Applied AI, Technical Lead - Forward Deployed AI Engineer
Role summary
SellWizr is a fast-moving, early-stage fintech startup seeking a Technical Lead for their Forward Deployed AI Engineering team. This role requires a rare blend of technical and business acumen to lead the deployment of frontier AI models into production for strategic clients. You will be a hands-on technical leader, owning end-to-end delivery, writing critical code, and architecting advanced AI systems like RAG and agentic workflows. Success is measured by production adoption and measurable workflow impact. The ideal candidate has 5+ years of engineering experience, including leading complex, customer-facing AI deployments in regulated industries, proficiency in Python and PyTorch, and strong software engineering skills. Experience with cloud platforms and MLOps is a plus.
Fastest way to apply:
LinkedIn or email partners at sellwizr.com
Seniority Level:
Reports to: CTO/COO, works closely with CEO
Location
: New York. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week.
About SellWizr
The largest of financial institutions run their client lifecycles on systems, excel spreadsheets and BI tools that don’t talk to each other. Result – wasted time and lost deals. We are a full spectrum solution starting with data cleaning to unlocking agents and drive revenue!
We’re a fast-moving, early-stage fintech startup building the revenue framework for financial services using cutting-edge technology. Our team thrives on collaboration, innovation, and a hands-on approach to solving real-world problems. You’ll work alongside experienced professionals with AI backgrounds from companies like Google, Meta, Apple, and Goldman Sachs, gaining practical skills while making a meaningful impact on our core platform.
The Opportunity
We are looking for a rare combination of technology and business acumen to drive complex, high-stakes deployments of frontier models into production for our most strategic customers. You operate as both technical leader and execution owner. You will be setting direction, enforcing rigor, and ensuring delivery from first discovery through stable production.
You will be hands-on and lead end-to-end engagements.
Success in this role is measured by production adoption, measurable workflow impact, and high-quality feedback loops that influence both product and model roadmaps. You are expected to bring clarity, urgency, and technical authority to every phase of execution.
In this role, you will
- Operate as a hands-on technical lead, owning end-to-end delivery while writing and reviewing critical path code to de-risk complex systems. You’ll stay deeply involved in coding, reviewing, and optimizing AI solutions
- Drive multiple deployments from prototype to production, turning ambiguous requirements into clear plans and executed outcomes
- Act as the technical authority and taskmaster—setting pace, enforcing standards, making trade-offs, and ensuring nothing slips
- Architect and ship advanced AI systems (RAG, fine-tuning, agentic workflows, custom LLM apps) integrated into full-stack production environments
- Lead and mentor engineers while embedding with customers—translating real-world problems into scalable solutions and driving adoption
- Own execution under pressure: identify risks early, remove blockers fast, and maintain momentum across teams
- Bridge pre-sales and delivery, leading technical discussions and turning business needs into concrete architectures
- Codify and scale what works into reusable tools, frameworks, and playbooks
- Partner with Product and Research to turn field insights into product and model improvements while continuously evaluating new AI approaches
What We Are Looking For?
- We're looking for a strong builder. Someone who understands the hustle, and can move fast and ensure the customer feedback >< product development loop is moving at max speed.
- Bring 5+ years of engineering experience, including leading complex, customer-facing deployments
- You have a proven track record of leading teams to deliver complex AI projects, from prototyping to production, in regulated industries such as finance or healthcare
- Are comfortable operating as both a hands-on builder and a technical leader
- You are proficient in Python, PyTorch, and modern AI frameworks (e.g., LangChain, Hugging Face). Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and MLOps tools is a plus
- You have strong software engineering skills, including API design, backend/full-stack development, and system architecture
- Have experience deploying LLM-powered or generative AI systems and understand their real-world behavior and constraints
- Excel at turning ambiguity into structured plans and decisive action
- Communicate with precision and authority across engineers, product teams, and senior customer stakeholders
- You excel in technical communication, with the ability to articulate complex concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences, including executives and engineers
- You thrive in fast-paced, collaborative environments and are passionate about mentoring and growing technical talent
- Bring intensity, ownership, and high standards to everything you ship