Lead AI Engineer

About R Systems: R Systems is a leading digital product engineering company that designs and develops chip-to-cloud software products, platforms, and digital experiences that empower its clients to achieve higher revenues and operational efficiency. Our product mindset and engineering capabilities in Cloud, Data, AI, and CX enable us to serve key players in the high-tech industry, including ISVs, SaaS, and Internet companies, as well as product companies in telecom, media, finance, manufacturing, and health verticals. We Are Great Place to Work CertifiedTM in 10 countries with a full-time workforce [India, USA, Canada, Poland, Romania, Moldova, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia & Thailand] We are recognized as one of the Best Tech Brands 2024 by theTimes Group and India's Top 500 Value Creators 2023 by Dun & Bradstreet. Company Link: R Systems | Digital Product Engineering Position Overview: As a Lead AI Engineer (Agentic AI Applications) at R Systems, Lead AI Engineer (Contract) who is a driver, not an order taker — someone who leads from the front, manages delivery across the AI team, and ensures successful execution of complex, high-impact AI initiatives. You will architect and deliver applied AI solutions powered by Large Language Models (LLMs) and Small Language Models (SMLs) within a distributed, production-grade ecosystem. This is a hands-on technical leadership and delivery management role that combines engineering excellence, team guidance, and cross-functional collaboration. You will work closely with Technical Product Owners (TPOs), Technical Program Managers (TPMs), Platform Engineering, and Senior Managers to deliver scalable, reliable, and innovative AI applications that transform digital learning experiences. Key Responsibilities: Delivery Management & Leadership: Manage delivery of AI engineering initiatives, ensuring projects are executed on time, within scope, and to high quality standards. Coordinate engineers and workstreams, resolve dependencies, and drive accountability. Technical Leadership & Team Guidance: Lead and mentor AI engineers in architecture, design, and implementation of best practices. Set engineering standards for quality, reliability, and maintainability. AI Solution Design & Development: Architect and develop Agentic AI applications using LLMs and SMLs for automation, reasoning, and content generation. Build distributed backend systems with Python, Fast API, Azure, Kafka, and Kubernetes. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Technical Product Owners, Technical Program Managers, and Platform Engineering to define scope, success metrics, and optimize infrastructure and performance. Innovation & Strategic Thinking: Stay current on advancements in LLMs, SMLs, RAG, and Agentic AI frameworks. Experiment with OpenAI and Azure AI tools and promote technical innovation balanced with predictable delivery. Productionization & Lifecycle Management: Lead productionization of AI application, ensuring reliability, observability, and lifecycle management of deployed solutions. Qualifications Education & Experience: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or a closely related field—or equivalent practical experience. Minimum of 7 years in software or AI engineering, with at least 2 years in technical leadership or architectural roles, demonstrating a proven track record of delivering complex solutions. Delivery Management Expertise: Demonstrated success managing end-to-end delivery for engineering teams or overseeing multi-stream technical projects, ensuring timely execution, high standards, and effective coordination across stakeholders. Technical Proficiency: Deep expertise in designing and implementing distributed systems, microservices architectures, and event-driven solutions. Hands-on experience with production-grade AI systems leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs) and Small Language Models (SMLs). Technology Stack Mastery: Advanced proficiency in Python, FastAPI, and Azure Cloud. Skilled in deploying and orchestrating solutions with Docker and Kubernetes. Familiarity with LangChain, LangGraph, vector databases, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines. DevOps & Observability: Strong understanding of CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, logging, and tracing using tools like Datadog. Experienced with modern DevOps best practices to ensure system reliability and maintainability. Additional Competencies: Working knowledge of OpenAI APIs and the Azure ecosystem, including Cosmos DB, AI Search, and Cognitive Services. Familiarity with front-end frameworks (Angular, React) and principles of UI/UX design, enabling seamless integration of intelligent backends with web applications. Exceptional communication, collaboration, and leadership abilities, with a passion for mentoring teams and driving impactful results. Why Join R Systems? Frequent Internal Hackathons: Engage in dynamic competitions with exciting prizes to keep your skills sharp. Cultural Celebrations: Strengthen our familial bonds through shared celebrations, fostering a sense of community. Diverse Project Exposure: Work on a variety of projects across sectors like Healthcare, Banking, e-commerce, and Retail, collaborating with leading global brands. Centre of Excellence (COE): Benefit from technical guidance and upskilling opportunities provided by our team of technology experts, helping you navigate your career path. E-Learning Platform: Gain access to comprehensive e-learning platforms coupled with a robust mentorship program to enhance your skills. Open Door Policy: Embrace a culture of mutual support, respect, and open dialogue, promoting a collaborative work environment. If you are passionate and excited about working in a fast-paced, innovative environment, we would love to hear from you R Systems is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or job applicant because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, physical or mental disability, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. We strive to build a team that reflects the diverse communities we serve, and we actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences. Our commitment to equal opportunity extends to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, and benefits.