Head of AI Engineering - Build an AI-First Platform (Hands-On)

Harrington Starr; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Harrington Starr is seeking a hands-on Head of AI Engineering to build an AI-native platform from the ground up in Boston. You will define the AI strategy, scale the AI Engineering function, and stay deeply involved in technical direction.

You will lead production AI systems with Python, LLMs, RAG and agentic architectures, while shaping governance, evaluation, and observability. This leadership role blends strategic oversight with hands-on coding and architecture work in a regulated financial

Qualifications

• Proven production experience building AI apps with Python, LLMs, RAG.
• Player-coach mindset with hands-on coding.
• Deep knowledge of production AI, observability and model performance.
• Experience with modern AI frameworks, vector databases, orchestration and cloud (Azure/AWS).
• Experience in financial services or regulated environments is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own AI vision and technical strategy for a greenfield platform.
• Design and build production-grade AI systems using LLMs, RAG and agentic AI.
• Lead and grow AI Engineers while remaining hands-on with architecture and development.
• Define governance, evaluation, and responsible AI practices.
• Collaborate with Product and Engineering to shape the platform's future.

Skills

AI leadership

Hands-on leadership

Python & AI frameworks

LLMs & RAG

Observability & governance

Tools

Azure

AWS

Vector databases

Workflow orchestration

Job description

Harrington Starr is seeking a hands-on Head of AI Engineering to build an AI-native platform from the ground up in Boston. You will define the AI strategy, scale the AI Engineering function, and stay deeply involved in technical direction.

You will lead production AI systems with Python, LLMs, RAG and agentic architectures, while shaping governance, evaluation, and observability. This leadership role blends strategic oversight with hands-on coding and architecture work in a regulated financial