AI Engineering Leader

📍 Rome, Lazio, Italy

🏠 Hybrid working

🗣️ Professional Italian and English required

We are looking for an experienced AI Engineering Leader to lead the design, delivery and industrialisation of Machine Learning and Generative AI solutions for enterprise and public-sector clients.

This is a senior technical and client-facing role combining AI engineering, solution architecture, team leadership, presales and business development.

You will work closely with Cloud Architects, Data Scientists and Data Engineers to build scalable AI platforms, models and applications that integrate into existing business processes and enterprise architectures.

You will also support complex commercial opportunities by shaping solutions, preparing technical and financial proposals, and contributing to medium and high-complexity tenders.

Key responsibilities

•Lead the design and delivery of scalable Machine Learning and Generative AI solutions.

•Industrialise AI models and applications for secure and governed production environments.

•Design and implement MLOps platforms, AI architectures, data platforms and AI-powered applications.

•Define appropriate engineering standards, software architectures and development approaches.

•Coordinate and develop multiple technical, project, presales and delivery teams.

•Provide technical leadership throughout the full project lifecycle.

•Work closely with Cloud Architects, Data Scientists, Data Engineers and other technology specialists.

•Ensure solutions meet performance, scalability, security and governance requirements.

•Support client engagements from initial discovery through solution design and delivery.

•Lead or contribute to technical presales activities.

•Prepare technical and financial proposals.

•Respond to medium and high-complexity tenders, RFPs and RFIs.

•Contribute to solution estimates, project plans, staffing models and commercial assumptions.

•Support business development and the identification of new client opportunities.

•Contribute to technical research, technology scouting and the development of new AI propositions.

•Represent the AI engineering function with senior technical and business stakeholders.

•Support the growth of internal AI engineering capability and technical communities.

Essential experience

•Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science or another relevant STEM discipline.

•At least seven years’ experience in software development or AI engineering.

•Strong experience with Python, Scala or a similar programming language.

•Experience designing complex software solutions.

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

•Experience with source code repositories and CI/CD tools.

•Knowledge of data and model versioning frameworks such as:

oMLflow

oDVC

oWeights & Biases

•Experience with at least one major cloud platform:

oGoogle Cloud

oAWS

oMicrosoft Azure

•Knowledge of cloud foundations, data platforms and managed AI services.

•Strong understanding of Machine Learning and Generative AI concepts, algorithms and methodologies.

•Experience taking AI or Machine Learning solutions into production.

•Experience coordinating and growing one or more technical or project teams.

•Experience leading teams across presales, solutioning and delivery.

•Experience working directly with clients and senior stakeholders.

•Professional fluency in both Italian and English.

Desirable experience

•Experience delivering technology or AI programmes within Public Administration.

•Experience responding to complex tenders and public-sector procurement processes.

•Experience preparing technical and commercial proposals.

•Experience training and fine-tuning neural networks.

•Knowledge of techniques such as:

oPEFT

oLoRA

oSuperconvergence

•Experience with Generative AI architectures, Large Language Models and AI agents.

•Knowledge of AI governance, model risk, security and responsible AI.

•Experience working within Scrum, Kanban or other Agile delivery frameworks.

•Experience developing new AI services, accelerators or reusable solution components.

•Experience supporting client account growth or technology consulting engagements.

Personal qualities

•Strong consulting and client-facing presence.

•Able to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to executive and technical audiences.

•Strong leadership and stakeholder-management skills.

•Commercial awareness and confidence supporting business development.

•Able to coordinate multidisciplinary teams without relying solely on direct line-management authority.

•Collaborative and comfortable working across architecture, engineering, data and commercial teams.

•Able to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

•Pragmatic, delivery-focused and comfortable taking ownership.

•Curious about new developments across AI, Cloud and emerging technologies.

•Willingness to travel within Italy or internationally when required.

What is offered

•Hybrid and flexible working arrangements.

•Extensive technical and professional training.

•Personalised career-development programmes.

•Exposure to complex enterprise and public-sector AI programmes.

•The opportunity to shape AI strategy, engineering standards and new service offerings.

•Health insurance and wellbeing support.

•Employee welfare benefits and meal vouchers.

•Enhanced parental and family support.

•An inclusive working environment with equal opportunities for all employees.