Assistant Director of Engineering, AI Hub

Description

The NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research is committed to creating new knowledge about the root causes of poverty, developing evidence-based interventions to address its consequences, and rapidly translating research findings into action through policy and best practices. 

We are seeking to recruit an Assistant Director of Engineering to join our AI Hub team. The AI Hub at McSilver has been established to investigate how AI-driven systems can be used to equitably address poverty and challenges relating to race and public health, and to provide thought leadership on the implications. At the AI Hub, we are developing public interest technology and tools to enable more efficient, equitable, and accessible data analysis for public health research and policy. We have a collaborative team of developers, data scientists, and researchers dedicated to leveraging AI/ML for positive impact through public health solutions that better serve underrepresented and marginalized groups. 

Reporting to the Director of Data Science, the Assistant Director of Engineering will help lead our ongoing efforts to bring responsible AI and data science solutions to escalating public health challenges. As a leading member of our software development team, you will influence technical decision making, assist in driving prioritization and execution, while managing engineers in a fast-paced, impact focused environment. We are looking for leaders with versatile AI/ML expertise and extensive experience creating AI applications that solve complex, real-world problems. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of building production AI/ML solutions, including rapid prototyping, end-to-end ML pipelines, efficient and scalable systems from the ground up, and in leveraging diverse and consistently state-of-the-art technologies. The Assistant Director of Engineering will play a critical role in shaping the direction of the AI Hub tools and ensuring their successful delivery.

The position is located in New York City and is a hybrid on-site/remote work schedule. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage a team of engineers, providing guidance, mentorship, and support to ensure the successful delivery of our AI Hub tools

• Lead the design, development, testing, and deployment of our AI/ML pipelines, operations and tools, ensuring they meet the highest standards of quality, security, and performance

• Fostering innovation, encouraging experimentation, learning, and continuous improvement within the engineering team

• Identify new opportunities for the AI Hub and stay current with advancements in AI and ML technologies

• Assist in creating the long term technical strategy and roadmap for whole team-wide efforts

• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure that technical strategies are in line with the AI Hub’s roadmap. 

• Establish and enforce ethical AI frameworks to promote fairness, mitigate bias, and maintain transparency in AI systems. 

Skills & Expertise:

• Expertise in a diverse range of AI/ML frameworks including NLP, generative AI, predictive analytics, reinforcement learning, data science.

• Deep knowledge of implementing ML solutions using cloud technologies, particularly AWS (e.g., SageMaker, Bedrock, ECS, S3, etc.)

• Proficiency in MLOps & AI Engineering including model deployment, cloud-based AI solutions, automation, data security, monitoring, and retraining.

• Expertise in developing using a diverse range of programming & frameworks: Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Hugging Face, Scikit-learn, SQL.

• Expertise with state-of-the-art ML Fairness techniques, Responsible AI principles, AI Governance and Compliance, and data privacy laws

• Strong understanding of data structures, algorithms, and software design principles.

• Expertise in communicating results to internal stakeholders as well as the broader AI/ML community 

• Experience leading an agile team with fast-paced decision-making.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, AI, or a related field

• 7+ years of experience in AI/ML engineering, with a proven track record of building and deploying large-scale, consumer facing systems.

• Experience developing LLM techniques—including post-training, evaluation, inference, and APIs.

• Sufficient business and technical acumen in using AI techniques to solve challenging problems.

• Deep expertise in machine learning, deep learning, and data science, including hands-on experience with frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, and modern LLMs.

• Proficiency in Python and familiarity with production ML pipelines, cloud services (e.g., AWS, GCP), and data engineering best practices.

• Strong understanding of user engagement metrics and experience applying AI/ML to optimize user-facing products.

• Curiosity, adaptability, and a drive for continuous learning and innovation in the rapidly evolving AI landscape

Salary

This position is full-time and includes a generous benefits package. In compliance with NYC’s Pay Transparency Act, the annual base salary range for this position is $115,000- $125,000. New York University considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as specific grant funding and the terms of the research grant when extending an offer.

Please note: 

• NYU McSilver is currently operating on a hybrid schedule of 3-days a week in-person. 

• This is a grant funded position with the opportunity for ongoing renewal reviewed on an annual basis. 

• This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship, including STEM OPT extension.

Application Instructions

Interested applicants should apply via NYU’s Interfolio system. Be sure to include a cover letter and resume with your application. Only applicants who apply via Interfolio will be considered for this position. The institute seeks to fill this position immediately.

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