Lead AI Engineer

About the role

About The Company

Capital One is a leading financial services company committed to transforming banking through innovative technology and responsible AI practices. With a longstanding reputation for leveraging machine learning and data analytics, Capital One has established itself as an industry pioneer in delivering personalized, real-time customer experiences. The company's strategic investments in cutting-edge infrastructure and top-tier talent position it at the forefront of AI-driven financial solutions. Capital One's mission is to reimagine banking by integrating emerging AI capabilities to serve customers better, simplify processes, and foster financial well-being. The organization values diversity, inclusion, and responsible innovation, ensuring that technological advancements benefit all stakeholders.

About The Role

We are seeking a highly skilled Lead AI Engineer specializing in AI Foundations, Large Language Model (LLM) Core, and Agentic AI to join our dynamic team. In this role, you will be instrumental in developing and deploying responsible, scalable, and high-performance AI systems that redefine how we serve our customers and support our business objectives. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams—including engineers, research scientists, product managers, and technical program managers—to craft innovative AI-powered solutions that are both impactful and aligned with our strategic vision. Your expertise will contribute to shaping the technical roadmap for foundational AI systems at Capital One, ensuring we remain at the cutting edge of AI research and application.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess a strong educational background in Computer Science, AI, Electrical Engineering, or related fields, complemented by significant hands-on experience in AI and ML development. A minimum of 4 years of experience in programming with Python, Go, Scala, or Java is required, with additional experience in deploying AI solutions on cloud platforms being highly desirable. Candidates should demonstrate a deep understanding of hardware and software optimization, AI model training, inference, and governance. Familiarity with open-source AI tools such as Huggingface, PyTorch, and cloud services like AWS Ultraclusters is essential. A passion for continuous learning, innovation, and applying state-of-the-art research in production environments is crucial for success in this role.

Responsibilities

Partner with multidisciplinary teams to design, develop, test, and deploy AI software components, including foundation model training, large language model inference, similarity search, guardrails, and model evaluation.

Implement and optimize AI solutions leveraging a broad stack of open-source and SaaS technologies such as AWS Ultraclusters, Huggingface, VectorDBs, Nemo Guardrails, and PyTorch.

Invent and apply advanced LLM optimization techniques to enhance system performance, scalability, cost-efficiency, and latency.

Contribute to the strategic technical vision and long-term roadmap for foundational AI systems within Capital One.

Ensure AI systems adhere to responsible AI principles, including fairness, transparency, and governance, while maintaining observability and operational excellence.

Stay informed of the latest research and emerging trends in AI and ML, and judiciously incorporate innovative techniques into production systems.

Mentor junior team members and foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the AI engineering team.

Benefits

Capital One offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support your overall well-being and professional growth. Employees are eligible for health, dental, and vision insurance, along with wellness programs and financial planning resources. The company provides opportunities for career development through training, mentorship, and participation in cutting-edge projects. Additionally, the role is eligible for performance-based incentives, including cash bonuses and long-term incentives, recognizing individual and team contributions. Flexible work arrangements and a collaborative, inclusive environment foster a healthy work-life balance, ensuring employees can thrive both professionally and personally.

Equal Opportunity

Capital One is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all employees and applicants are treated with respect and fairness. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic. We are dedicated to providing equal employment opportunities and ensuring a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. Capital One complies with all applicable laws and regulations regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to creating a workplace where everyone can succeed.