Lead AI Engineer

About the Role

The AI & Data Science team at MassMutual is seeking an impact-driven Lead AI Engineer to lead the design, deployment, and production scaling of advanced AI solutions that solve complex, high-value problems across the enterprise. You will architect and deliver generative AI, agentic AI, and LLM-based systems by applying rigorous scientific methods, writing high-quality production code, and communicating results to senior leadership.

The Team

This is a unique opportunity to work alongside experts in applied AI, statistics, and computer science. The team operates at the intersection of cutting-edge research and enterprise delivery, building AI solutions that shape the future of MassMutual and the life insurance industry. We partner closely with technology and business stakeholders, fostering a culture of peer learning, candid feedback, and shared technical standards. The team is defined by a commitment to scientific and engineering excellence, meaningful work, and collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Architect, build, and lead end-to-end AI solutions supporting enterprise use cases—from ideation through production deployment and monitoring—using LLMs, agentic AI, machine learning, and probabilistic modeling, with accountability for reliability, performance, and maintainability.
• Design and conduct rigorous evaluations of AI system performance, including experimentation, benchmarking across foundation models, and quantitative analysis, to validate approaches and inform technical decisions.
• Drive innovation by identifying emerging technologies, translating cutting-edge research into practical applications, and establishing team-wide best practices in AI development and responsible AI deployment.
• Build rapid prototypes to test and validate AI approaches and deliver production-grade AI-powered applications (e.g., intelligent interfaces, dashboards, automated workflows) when solutions prove viable.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to build robust, production-grade AI pipelines and APIs that integrate into the broader enterprise technology ecosystem.
• Influence senior leadership by aligning AI initiatives with enterprise strategy and communicating complex technical concepts and findings in clear, actionable terms.
• Mentor and develop junior talent, fostering a culture of technical excellence, scientific rigor, and continuous learning across the team.

Requirements

• 3+ years of experience in data science, machine learning, or AI engineering, with a track record of delivering impactful AI/ML solutions at scale.
• Deep expertise in machine learning, statistics, NLP, and LLMs, including generative AI, agentic architectures, prompt engineering, and LLM evaluation across foundation models and benchmarks.
• Demonstrated ability to build, deploy, and scale production AI systems from architecture planning through orchestration, monitoring, and end-user delivery.
• Strong programming skills in Python, with the ability to write clean, well-tested, production-quality code, including familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes, and other orchestration and deployment frameworks.
• M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related quantitative field.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with agentic AI tooling ecosystems, such as Bedrock AgentCore, AWS Strands, Azure, and MCP/A2A protocols.
• Experience developing and evaluating AI systems in a regulated industry, with a strong understanding of compliance and privacy standards.
• Breadth across AI and data science methods—including classical ML, causal inference, optimization, and Bayesian approaches—with comfort moving across techniques as problems demand.
• Proficiency in SQL and database design; familiarity with cloud-native data platforms, vector databases, and semantic search.
• Exceptional ability to translate complex AI concepts and quantitative findings into clear insights for non-technical stakeholders and senior leadership.
• Exceptional research credentials, such as published work, significant open-source contributions, or a strong record of scientific rigor applied in industry.

Benefits

• Regular meetings with the AI & Data Science team.
• Focused one-on-one meetings with your manager.
• Networking opportunities, including access to Asian, Hispanic/Latinx, African American, women, LGBTQIA+, veteran, and disability-focused Business Resource Groups.
• Access to learning content on Degreed and other informational platforms.
• Industry-leading pay and benefits from a company with a strong and stable ethical business.

MassMutual is an equal employment opportunity employer. Accommodations are available for applicants who need assistance with the application process.