Lead AI / Machine Learning Engineer $600,000-650,000 Cash TC New York, NY or Chicago, IL Building AI across global businesses A leading investment firm is expanding its AI organization with the addition of a senior AI and Machine Learning Engineer. Reporting directly to the Head of AI, you'll work alongside an established AI Product Manager to design and deliver production AI systems that support both the investment firm and a portfolio of innovative companies. This is a rare opportunity to combine deep engineering with technical leadership, helping shape AI strategy across multiple businesses while mentoring the next generation of engineers. What You'll Do • Build production AI systems using modern machine learning techniques. • Fine tune language models and develop custom embeddings. • Design retrieval augmented generation systems and intelligent search applications. • Build backend services and deploy scalable ML infrastructure. • Partner with executives to identify commercially valuable AI opportunities. • Work directly with portfolio companies to advise on architecture, implementation, and AI adoption. • Mentor junior AI engineers and help establish engineering best practices. What We're Looking For • Strong Computer Science foundations. • Extensive experience developing production machine learning systems. • Deep experience with Python, PyTorch, Hugging Face, and modern LLM workflows. • Experience building AI products beyond proof of concept. • Excellent communication skills with technical and nontechnical audiences. • Previous experience mentoring engineers or leading technical initiatives. Technology • Python • PyTorch • Hugging Face • Large Language Models • Retrieval Augmented Generation • NLP • Computer Vision • AWS, Azure, or GCP Why Join? This role offers the chance to influence AI strategy across an established investment platform and dozens of portfolio companies. You'll work directly with senior leadership while solving varied technical challenges across multiple industries, combining hands on engineering with meaningful technical leadership and mentorship. If you're looking for a role that offers autonomy, visibility, and the opportunity to shape the future of AI at scale, this is one of the strongest opportunities currently available. About People In AI People In AI partners with some of the most innovative organizations building AI products and teams. We provide candidates with honest market insight, direct access to hiring teams, and guidance throughout the interview process so they can make informed career decisions.