Lead AI Engineer

About The Company
Capital One is a leading financial services company dedicated to transforming banking through innovative technology and customer-centric solutions. With a strong commitment to responsible banking, Capital One leverages advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence to deliver personalized, real-time experiences to millions of customers. The company's strategic investments in technology infrastructure and its team of world-class talent position it at the forefront of AI-driven financial services. Capital One's mission is to reimagine banking by integrating cutting-edge AI capabilities into its products and services, making banking more accessible, efficient, and human-centered. The organization values diversity, inclusion, and continuous learning, fostering a dynamic environment where innovation thrives and employees are empowered to contribute to meaningful change in the financial industry.
About The Role
The Senior Lead AI Engineer at Capital One will be a pivotal member of the Intelligent Foundations and Experiences (IFX) team, responsible for advancing the company's AI and machine learning initiatives. This role involves designing, developing, deploying, and supporting scalable AI systems that directly impact how the bank serves its customers and supports its internal operations. The ideal candidate will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including research scientists, engineers, product managers, and technical program managers, to deliver innovative AI-powered solutions. These solutions encompass foundation model training, large language model inference, similarity search, governance, and observability, among others. The Senior Lead AI Engineer will also contribute to shaping the technical vision and strategic roadmap for foundational AI systems at Capital One, ensuring the deployment of responsible, high-performance AI models that align with the company's ethical standards and business objectives.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will possess a strong technical foundation and a passion for innovation in AI. A minimum of a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, AI, Electrical Engineering, or related fields, coupled with at least six years of experience in developing AI and ML algorithms or technologies, is required. Alternatively, a Master’s degree with at least four years of relevant experience will also be considered. Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Go, Scala, or Java is essential, with a minimum of six years of hands-on experience. Preferred qualifications include seven or more years of experience deploying scalable AI solutions on cloud platforms like AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure, and demonstrated leadership in managing engineering teams and influencing cross-functional stakeholders. Additional expertise in designing and optimizing AI systems, including LLM inference, vector databases, and guardrails, is highly desirable. Strong communication skills and the ability to articulate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences are also important.
Responsibilities

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to develop and deploy AI-powered products that enhance customer experience and operational efficiency.
• Design, develop, test, and support AI software components, including foundation model training, large language model inference, similarity search, and governance frameworks.
• Leverage a broad array of open-source and SaaS AI technologies such as AWS Ultraclusters, Huggingface, VectorDBs, Nemo Guardrails, and PyTorch to build scalable solutions.
• Invent and implement state-of-the-art optimization techniques for large-scale AI systems to improve performance metrics such as scalability, latency, throughput, and cost-efficiency.
• Contribute to the technical vision and long-term roadmap of AI infrastructure and foundational systems, ensuring alignment with business goals and ethical standards.
• Mentor junior engineers, lead technical reviews, and foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within the team.
• Stay updated with the latest research and advancements in AI and machine learning, applying new techniques judiciously in production environments.
• Ensure AI models and systems adhere to governance, compliance, and observability standards, maintaining transparency and accountability.

Benefits
Capital One offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support the well-being of its employees. This includes health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and wellness programs. Employees also have access to professional development resources, tuition reimbursement, and opportunities for career growth within a dynamic and innovative environment. The company promotes work-life balance through flexible work arrangements and a supportive culture that values diversity and inclusion. Additionally, eligible employees can participate in performance-based incentive programs, including cash bonuses and long-term incentives, recognizing their contributions to the company's success. Capital One is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued, empowered, and equipped to make a meaningful impact.
Equal Opportunity
Capital One is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We promote a culture of respect and fairness, ensuring all employees and applicants receive equal consideration. Capital One complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding non-discrimination and equal employment opportunity. We also support individuals with criminal histories in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. If you require accommodations during the application process or while working with us, please contact our recruiting team to discuss your needs. Our goal is to foster a workplace where everyone can thrive and contribute to our mission of transforming banking through responsible AI innovation.