Senior Lead AI Engineer

About the role

About The Company

Capital One is a leading financial institution dedicated to transforming banking through innovative technology and customer-centric solutions. With a strong focus on leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning, Capital One has established itself as an industry pioneer in delivering personalized, real-time banking experiences. Our commitment to responsible and reliable AI systems underpins our mission to serve our customers better while maintaining the highest standards of security, transparency, and ethical AI use. We invest heavily in cutting-edge technology infrastructure and attract top-tier talent to stay at the forefront of AI-driven financial services. As part of our ongoing commitment, we aim to reimagine banking by integrating emerging AI capabilities into our products and services, ensuring a seamless and human-centric experience for our customers worldwide.

About The Role

The Senior Lead AI Engineer at Capital One plays a pivotal role in advancing our AI capabilities and building scalable, responsible AI systems that redefine banking experiences. This role involves partnering with cross-functional teams including engineers, research scientists, product managers, and technical program managers to design, develop, and deploy innovative AI solutions. The ideal candidate will lead efforts in foundation model training, large language model inference, similarity search, and AI governance, ensuring these systems are efficient, scalable, and aligned with our ethical standards. You will contribute to shaping the technical vision and long-term roadmap for foundational AI systems, driving innovation and operational excellence. Your work will directly impact how millions of customers interact with our products, making banking simpler, smarter, and more secure.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess a strong educational background and extensive experience in AI and software engineering. A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, AI, Electrical Engineering, or related fields combined with at least six years of relevant experience is required. Alternatively, a Master’s degree with at least four years of experience will also be considered. Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Go, Scala, or Java is essential. Candidates should demonstrate a deep understanding of AI and ML algorithms, scalable system design, and cloud deployment, with a preference for those with experience in responsible AI practices and large-scale systems. Strong communication skills, leadership abilities, and a passion for innovation are highly valued.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to develop AI-powered products that enhance customer experience and operational efficiency.

Design, implement, and maintain AI software components, including foundation models, large language models, and similarity search systems.

Leverage open-source and SaaS AI technologies such as AWS Ultraclusters, Huggingface, VectorDBs, Nemo Guardrails, and PyTorch to build robust solutions.

Invent and apply state-of-the-art optimization techniques to improve the performance, scalability, and cost-efficiency of AI systems.

Contribute to the technical vision and strategic roadmap for foundational AI infrastructure at Capital One.

Ensure AI systems adhere to governance standards, ethical guidelines, and observability practices.

Mentor junior engineers and foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation within the team.

Stay updated with the latest research and advancements in AI, applying relevant techniques to enhance our systems.

Benefits

Capital One offers a comprehensive package of benefits designed to support your overall well-being and professional growth. This includes competitive salaries, performance-based incentives, health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. We also provide opportunities for continuous learning through training programs, conferences, and certifications. Our inclusive workplace culture promotes diversity and equality, ensuring all employees have the opportunity to thrive. Additionally, we support flexible work arrangements where possible, fostering a healthy work-life balance. Capital One is committed to creating a safe and supportive environment where innovation and collaboration drive success.

Equal Opportunity

Capital One is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected class under applicable law. We believe that a diverse workforce enhances our ability to serve our customers and innovate effectively. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are dedicated to providing accommodations during the recruitment process to ensure equal access for all candidates. Our commitment to fairness and inclusion is integral to our company values and success.