Lead AI Engineer

Citi; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 156,160 - 234,240; Full time

Job summary

Citi is seeking an AI-first Lead AI Engineer to define, architect, and deliver enterprise-scale AI solutions for Investment, Corporate, and Commercial Banking. This role blends hands-on technical leadership with architectural ownership, driving the adoption of LLMs and agentic workflows to enhance efficiency, automation, and risk reduction.

The Lead AI Engineer will guide design, development, and deployment of scalable AI applications, mentoring engineers across AI, data, and application teams

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive software engineering experience with hands-on contributions.
• 3+ years of dedicated experience in AI, LLM-based systems, and agentic architectures.
• Proven success architecting and delivering multiple enterprise-scale AI solutions into production.
• Strong API design and microservices architecture for AI services.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, hands-on implementation, and deployment of scalable AI solutions.
• Architect agent-based systems integrating multiple LLM providers.
• Build production-grade AI applications using modern ML/LLM platforms.
• Drive MVP-driven delivery with rapid iteration and experimentation.
• Define evaluation frameworks and metrics for AI performance.

Skills

Python

Java

JavaScript

TypeScript

Spring Boot

Angular

Node.js

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

GitHub Copilot

DevOps tooling

Job description

Lead AI Engineer

Job Overview

Lead AI Engineer, SVP (Hybrid)

We are seeking an AI‑first Lead AI Engineer to define, architect, and deliver enterprise‑scale AI solutions for Investment, Corporate, and Commercial Banking. This role combines deep hands‑on technical leadership with architectural ownership, driving the adoption of LLMs, agentic workflows, and generative AI platforms to improve efficiency, automation, simplification, and risk reduction. The Lead AI Engineer will shape both technical delivery and AI‑first engineering culture, partnering closely with multiple technology and business teams.

Key Responsibilities

• End‑to‑End AI Leadership: Lead the design, hands‑on implementation, and deployment of scalable agentic AI and generative AI solutions for high‑impact business use cases.
• Agentic Architecture: Architect advanced agent‑based systems (perception, reasoning, planning, execution), integrating multiple LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google).
• Full‑Stack AI Engineering: Build and deliver production‑grade, full‑stack AI applications using modern ML/LLM platforms and AI coding tools (e.g., Devin, GitHub Copilot).
• Rapid Value Delivery: Champion MVP‑driven delivery, rapid iteration, hypothesis testing, and experimentation (A/B testing) to achieve fast time‑to‑value.
• Evaluation & Optimization: Define rigorous evaluation frameworks and metrics for AI and agent performance, ensuring continuous optimization and alignment with business goals.
• Technology Foresight: Proactively evaluate and integrate emerging AI technologies, particularly in agent‑based and autonomous AI systems, while acting as a thought leader and coach.
• Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Provide front‑line technical leadership, guide architectural decisions, and mentor engineers across AI, data, and application teams to build an AI‑first engineering culture.
• Strategic Domain Alignment: Ensure all AI solutions are grounded in deep banking domain understanding and clearly articulate business and risk impact beyond pure technical implementation.

Qualifications

Programming: Expert‑level proficiency in Python and/or Java (Spring Boot); solid experience with JavaScript/TypeScript (Angular, Node.js).

AI/ML Expertise:

Deep knowledge of AI fundamentals (knowledge representation, automated planning, decision‑making under uncertainty, multi‑agent systems).

Extensive hands‑on experience with LLM platforms (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google), RAG pipelines, MCPs, and agent frameworks (Google ADK).

Demonstrated effectiveness with AI coding tools (Devin, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Antigravity).

Strong experience with ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch) and data science libraries.

Proven ability to design and expose robust, scalable APIs for AI services.

Engineering Excellence: Deep expertise in software engineering best practices, including system design, CI/CD, testing strategies, resiliency, security, and operational stability for AI‑driven platforms.

Architecture & Data: Strong experience designing API‑first, microservices‑based, and event‑driven systems, including AI‑focused data pipelines and lifecycle management.

Platforms: Hands‑on experience with Docker and Kubernetes.

Leadership & Communication: Exceptional ability to articulate complex technical concepts, influence senior stakeholders, and lead high‑impact technical discussions.

Domain Expertise: Strong understanding of banking and regulated financial environments, with the ability to connect AI capabilities to measurable business outcomes.

Nice to Have

Advanced data science expertise (statistical modeling, experimentation).

Demonstrated experience mentoring and scaling AI‑first engineering talent in rapidly evolving toolchains.

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive software engineering experience with sustained hands‑on contributions.
• 3+ years of dedicated experience in AI, LLM‑based systems, and agentic architectures.
• Proven success architecting and delivering multiple enterprise‑scale AI solutions into production.

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, AI, Robotics, or a related quantitative discipline.

Salary Range

$156,160.00 - $234,240.00

In addition to salary, Citi’s offerings may also include discretionary and formulaic incentive and retention awards. Citi offers competitive employee benefits, including medical, dental and vision coverage; 401(k); life, accident, and disability insurance; and wellness programs. Citi also offers paid time off packages, including planned time off (vacation), unplanned time off (sick leave), and paid holidays. For additional information regarding Citi employee benefits, please visit citibenefits.com. Available offerings may vary by jurisdiction, job level, and date of hire.

Citi is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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