Lead AI Engineer (Hybrid – Durham, NC)

Hybrid in Raleigh, NC, US • Posted 30+ days ago • Updated 23 hours ago

Full Time

Hybrid

$180000/yr

Vaco by Highspring

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Job Details

Skills

Summary

Lead AI Engineer (Onsite 3 Days/Week – Durham, NC)
We’re supporting a fast-growing, tech-forward company that is building a brand-new AI function from scratch. They’re looking for a rare blend of software engineer turned AI engineer — someone who has shipped real AI solutions into production and can guide teams on how to do it right.

This is a high-impact, thought-leadership role where you’ll architect solutions, mentor engineering teams, and serve as the internal expert on all things AI. You’ll work directly with the CTO to define the roadmap and bring AI-driven capabilities into core products.

Drive AI Strategy & Execution

Partner with the CTO to launch and scale a new AI-focused group within the organization
Define the mission, priorities, and early deliverables for the company’s AI initiatives
Serve as the primary technical authority on AI architecture, tooling, and best practices

Design & Deploy Production-Ready AI Solutions

Build and ship LLM-powered applications, RAG pipelines, and intelligent APIs
Deliver AI-driven features across web, mobile, and enterprise systems
Integrate AI capabilities into existing products in partnership with software engineering teams
Ensure solutions are scalable, secure, and aligned with business goals

Mentor, Influence & Elevate Engineering Teams

Coach developers on AI fundamentals, workflows, and implementation patterns
Identify skill gaps and help build AI fluency across the engineering organization
Act as a bridge between product, engineering, data, cybersecurity, and legal teams

Shape Responsible AI Practices

Collaborate with cross-functional partners to establish governance, ethics, and transparency standards
Help define internal guidelines for safe, compliant, and responsible AI adoption

What Makes This Role Unique

You’re the AI leader — the company’s go-to expert
You’ll build from zero — no legacy AI systems to inherit
You’ll influence product direction — not just model tuning
You’ll work directly with the CTO — high visibility, high impact

What You Bring
Required Background

5+ years in software engineering or AI product development
At least one production-deployed AI solution and strong understanding of the full development lifecycle
Hands-on experience with:
Generative AI / LLMs (GPT, Claude, Llama, etc.)
LangChain, Hugging Face, LlamaIndex
RAG architectures and vector databases
AWS (Bedrock, Lambda, S3, etc.)
Full-stack development (React, Node.js, Python, etc.)
SQL/NoSQL data platforms
REST API design

Entrepreneurial mindset; comfortable in a fast-moving, build-as-you-go environment

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related fieldNice to Have

Experience in insurance, financial services, or fintech (not required)
Experience mentoring or leading engineering teams
Prior work in a “startup within an enterprise” environment

What’s Offered

Competitive salary (DOE)
Full benefits package
High-visibility role with direct access to executive leadership
Opportunity to build a new AI function from the ground up

Employers have access to artificial intelligence language tools (“AI”) that help generate and enhance job descriptions and AI may have been used to create this description. The position description has been reviewed for accuracy and Dice believes it to correctly reflect the job opportunity.

Dice Id: 10115369
Position Id: 465654
Posted 30+ days ago

Company Info

About Vaco by Highspring

Vaco is the Talent Solutions division of Highspring, a leading global professional services organization. With expertise in Accounting and Finance, Technology and Digital, and Human Resources and Operations, Vaco provides Contract Staffing and Direct Hire solutions. Vaco’s parent company, Highspring, helps clients with two additional integrated service offerings: Consulting and Managed Services. With more than 10,000 employees across more than 45 offices worldwide, Highspring gives partners the agility to thrive, address challenges, and seize opportunities in a rapidly changing world. Get to know us at vaco.com. 

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