Principal AI/ML Engineer

About Deeplight AI

Deeplight AI is a specialised AI and data consultancy committed to revolutionizing the corporate landscape in the region by delivering bespoke, high-value intelligent systems. We leverage deep quantitative expertise, innovative cloud architecture, and advanced MLOps to craft secure, scalable, and robust platforms tailored to enable enterprise AI deployment at scale. With strong ties in the UAE financial services and banking sectors, we assist leading institutions in transitioning from experimental AI models to production-grade, reliable AI platforms. Our focus is on building dependable, banking-grade AI solutions designed for critical enterprise transformations rather than temporary or isolated prototypes.

Role Overview

We are searching for an outstanding Principal AI/ML Engineer to act as a technical leader, mentor, and trusted client principal in our high-impact projects across the UAE. This role merges quantitative science, deep learning architecture, modern MLOps, and strategic consulting. The successful candidate will lead interdisciplinary teams comprising AI Engineers, Data Scientists, and Data Engineers, converting complex executive visions into refined, production-ready machine learning and Generative AI systems. Emotional intelligence, empathy, and professionalism are essential in managing client relationships.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and deploy enterprise-level machine learning models, deep learning workflows, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems, and large language model agent frameworks on state-of-the-art cloud platforms such as AWS and Azure.
• Serve as the chief technical consultant for client executives including C-suite leaders, Chief AI Officers, and Engineering Heads. Interpret intricate business problems into clear technical strategies, evaluation tools, and delivery plans.
• Lead and cultivate a team of AI engineers and quantitative experts, fostering a culture of psychological safety, ongoing learning, and technical excellence through active mentorship and listening.
• Utilize high emotional intelligence to mitigate project conflicts, align varied business and IT objectives, and advocate for technical decisions, explainability, and AI ethics in architecture review boards and risk committees.
• Develop zero-trust AI security protocols, strategies against prompt injections, personally identifiable information (PII) masking techniques, and automation of CI/CD pipelines adhering to regional Central Bank regulatory and data sovereignty requirements.

Candidate Profile

• Possesses a Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Theoretical Physics, Physics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative discipline.
• Has a minimum of eight years experience in software engineering, machine learning, and AI platform development, including substantial leadership roles within top-tier technology or management consulting firms.
• Demonstrates proven capability in building authentic client relationships, understanding organizational dynamics, tactfully resolving technical disagreements, and leading teams with empathy and clear communication.
• Exhibits deep expertise in AI frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face, LangChain/LlamaIndex; experience with vector databases, container technologies like Docker and Kubernetes, and cloud MLOps platforms including AWS SageMaker and Azure OpenAI.
• Proven success in migrating sophisticated AI/ML solutions from experimental setups to secure, scalable production environments in cloud infrastructures.
• Experience in regulated industries such as financial services, banking, or capital markets is highly preferred.

Additional Advantages

• Hands-on experience with parameter-efficient fine-tuning techniques including LoRA and QLoRA, quantization, and hosting of open-weight large language models (vLLM, Ollama, TGI).
• Design and management experience of concurrent multi-cloud AI infrastructures across AWS and Azure in compliance-driven settings.
• Familiarity with enterprise procurement processes, client relationship management, and regional regulatory frameworks within the UAE or broader GCC markets.

Benefits

• Competitive remuneration package.
• Comprehensive Gold Level personal health insurance coverage.
• Individual visa sponsorship provided.
• Support for professional development and certification expenses.
• Reimbursement of role-related subscriptions.
• Opportunities to participate in innovative AI projects.
• Monthly employee incentive programs.
• Possibilities for career growth within a rapidly expanding AI enterprise.

Diversity and Inclusion

Deeplight AI embraces diversity as a driver of innovation, nurturing an inclusive workspace where varied perspectives flourish and contribute uniquely to our specialized AI and data solutions. Our recruitment and interview procedures are designed for transparency, accessibility, and fairness. Candidates requiring accommodations during the application or interview process are encouraged to request them confidentially; such requests will not influence hiring decisions.