Principal AI Engineering Lead

Job Description

Job Description

About Circuit

Circuit is building the world’s first company-centric knowledge network. Our AI-powered platform turns fragmented information into actionable knowledge that can be securely shared across partners, vendors, and customers. Backed by a senior team and early enterprise traction, we’re moving fast, and we’re looking for a Principal AI Engineering Lead to help us scale our backend infrastructure as we onboard more customers and expand our agentic capabilities. The Role

As the Principal AI Engineering Lead, you’ll collaborate with stakeholders across the organization to develop, execute, and deliver a strategic roadmap for the AI components of our solutions. Your responsibilities will include coordinating and leading the AI team, understanding the roadmap, staying on top of commitments and deliverables, as well as hands-on work on building out our AI systems, analyzing feedback, benchmarks and evals to drive continuous improvements, conceptualizing and implementing AI capabilities to solve unique problems. As the lead, you’ll also provide technical leadership and spearhead the growth of this division within the company. Key Responsibilitirs

Coordinate and lead the work of the AI team Conceptualize and implement new AI capabilities Ensure the quality and scalability of our AI solutions Collaborate closely with stakeholders to create and drive the strategic roadmap Analyze cost/benefit for new AI projects, identifying tradeoffs for maximum ROI Be creative, and stay on top of AI advancements to enhance our products Mentor and elevate other engineers Experience

7+ years in an engineering lead capacity PhD or Master’s degree in Computer Science, preferably with a specialization in AI Hands on experience building RAG and Agentic systems Solid understanding of LLMs and Deep Learning systems Experience deploying and maintaining AI systems in production environments Experience with information storage/retrieval using vector databases Strong knowledge of data structures, algorithms, and software engineering principles Strong proficiency in Python and tools such as DSPy, MLFlow, Opik, etc. Ability and interest in staying up to date on the latest AI research and methodologies Human Skills

Strong problem-solving abilities and adaptability in a fast-paced, dynamic environment Excellent communication and collaboration skills to convey complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders

What We Offer

Early-Stage Ownership: Join at the ground floor of a company with real traction and momentum. Empowered Culture: We value autonomy, candor, and craft. You'll be trusted to lead. Cutting-Edge Tech: Work with the latest in AI, backend systems, and intelligent infrastructure. Meaningful Impact: Shape a platform that transforms how organizations activate knowledge. Holistic Benefits: Competitive comp, equity, 100% paid healthcare, 401K, flexible PTO, and a team that truly cares. Equal-Opportunity Employer

We are an equal-opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Who Should Apply

If you’re an experienced AI engineering leader with deep expertise in LLMs, RAG systems, and agentic architectures, and you’re eager to drive technical innovation at a fast-moving startup, we’d love to hear from you.