Lead AI Software Engineer

World Quant develops and deploys systematic financial strategies across a broad range of asset classes and global markets. We seek to produce high‑quality predictive signals (alphas) through our proprietary research platform to employ financial strategies focused on market inefficiencies. Our teams work collaboratively to drive the production of alphas and financial strategies – the foundation of a balanced, global investment platform.

World Quant is built on a culture that pairs academic sensibility with accountability for results. Employees are encouraged to think openly about problems, balancing intellectualism and practicality. Excellent ideas come from anyone, anywhere. Employees are encouraged to challenge conventional thinking and possess an attitude of continuous improvement.

Our goal is to hire the best and the brightest. We value intellectual horsepower first and foremost, and people who demonstrate an outstanding talent. There is no roadmap to future success, so we need people who can help us build it.

We are building a software engineering team with a strong applied AI focus to drive World Quant's success. As a Lead AI Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the direction of AI‑driven solutions across the organization. You will lead efforts to design and develop scalable AI products that solve real‑world problems, while fostering collaboration across diverse teams. This role is ideal for a visionary technologist who thrives on innovation and is passionate about advancing AI adoption within a global organization.

• Act as a thought leader and advocate for AI technologies, inspiring teams and stakeholders to embrace AI‑driven solutions.
• Architect and deliver scalable AI products that address complex, real‑world challenges.
• Partner with cross‑functional distributed teams to identify opportunities for AI integration and drive impactful solutions.
• Work closely with stakeholders to gather, analyze, and define requirements, ensuring alignment with business goals.
• Stay at the forefront of AI advancements, particularly in the areas of large language models (LLMs), vector databases, and emerging technologies.
• Guide and mentor junior engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and technical excellence.
• Drive projects to completion with a strong delivery mindset, that meet organizational needs.

• Strong programming skills, preferably in Python, with a deep understanding of software engineering principles.
• Expertise in AI technologies, including language models, vector databases, and relevant data structures.
• Working knowledge of databases and messaging technologies (e.g., SQL, Redis, Kafka) is a strong plus.
• Exceptional analytical skills with a proven ability to solve complex problems.
• A strategic mindset to identify opportunities for AI‑driven innovation across the organization.
• Outstanding communication skills in English, with the ability to articulate complex ideas to technical and non‑technical audiences.
• A mature, thoughtful attitude with the ability to operate effectively in a collaborative, team‑oriented culture.
• Deep understanding of AI technologies and their applications, with a strong interest in staying current with advancements in the field.
• A track record of driving AI adoption and delivering impactful solutions.
• A results‑driven approach with a strong focus on execution and delivering high‑quality outcomes.

Core Benefits:

• Fully paid medical and dental insurance for employees and dependents, flexible spending account, 401k, fully paid parental leave, generous paid‑time‑off (PTO) that consists of:
  • Twenty vacation days that are pro‑rated based on the employee’s start date, at an accrual of 1.67 days per month, three personal days, and ten sick days.
• Perks:
  Employee discounts for gym memberships, wellness activities, healthy snacks, casual dress code.
• Training: learning and development courses, speakers, team‑building off‑site.
• Employee resource groups.

World Quant is a total compensation organization where you will be eligible for a base salary, discretionary performance bonus, and benefits.

To provide…