Lead AI Engineer

Job description

Job Description: DataRobot delivers AI that maximizes impact and minimizes business risk. Our platform and applications integrate into core business processes so teams can develop, deliver, and govern AI at scale. DataRobot empowers practitioners to deliver predictive and generative AI, and enables leaders to secure their AI assets. Organizations worldwide rely on DataRobot for AI that makes sense for their business — today and in the future. As the Director of AI Engineering within our Professional Services team, you will be a strategic leader and executive advisor, responsible for driving the technical vision and successful delivery of our most complex and strategic AI programs with our top-tier customers. You will build and scale a high-performing team of AI Engineers, establish architectural best practices for Agentic AI deployments, and ensure that all solutions translate into exceptional, measurable business value. This role requires a balance of deep technical expertise, a proven background in Software engineering practices and architectures with executive-level communication and P&L accountability for large professional service engagements. Key Responsibilities: Executive & Strategic Engagement: Serve as the most senior technical leader on major engagements, advising C-level executives and key stakeholders on their AI strategy, architectural roadmap, and governance model. Team Leadership & Development: Recruit, mentor, and manage a team of Senior and Principal AI Engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and continuous learning. Program Ownership & Governance: Own the technical success of the Professional Services portfolio, setting the technical standards, ensuring solution quality, and overseeing the deployment of advanced AI applications, including Agentic AI and complex GenAI/RAG systems. Technical Architecture & Standards: Define the architectural blueprint and MLOps best practices for building robust, scalable, and secure AI solutions that leverage the DataRobot platform and cutting-edge open-source tools. Thought Leadership: Act as a recognized subject matter expert in the AI/ML community, representing DataRobot at industry conferences, publishing technical content, and driving internal innovation. Revenue and Utilization Management: Drive successful program execution, managing technical risk and ensuring high customer satisfaction, which directly contributes to achieving regional revenue targets. Travel: Ability to travel up to 50% across the region to support customers across GCC Language : Proficient in Arabic is preferred but not critical Knowledge, Skills and Abilities : Strategic AI & Architectural Expertise: Expertise in full-stack development, enterprise software architecture and the implementation of modern agentic AI frameworks. Deep, proven expertise in defining and implementing end-to-end AI/ML and Generative AI application architectures, including Agentic AI frameworks (LangGraph, CrewAI, Llama Index), RAG, and large-scale predictive modeling systems. Expertise in setting MLOps strategy for model CI/CD, governance, and enterprise-level scaling. Deep proficiency in containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), and building secure, production-grade REST APIs Leadership & Consulting: Extensive experience (minimum 3+ years) managing and scaling technical teams, including hiring, performance management, and career development. Exceptional executive-level verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to lead discussions, present complex technical roadmaps, and influence decision-makers across business and technology domains. Demonstrable track record in a highly visible client-facing or consulting leadership role. Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications: Experience: Approximately 8-10 years of progressive hands-on experience in Software development, Agentic AI frameworks, or a similar technical role, with a minimum of 3 years in a management or director-level leadership position . Education: A CS Degree MS or Ph.D. preferred in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Engineering, or a related quantitative field. Cloud Experience: Expert-level, hands-on experience with at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and on-premise deployment experience, with a focus on enterprise architecture and security. DataRobot Experience: Expert familiarity with the DataRobot AI Platform is a strong plus. The talent and dedication of our employees are at the core of DataRobot’s journey to be an iconic company. We strive to attract and retain the best talent by providing competitive pay and benefits with our employees’ well-being at the core. Here’s what your benefits package may include depending on your location and local legal requirements: Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance, Flexible Time Off Program, Paid Holidays, Paid Parental Leave, Global Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and more! DataRobot Operating Principles: Wow Our Customers Set High Standards Be Better Than Yesterday Be Rigorous Assume Positive Intent Have the Tough Conversations Be Better Together Debate, Decide, Commit Deliver Results Overcommunicate Research shows that many women only apply to jobs when they meet 100% of the qualifications while many men apply to jobs when they meet 60%. At DataRobot we encourage ALL candidates, especially women, people of color, LGBTQ+ identifying people, differently abled, and other people from marginalized groups to apply to our jobs, even if you do not check every box. We’d love to have a conversation with you and see if you might be a great fit. DataRobot is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. DataRobot is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. Please see the United States Department of Labor’s EEO poster and EEO poster supplement for additional information. All applicant data submitted is handled in accordance with our Applicant Privacy Policy .