S3/Strategic Staffing Solutions has a Lead AI Engineering opportunity for a Lead AI Engineer for Financial Services client in Dallas/Las Colinas, Charlotte NC, Minneapolis, MN, or Columbus, OH on a hybrid work basis. Please read further if you are interested in joining a leading organization!
Locations available: Dallas/Las Colinas, Charlotte NC, Minneapolis, MN, or Columbus, OH - Hybrid - 3x on site and 2x remote
Duration: 12 months + possible extension
Pay Rate: $80-90/hr. W2. W2 only, sorry we cannot do C2C at this time
- *Must be USC or Permanent Resident in order to convert to full time employment**
Qualifications & Description:
Role Overview
Join a high-impact Cyber AI “special forces” team tackling ambiguous and unstructured problems across multiple cybersecurity domains. You will take projects from idea → prototype → implementation, designing solutions that span systems, infrastructure, and security constraints. This is a hands-on engineering role in a fast-moving, undefined environment where innovation and execution go hand in hand.
Key Responsibilities
- Build, test, and implement AI-driven solutions, including GenAI/LLM applications and multi-agent systems.
- Translate vague concepts into structured technical solutions and working prototypes.
- Collaborate with stakeholders across cybersecurity, cloud, and enterprise systems.
- Apply systems thinking to complex problems, considering data, infrastructure, and security dependencies.
- Stay current on emerging GenAI technologies, frameworks, and protocols.
Required Skills & Experience
- Engineering Mindset
- Hands-on builder, self-starter, and end-to-end owner of work.
- Comfortable working with minimal requirements and ambiguity.
Programming
- Strong experience with Java and Python.
- Proficiency in at least one additional language: C# or JavaScript.
- Bonus: experience with Go, Rust, or Mojo.
GenAI / AI Expertise
- Practical experience implementing solutions (e.g., RAG, LLMs, AI agents).
- Actively following GenAI advancements.
- Systems Thinking
- Ability to design solutions with awareness of complex system interactions.
- Understand data and infrastructure dependencies and security constraints.
- Cloud & Modern Development
Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure).
- Containerization knowledge (Docker, Kubernetes) and cloud-native development.
- Familiarity with enterprise SDLC processes.
Nice-to-Have
- Experience in regulated industries: financial services, cybersecurity, or healthcare.
- Building frameworks (beyond using existing ones).
- Ideal Candidate Profile
5–8 years of experience (sweet spot for SDLC exposure and hands-on work).
- Builder mentality: curious, proactive, adaptable.
- Passionate about engineering craft and innovation.
- Comfortable in fast-moving, ambiguous environments.
- Success Metrics
- Quickly define problems, design solutions, and iterate on builds.
- Demonstrates deep technical ownership and accountability.
- Delivers innovative, practical solutions with speed and quality.