Senior Director, AI Foundations

Capital One; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 350,000 - 399,500; Full time

Job summary

Capital One is seeking a Senior Director, Applied Research to lead a team responsible for AI foundation models and scalable ML systems. You will mentor applied scientists, collaborate with engineering, data science, and product leaders, and drive strategic research initiatives.

The role emphasizes publishing, open-source contributions, and delivering production-ready models that power next-generation customer experiences.

Qualifications

• PhD or MS in a relevant field with extensive applied research experience.
• At least 5 years of people leadership experience.
• Experience building AI foundation models and working with large-scale ML systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead a cross-functional team of scientists and engineers to deliver AI-powered platforms.
• Build AI foundation models through all development stages.
• Engage in high-impact applied research and publish findings.
• Represent Capital One in the research community and with external partners.

Skills

Collaborative leadership

Strong communication

Open-source ML

Cloud computing

Pytorch

Education

PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, AI, Mathematics, or related fields

MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, AI, Mathematics, or related fields

Tools

Pytorch

AWS

HuggingFace

Lightning

VectorDBs

Job description

Capital One is seeking a Senior Director, Applied Research to lead a team responsible for AI foundation models and scalable ML systems. You will mentor applied scientists, collaborate with engineering, data science, and product leaders, and drive strategic research initiatives.

The role emphasizes publishing, open-source contributions, and delivering production-ready models that power next-generation customer experiences.