term stability.
• A rare opportunity to step into a highly influential leadership role while remaining deeply hands‑on technically.