Lead AI Engineer

Key Skills

AI technology, AWS, C# Programming, C++, GoLang, HuggingFace, Java Programming, Large Language Models - LLMs, Machine learning techniques, Python Programming, PyTorch, SaaS, Vector search

Job Description

Lead AI Engineer – Capital One

At Capital One, we’re using responsible and reliable AI systems to redefine what’s possible in banking. As a leader in applying machine learning to deliver real-time, personalized customer experiences, we’ve made significant investments in technology, infrastructure, and talent. Our deep expertise in AI/ML enables us to deliver transformative, human-centered solutions that simplify banking and bring clarity to complexity.

From detecting unusual charges to answering customer queries in real time, our AI applications are reshaping how millions engage with their finances. We’re building world-class applied science and engineering teams to create breakthrough products and scalable AI infrastructure.

Join us to bring emerging AI capabilities to life — delivering innovative, high-performance solutions that customers love.

Team Overview: Intelligent Foundations and Experiences (IFX)

The IFX team is driving Capital One’s AI vision. We collaborate closely with partners across the company to advance state-of-the-art AI engineering and science. Our proprietary models and platforms power transformative capabilities that benefit millions, enabling teams company-wide to harness AI in scalable, responsible ways.

In This Role, You Will:

• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineers, research scientists, TPMs, and product managers to deliver AI-driven experiences for customers and associates.
• Design, build, and support core AI software components including:
  • Foundation model training
  • LLM inference
  • Similarity search and VectorDBs
  • Guardrails (e.g., NeMo Guardrails)
  • Model evaluation, experimentation, governance, observability
• Leverage a cutting-edge stack of open-source and SaaS tools including AWS Ultraclusters, Hugging Face, PyTorch, and more.
• Develop and implement LLM optimization techniques to enhance scalability, cost-efficiency, latency, and throughput of production AI systems.
• Influence the long-term roadmap and technical vision for foundational AI systems at Capital One.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

• A builder at heart who takes pride in high-quality engineering.
• Passionate about using AI to solve real-world problems and improve lives.
• Adept at navigating ambiguity and uncovering insights in complex systems.
• A deep thinker who embraces new ideas, even when they’re unconventional or untested.
• Technically fluent in software engineering, systems architecture, and mathematical foundations of AI.
• Resilient, innovative, and able to lead in uncharted territory.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field plus 4+ years of experience in AI/ML development

– or –

• Master’s degree with 2+ years of AI/ML experience
• 4+ years of programming experience in Python, Go, Scala, or Java

Preferred Qualifications:

• 6+ years of experience deploying scalable, responsible AI solutions on cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure, or equivalent)
• Experience designing and supporting AI services in production
• Strong background in LLM inference, similarity search, vector databases, guardrails, and memory management
• Expertise in optimization of training/inference software for hardware efficiency (latency, throughput, cost)
• Master’s degree (or higher) in Computer Science, Engineering, or relevant field
• Passionate about applied research and staying current with the latest AI systems literature

Additional Info:

Sponsorship: Capital One will consider sponsoring a new qualified applicant for employment authorization for this position.

Compensation:

Salary ranges based on location:

• Sales Territory: $175,800 – $200,700
• McLean, VA: $193,400 – $220,700
• Richmond, VA: $175,800 – $200,700
• San Jose, CA: $211,000 – $240,800