Lead AI Engineer

Ovative Group; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 125,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid vacation policy

401k match program

Top-notch health insurance

Sabbatical program

Monthly stipend for mobile phone and data plan

Job summary

Ovative Group is seeking a Lead AI Engineer to build infrastructure supporting AI workflows. The role requires 8+ years of experience in software and platform engineering, alongside strong skills in Python and cloud technologies. You will design integration layers, govern technical standards, and ensure smooth interactions for non-engineers.

The position offers a competitive salary between $125,000 and $175,000, inclusive of a bonus. Join Ovative Group and be part of a recognized Top Workplace fostering a culture of trust and inclusivity.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering or platform engineering.
• Experience designing and delivering AI‑powered workflow systems.
• Strong proficiency in Python and SQL.
• Hands‑on experience with cloud platforms like AWS, GCP, or Azure.

Responsibilities

• Develop reusable infrastructure patterns for non-engineers.
• Design integration layers connecting AI platform to tools.
• Lead Ovative's AI workflow infrastructure from design to production.
• Guarantee security and governance in AI integrations.

Skills

Software engineering

Platform engineering

Integration platforms

Cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)

Python

SQL

Large language models

Security protocols

Job description

About Ovative Group

Ovative Group is an independent, full‑funnel media, measurement, and creative firm. Leveraging our deep industry expertise, we help brands like Best Buy, Domino's, American Eagle, The Home Depot, Post, Disney, Tumi, Michael Kors, Boost Mobile, and UnitedHealth Group transform their media and measurement programs. The result is profitable growth that speaks for itself.

About the Role

Most companies are still figuring out what it means to be AI‑native. Ovative is building it. We have 500+ people across media, measurement, analytics, and strategy who are being asked to work fundamentally differently — and this role is responsible for building the technical infrastructure that makes that possible at scale. Not a pilot. Not a proof of concept. A production system that changes how an entire organization operates.

This role is the technical owner of that system. You will design and build the integration layer that connects our AI platform to the tools and data sources people work in every day, architect the orchestration logic that enables automated multi‑step workflows, and establish the technical standards and security framework that govern how AI operates across the organization.

The primary measure of success in this role is whether the practitioners, analysts, and domain experts who are not engineers can build and run workflows without needing engineering involvement at every step. The infrastructure you build disappears into the work of non‑technical people. That is the job.

This is not a purely architectural role. You will build. You will also serve as the technical escalation point for complex builds that go beyond what practitioners and domain experts can execute independently. You will report directly into the AI Lead.

Responsibilities of the Lead AI Engineer

• Develop reusable infrastructure patterns and guardrails that allow domain experts and practitioners to build their own workflows without requiring engineering involvement at every step
• Design the abstraction layer that separates technical implementation from business logic, so non‑engineers can configure and iterate without breaking the underlying system
• Serve as the technical owner of Ovative's AI workflow infrastructure, leading the system from initial design through production use
• Design and build the integration layer connecting our enterprise AI platform to the tools and data sources the organization depends on — project management, communications, analytics, and others
• Architect the orchestration logic that enables multi‑step automated workflows, including how inputs are routed, how outputs connect back into existing systems, and where human review is required
• Own the system write‑back layer: design and maintain the bidirectional integration that reads from and writes results back to task management and operational systems, including handling output routing, status updates, and the human action loop
• Own the security and governance framework for all AI integrations and automated workflows: access controls, credential management, audit logging, and principle of least privilege applied from the start, not retrofitted
• Establish and enforce technical standards for how integrations are built, permissioned, and monitored; partner with IT and security to ensure compliance with SOC2 and evolving data governance requirements
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure‑as‑code practices for the AI platform layer so that deployments are repeatable, auditable, and low‑risk
• Serve as the technical reviewer for new agents and automated workflows before organization‑wide deployment, and own the standards those workflows must meet
• Design and maintain a post‑deployment monitoring framework for agents and automated workflows — not just pre‑deployment review, but ongoing observability into how workflows behave in production, where failures occur, and when intervention is needed
• Partner with the AI Lead and stakeholders to evaluate incoming requirements against technical feasibility — surfacing constraints, tradeoffs, and alternatives so the right solution gets built; translate approved requirements into clear technical specifications that guide implementation
• Document architecture decisions and system behavior so the infrastructure is legible and maintainable beyond any one person

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering, platform engineering, or applied technical roles
• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering AI‑powered workflow systems, integration platforms, or agent‑based automation in production environmentsStrong proficiency in Python and SQL, with experience building production platform or data services
• Experience designing and building API integrations, connector frameworks, or workflow automation systems at enterprise scale — including bidirectional write‑back to operational systems
• Hands‑on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure); experience with Databricks is strongly preferred
• Hands‑on experience with MCP (Model Context Protocol) or equivalent agent orchestration frameworks; this is a core part of what you will build and operate
• Demonstrated hands‑on experience working with large language models in production: context windows, prompt structure, tool use, and agent behavior
• Hands‑on experience operationalizing security requirements: access control, credential management, audit logging, and principle of least privilege in systems with broad organizational reach
• Strong communication skills and demonstrated ability to lead technical discussions across disciplines; you can explain architecture decisions to a business leader as clearly as to an engineer
• Experience partnering with non‑technical stakeholders to define system capabilities, including communicating feasibility, constraints, and tradeoffs
• Demonstrated success building platforms or infrastructure that non‑engineers actually use — not just internal developer tooling

Preferred

• Experience working with Claude Enterprise or the Anthropic API
• Experience operating AI systems in governed or compliance‑sensitive environments
• Experience building multi‑step or multi‑agent automated workflows in a production environment
• Exposure to project management, analytics, or communications platform integrations
• Prior experience in a marketing analytics, media, or professional services environment

Pay Transparency

For our Lead Engineer roles, our compensation ranges from $125,000 to $175,000, which is inclusive of a 25% bonus.

Benefits of Working at Ovative Group

• Access to all office spaces in MSP, NYC, and CHI
• Frequent, paid travel to our Minneapolis headquarters for company events, team events, and in‑person collaboration with teams
• Generous paid vacation policy
• 401k match program
• Top‑notch health insurance options, inclusive of same‑sex partners
• Family formation benefits including reimbursement options for fertility, pregnancy, and parenting needs
• Monthly stipend for your mobile phone and data plan
• Sabbatical program
• Charitable giving via our time and a financial match program
• Shenanigan's Day

Culture

Culture matters and we’ve been recognized as a Top Workplace for ten years running because of it. We demand trust and transparency from each other. We believe in doing the hard and complicated work others put off. We’re open in communication and floor plan. We’re flat – our interns sit next to VPs, our analysts work closely with senior leaders, and our CEO interacts with every single person daily. Put together, these elements help foster an environment where smart people can support each other in performing to their highest potential.

Ovative is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can participate and thrive. We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind, including on the basis of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Our policies reflect this commitment—for example, our medical leave benefits are inclusive of same‑sex partners, ensuring equitable care and support for all families.