Head of Group Wide AI First Engineering

Citi; New York (NY); On-site; USD 250,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

Citi is creating a unified group AI organization led by a senior engineering executive who will redefine the product development lifecycle to make AI the default across requirements, design, code, test, deployment and operations.

The Head of Group Wide AI First Engineering will lead one of the largest engineering productivity transformations in global financial services, shaping how Citi builds products and partners with tech and product teams.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive engineering leadership experience, including senior roles owning developer experience or engineering productivity at scale.
• Seasoned DevEx / developer-platform leader with built-in platform success.
• Deep expertise in agentic coding tools and the AI-first SDLC; fluent in modern tooling and enterprise scale.

Responsibilities

• Re-architect the end-to-end PDLC so AI is the default across requirements, design, code, test, deployment and operations.
• Own the agentic product development platform including tools for requirements, testing, coding, AI-assisted review, and deployment agents.
• Define the build-vs-buy-vs-partner strategy for developer AI tooling and manage relationships with vendors and platform providers.
• Establish engineering productivity metrics, telemetry, and feedback loops to inform leadership and governance.

Skills

Engineering leadership

DevEx / developer platform

Agentic coding tools

AI-first SDLC

Change management

Product mindset

Cyber security awareness

Cross-functional influencer

Regulatory awareness

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

Advanced degree or MBA

Tools

agentic IDEs

code-generation models

AI-assisted review

deployment agents

Job description

Citi is establishing a new, unified firmwide AI organization under a newly created Group Head of Artificial Intelligence - merging the firm's Head of AI and CTO responsibilities into a single executive accountable for AI-led transformation across every business and function. This post-merger structure is intentionally distinct from prior models and will be the engine through which Citi competes in the AI era.

The Head of Group Wide AI First Engineering is the leader who re-architects how Citi builds products. The mandate is to make AI the default across the firm's entire Product Development Lifecycle - from requirements through code, test, and deployment. This is a rare Managing Director level mandate to lead one of the largest engineering productivity transformations in global financial services.

Why This Role

You will redefine what it means to build products. The platform you build and the workflows you establish will shape how all of Citi’s businesses ship products and will be one of the largest, most visible bets the firm makes on the productivity of its own people. Few seats in financial services offer a comparable canvas for an engineering leader.

Key Responsibilities

AI-First PDLC

• Re-architect Citi's end-to-end Product Development Lifecycle (PDLC) so that AI is the default - across requirements gathering, design, code, test, deployment, and operations.
• Define and own the firm's reference workflows, standards, and patterns for AI-first product development; partner with the broader Tech and Product organizations to drive consistent adoption.
• Continuously evolve the PDLC as the underlying AI tooling, models, and developer practices mature.

Agentic Developer-Experience Platform

• Own the agentic product development platform including agentic requirements tools, testing tools, coding tools, AI-assisted code review, automated testing, and deployment agents.
• Define the firm's "build vs. buy vs. partner" strategy for developer AI tooling; manage the relationships with the agentic coding vendors and platform providers that matter most.
• Establish the engineering productivity metrics, telemetry, and feedback loops that Leadership, Governance & Reporting

What Success Looks Like (First 12 Months)

• A defined, adopted AI-first PDLC reference workflow, with named pilot organizations operating end-to-end against it.
• A consolidated, supported end to end agentic development platform live for a meaningful adoption, with credible telemetry on usage and productivity.
• A trusted, transparent engineering productivity scorecard accepted by Tech leadership and the CFO.
• A visible shift in product development culture toward AI-first as the default.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive engineering leadership experience, including senior roles owning developer experience, developer platforms, or engineering productivity at scale - ideally inside an elite engineering culture (top-tier tech firm, hyperscaler, or major bank with a serious engineering bar).
• Seasoned DevEx / developer-platform leader - has personally built and run a developer platform serving thousands (ideally tens of thousands) of engineers, with demonstrable productivity outcomes.
• Deep, current expertise in agentic coding tools and the AI-first SDLC - fluent in the modern landscape (agentic IDEs, code-generation models, AI-assisted review and test, deployment agents) and the operational realities of running them at enterprise scale.
• Influential change agent - proven ability to win over skeptical users and engineers; leads through credibility and outcomes, not mandate.
• Strong product instinct - runs the platform as a true product, with clear users, telemetry, prioritization, and outcome accountability.
• Strong appreciation of Cyber security and Architectural standardization concerns, to work in partnership with the CISO and CTO teams.
• Cross-functional influencer - proven ability to operate in a matrixed environment across platform, controls, HR, and the broader Tech organization without direct authority over all of them.
• Risk & Compliance awareness – understands and fully appreciates risks, controls, and regulatory expectations as they apply to AI-assisted development in global banking.
• Excellent communication - credible with engineers, engineering leaders, business stakeholders, controls partners, and regulators alike.
• Financial Services fluency preferred; comparable experience in another regulated, large-scale engineering environment will be considered.

Education

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Advanced technical degree or MBA preferred.

Job Family Group

Technology

Job Family

Applications Development

Time Type

Full time

Primary Location

New York New York United States

Primary Location Full Time Salary Range

$250,000.00 - $500,000.00

Citi offers competitive employee benefits, including:

• medical, dental & vision coverage
• 401(k)
• life, accident, and disability insurance
• wellness programs

Citi also offers paid time off packages, including:

• planned time off (vacation)
• unplanned time off (sick leave)
• paid holidays

Most Relevant Skills

Please see the requirements listed above.

Other Relevant Skills

For complementary skills, please see above and/or contact the recruiter.

Automated Processing and AI

We use automated processing, including artificial intelligence, for our legitimate business interests (or our reasonable and appropriate business purposes) to identify and align the candidate's skills and abilities with a specific job opening. Additionally, if you so choose, or consent, we can match your skills and abilities to other suitable roles at Citi.

Importantly, all our hiring processes and decisions, including determining your suitability for a role, are conducted, checked, and decided by individuals. Our automated processing and AI do not involve relying on automatic or autonomous decision-making. Please refer to any Jurisdictional Considerations, with specific provisions for your country (where relevant) for further details.

Illinois residents – AI Notice and Right

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