Lead AI Engineer (Hybrid - Durham, NC)

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 Vaco by Highspring values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply. EEO Notice Vaco by Highspring is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by federal, state or local law. Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact . Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal. By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. You also agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal. Privacy Notice Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries ("we," "our," or "Vaco by Highspring") respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies. California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here. Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here. Residents of all other states may access our policies here. Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here. Residents of countries governed by GDPR may access our policies here. Pay Transparency Notice Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to: the individual's skill sets, experience and training; licensure and certification requirements; office location and other geographic considerations; other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.

Created: 2026-03-04