Senior Python Dev. (AI Engineer)

About the position ROKO Labs is a fast-growing strategic product and technology consultancy based in NYC, working with Fortune 500 companies and VC-backed start-ups. They are seeking an experienced Senior AI Engineer to lead the design and implementation of scalable, production-ready AI solutions that drive business value. This role combines architectural thinking with strong hands-on technical execution and business alignment. The ideal candidate will define AI architecture and best practices, build, test, and deploy solutions directly, and work cross-functionally with engineering, data, product, and business teams to translate requirements into robust AI systems. The company prides itself on understanding client businesses and building user-loved products, with an extended team spanning multiple countries. Responsibilities Design and implement end-to-end LLM-powered applications, with a strong focus on Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelinesBuild production-ready AI systems using Python and modern AI/ML frameworksDevelop and optimize data ingestion, embedding pipelines, and semantic search workflowsDesign and implement scalable vector database architecturesIntegrate and work with selected AI platforms and APIs (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure OpenAI)Deploy and maintain AI solutions in cloud environments (AWS, Azure, or GCP)Collaborate with product and engineering teams to translate business requirements into scalable technical solutionsEnsure code quality, testing, monitoring, and performance optimization of AI systems in productionContribute to MLOps practices including CI/CD pipelines, model lifecycle management, and observabilityDocument technical decisions and implementation detailsRequirements Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, AI, or a related field5+ years of experience in AI/ML engineering or backend software engineeringProven hands-on experience building and deploying LLM applications, especially RAG-based systemsStrong programming skills in PythonExperience integrating LLM APIs (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure OpenAI)Solid understanding of vector databases (e.g., Pinecone or Weaviate) and semantic search architecturesExperience with at least one major cloud platform (AWS, Azure, or GCP) in production environmentsUnderstanding of APIs, microservices, and scalable backend architectureExperience deploying applications to production environmentsStrong problem-solving skills and ability to work in a fast-evolving AI landscapeNice-to-haves Experience contributing to AI system architecture design and technical standardsExperience participating in AI roadmap discussions and technical planningExperience designing or implementing multi-agent AI systemsExperience with alternative vector databases (e.g., FAISS, Milvus)Experience with Hugging Face ecosystem or fine-tuning open-source modelsHands-on experience with advanced MLOps frameworks and model governancePhD (completed or in progress) in a relevant fieldExperience mentoring junior engineers or leading smaller technical initiativesBenefits Our developers work on only one project at a time, so there is no need to juggle 2 or more projectsWe work on long-term projects, you have the opportunity to get to know the client and his needs well, as well as the teamYou will have the opportunity to work on complex solutions with the latest technologiesRemote work means it's up to you whether you work from home, beach, or the officeFlexible working hours mean that you can tailor your workday to your preferences, without a time-tracking systemAll our employees will right away receive a contract for an indefinite period (B2B collaboration is also an option)We provide regular feedback as part of our commitment to your ongoing development and successJob role switch, if you want to try some new roles or technologies, we are here to support you by providing opportunities, feedback, and mentorIf you love taking courses or going to conferences, we are always open to discussing education opportunitiesEach team has its own monthly knowledge-sharing sessions combined with weekly talks and brainstorming sessions aimed at improving our current work and processesIf you have a colleague or a friend who could be a good fit for us, we can offer you a referral feeSalary will be based on your experience and skills