Lead Python AI Principal Engineer
We are seeking a highly skilled, hands‑on Lead Python AI Principal Engineer to join Citi in spearheading the design and development of cutting‑edge AI platforms and services. This role requires a highly hands‑on Python engineer to drive the creation of enterprise‑wide Generative AI platforms that deliver tangible value across all of Citi's lines of business. The ideal candidate will leverage a strong background in high‑scale engineering and AI solutions to lead technical teams, define architectural vision, and translate ambiguous business challenges into concrete, scalable implementations. This is a key leadership position focused on building innovative, production‑grade AI products that will shape the future of finance.
Responsibilities
- Lead the end‑to‑end development of highly complex AI solutions, infrastructure, and architecture.
- Lead and guide a team of engineers and data scientists, reviewing designs and code to uphold the highest levels of engineering standards.
- Translate ambiguous product or business problems into clear technical direction, defining success metrics for engineering and data science teams.
- Design robust model architectures, retrieval strategies, prompting/orchestration layers, and evaluation frameworks that meet product, reliability, and scalability requirements.
- Engage with data‑science, technical, and business stakeholders to define and architect solutions for key use‑cases across our lines of business.
- Actively contribute to software development, both as a hands‑on coder and as a reviewer.
- Build and maintain core Python‑based Generative AI components, including RAG pipelines, model wrappers, orchestration logic, and data loaders using FastAPI, ADK, and internal libraries.
- Ensure robust error handling, observability, and test coverage across all codebases.
- Manage executive stakeholder relationships in technology, acting as a partner and trusted advisor.
- Manage multiple concurrent initiatives and projects of varying sizes and complexity.
Qualifications
- 7+ years' experience in the software industry, with proven success in a senior position such as Principal Engineer (progressive hands‑on experience required).
- 6+ years' experience in hands‑on Python engineering.
- Experience serving as a people manager as this role may also include management.
- Highly experienced in delivering complex technical solutions to production within the Python and AI/ML ecosystem.
- Proficiency in programming languages such as Python.
- Passion for and proven hands‑on experience integrating with AI/ML technologies.
- Experience with cloud architectures and public cloud offerings.
- A strong and diverse technical background, with the ability to quickly learn new technologies and influence highly skilled engineering teams.
- Excellent communication, leadership, and organizational abilities.
- Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills with the ability to think strategically.
- Experience in the financial industry is a major advantage.
Education
- Bachelor's degree/University degree or equivalent experience is required.
- Master's degree is preferred.
Citi is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.
If you are a person with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to use our search tools and/or apply for a career opportunity review, accessibility at Citi.
View Citi’s EEO Policy Statement and the Know Your Rights poster.
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