Lead AI/ML Engineer / Manager AI

Lead AI/ML Engineer / Manager – AI Engineering Department : AI Engineering Location: Denver, CO (In-person interview required) Employment Type: Contract Experience Required: 8+ Years Management | 8+ Years ML/Data Science Role Overview R Systems International is looking for a Manager of AI Engineering who brings a rare combination of deep hands-on AI/ML delivery experience and demonstrated people leadership. This is not a research role — we are seeking someone who has delivered real, production-grade AI/ML systems in industry and is now ready to lead teams that do the same. You will drive technical vision, build high-performing engineering teams, and ensure AI solutions move from concept to production reliably and at scale. Key Responsibilities Lead, manage, and grow a team of AI engineers working on production LLM, RAG, and ML systems. Define and drive the technical vision for AI engineering — from architecture decisions to tooling choices and coding standards. Own end-to-end delivery of AI/ML models into production: scoping, design, build, deployment, and monitoring. Partner with Data Science, Data Engineering, Product, and Business stakeholders to align AI engineering work with strategic priorities. Mentor and develop engineers — conducting code reviews, knowledge-sharing sessions, and career development conversations. Establish and enforce engineering best practices: CI/CD, MLOps, model monitoring, responsible AI, and documentation. Evaluate new LLM frameworks, RAG architectures, and agentic patterns and advise on their adoption. Communicate technical progress, risks, and blockers clearly to senior leadership and cross-functional partners. Experience 8+ years of management experience leading technical teams in ML, AI, or data engineering. 8+ years of hands-on ML/Data Science experience in industry (production delivery, not research). 4+ years of LLM experience: fine-tuning, RAG, prompt engineering, and agentic system design. Proven track record of delivering AI/ML models into production environments at enterprise scale Leadership & Communication Strong ability to mentor engineers and build high-performing, collaborative teams. Demonstrated ability to drive technical vision and influence across organizational boundaries. Excellent communication skills — able to translate complex AI/ML concepts for both technical and business audiences Education Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, AI, or a related technical field. Master's or PhD preferred.