Senior Director, Applied AI & Foundations

Capital One; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 350,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

Capital One is hiring a Sr. Director, Applied Researcher in McLean, VA to lead AI foundations work and guide applied science teams.

You will shape research strategy, mentor researchers, and partner with engineering and product leaders to deliver scalable AI-powered banking experiences. You will build and apply AI foundation models, oversee end-to-end development, and translate complex research into practical business outcomes that improve customer interactions and trust in Capital One's AI

Qualifications

• PhD or MS in a relevant field with substantial applied research experience.
• Strong leadership experience (5+ years) directing teams.
• Proven ability to translate research into business impact.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional teams of researchers, engineers, and product partners to deliver AI-powered products.
• Build and apply AI foundation models end-to-end, from design to deployment.
• Set strategic research roadmap aligning scientific discovery with business goals.
• Represent Capital One in external AI research community.

Skills

Leadership

Applied research

AI/ML

Team mentorship

Open-source tools

Education

PhD in AI/CS/EE

MS in AI/CS/EE

Tools

PyTorch

AWS

HuggingFace

Cloud platforms

Job description

Capital One is hiring a Sr. Director, Applied Researcher in McLean, VA to lead AI foundations work and guide applied science teams.

You will shape research strategy, mentor researchers, and partner with engineering and product leaders to deliver scalable AI-powered banking experiences. You will build and apply AI foundation models, oversee end-to-end development, and translate complex research into practical business outcomes that improve customer interactions and trust in Capital One's AI