AI Engineer - Speech & Voice

Acolad is the global leader in content and language solutions. Its mission is to support companies in every industry to scale across markets and enable growth through cutting-edge technology and localization expertise. Established in 1993, the group is present in 23 countries across Europe, North America, and Asia, with over 1.800 employees supported by a network of +20.000 linguists around the world.

At Acolad, every position is key to our global growth: we know that we will only succeed if our people succeed.

Joining Acolad means a unique opportunity for professional development through a collaborative global environment that promotes talent and creativity. We are continuously looking for new talent (like you!) to support our mission to drive growth and innovation across some of the world’s leading brands.

Check out Our brand video to learn more about us!

We are seeking a highly driven and pragmatic AI Engineer with deep expertise in speech technologies. This is a hands-on role where you will be directly responsible for the entire lifecycle of our real-time speech AI solutions, from rapid prototyping and development to robust deployment and continuous optimization. We need someone who is eager to tackle complex engineering problems, deliver tangible results and has a proven track record of "getting shit done" in the world of low-latency AI.

Key Responsibilities

• Hands-On Development & Implementation: Design, build, and deploy productiongrade, low-latency AI models and systems for real-time Speech-to-Speech (S2S) interpreting, Speech-to-Text (STT) transcription, and Text-to-Speech (TTS) synthesis. This isn't theoretical; it's about making it work.
• Performance Engineering: Relentlessly optimize AI models and pipelines for speed and efficiency, ensuring sub-300ms latency for seamless real-time communication. Focus on practical solutions for streaming audio, incremental processing, and highly efficient inference.
• System Architecture & Integration: Lead the practical architectural design and implementation of scalable, high-performance AI systems that seamlessly integrate with our existing SaaS platform. Identify bottlenecks and engineer solutions.
• Data-Driven Execution: Work actively with large, complex speech datasets, implementing data augmentation, cleaning, and preprocessing strategies to drive model performance in production.
• Problem Solver & Innovator: Identify core challenges in real-time speech AI and rapidly prototype and implement solutions. Focus on practical breakthroughs rather than purely academic research.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with product, engineering, and linguistic teams to translate requirements into deployable AI solutions, ensuring practical feasibility and business impact.
• Technical Ownership: Take strong ownership of projects from concept to deployment, ensuring high-quality code, thorough testing, and reliable performance in a demanding, real-time environment.
  

Requirements

• Education: Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Machine/Deep Learning, or a closely related field, with a demonstrated ability to apply academic knowledge to real-world engineering problems.
• Speech AI Mastery: Hands-on experience developing, optimizing, and deploying production-grade ASR, TTS, and/or speech translation systems, with a clear emphasis on low-latency requirements.
• Deep Learning Practitioner: Expert-level proficiency in deep learning frameworks with a focus on practical model training, fine-tuning, and deployment for performance.
• Low-Latency Expert: Demonstrated experience in building and optimizing AI solutions for real-time performance, including an understanding of audio streaming, real-time inference, and efficient computation.
• Engineering Acumen: Exceptional programming skills in Python. Experience building robust, high-availability software.
• Results-Oriented: A strong track record of taking initiative, solving complex technical problems with practical solutions, and delivering completed projects that achieve business objectives.
• Proactive & Collaborative: A self-starter with excellent communication skills, capable of working independently and as part of a high-performing team to drive projects to completion.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with end-to-end speech-to-speech translation systems in a commercial setting.
• Deep understanding of digital signal processing (DSP) for audio.
• Experience with edge deployment or highly optimized on-device AI.
• Background in the localization, interpreting, or real-time communication industry.

Benefits

• A hands-on role with immediate impact, building the core of our next-gen interpreting capabilities.
• A dynamic, challenging, and fast-paced environment where your work directly contributes to global connectivity.
• Competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for significant professional growth.
• A culture that values ownership, rapid iteration, and a "get shit done" mentality.

Acolad is committed to creating a diverse and equitable workforce. We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its forms - gender, age, disability, marital status, ethnic or social origin, religion, belief, or sexual orientation - enrich the workplace. It opens opportunities for individuals to express their talents, both individually and collectively, and strengthens our ability to adapt to a changing world. As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their backgrounds.