Engineering Manager, AI Platforms

OverviewAbout Suffolk Suffolk is a national enterprise that builds, innovates, and invests. We provide value across the entire project lifecycle through our core construction management services and complementary business lines in real estate investment, design, self-perform construction, and technology start-up investment (Suffolk Technologies). By integrating data, artificial intelligence, and advanced technology through our Seamless Platform, we connect design, construction, and operations to deliver smarter, more predictable results and redefine how America builds. Suffolk – America’s Contractor – is a national company with more than $9 billion in annual revenue, 3,000 employees, and 17 offices, including Boston (headquarters), New York City, Miami, West Palm Beach, Tampa, Estero, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas, Herndon, U.S. Virgin Islands, and other key markets. Suffolk manages some of the most complex and transformative projects in the country, serving clients across healthcare, life sciences, education, gaming, aviation, transportation, government, mission critical, and commercial sectors. Suffolk is privately held and is led by founder, chairman and CEO John Fish. Suffolk is ranked #8 on ENR’s list of “Top CM-at-Risk Contractors.” For more information, visit and follow Suffolk on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram. At Suffolk, we believe that our total rewards program should offer you and your family the support you need when it matters most. That’s why we have created a program that provides employees with access to a wide variety of options that can be personalized to support you and your loved ones physically, emotionally, and financially. Benefits include, competitive salaries, auto allowances and gas cards for certain roles, access to market leading medical and emotional and mental health benefits, dental, and vision insurance plans, virtual care options for physical therapy and primary care, generous paid time off, 401k plan with employer match and access to expert financial resources, company paid and voluntary life insurance, tax deferred savings accounts, 10 backup daycare days each year, short- and long-term disability, commuter benefits and more.  For more information, click here. Role SummarySuffolk’s AI Studio is seeking a hands-on Engineering Manager to lead the engineering execution of our AI systems and platform services. This role combines technical leadership, people management, and hands-on engineering. You will manage a team of AI engineers (U.S. and India) while contributing directly to architecture, code, and delivery of production AI systems.You will focus on:Raising engineering rigorImproving system architecture qualityEnsuring scalable, reliable AI servicesDriving consistent delivery executionThis role reports to the VP, Artificial Intelligence, and partners closely with Product and Domain leaders.Scope of ResponsibilityThis role is accountable for:Engineering execution qualityPlatform architecture implementationTeam technical mentorshipDelivery predictabilityOffshore team coordinationResponsibilitiesAI Systems Engineering LeadershipGuide the team in building production-grade RAG pipelines and agentic systemsEstablish practical patterns for multi-model orchestration and inference reliabilityEnsure AI systems include cost controls, fallback strategies, and evaluation frameworksReview and improve agent safety, tool invocation patterns, and guardrailsArchitecture & Distributed Systems QualityLead architecture reviews for new AI services.Improve API design standards, versioning practices, and event-driven patternsEnsure proper handling of retries, idempotency, and asynchronous workflowsDrive adoption of observability and monitoring best practicesIdentify and remediate architectural debt.Team LeadershipDirectly manage AI engineers in the U.S.Provide technical oversight and structured guidance to offshore India engineersConduct code reviews and system design reviewsCoach engineers in distributed systems thinking and production hardeningImprove sprint execution discipline and technical accountabilityDelivery & Operational ExcellenceEnsure AI solutions move from prototype to production reliablyPartner with Product and Domain AI leads to translate requirements into well-architected systemsCoordinate closely with DevOps on deployment, CI/CD, and infrastructure standardsImprove predictability in delivery timelines and system reliabilityQualificationsQualifications8 years of professional software engineering experience2+ years developing enterprise AI applications2+ years of people management or technical team leadershipHands-on experience building LLM-integrated applicationsExperience with RAG pipelines, vector databases and agentic stacksStrong background in backend and distributed systems designStrong AWS experience (Lambda, ECS/EKS, API Gateway, SQS/SNS, Step Functions, Bedrock)Proven ability to lead offshore or distributed teamsStrong coding proficiency in Python and one of Java, NodeJS, Rust or KotlinYou areA strong senior engineer who enjoys mentoring othersComfortable reviewing architecture and writing production codeExcited by applied AI, but grounded in systems engineering fundamentalsStructured in execution and clear in communicationAble to raise the team’s technical bar without overcomplicating systemsWhat Success Looks LikeAI services are production-ready, observable, and scalableThe offshore team operates with clarity and accountabilityArchitecture decisions are consistent and well-documentedThe AI engineering team improves in distributed systems maturityDelivery is predictable and high-qualityWorking ConditionsWhile performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit for long periods of time; talk or hear; perform fine motor, hand and finger skills in the use of a keyboard, telephone, or writing. The employee is frequently required to stands; walk; and reach with arms and/or hands. Specific vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. The employee will spend their time in an office environment with a quiet to moderate noise level. Job site walking.EEO StatementSuffolk provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, national origin, citizenship, genetic information, disability, protected veteran, gender identity, age or any other status protected by law. This policy applies to recruiting, hiring, transfers, promotions, terminations, compensation, benefits, and all other terms and conditions of employment. Suffolk will not tolerate any unlawful discrimination toward, or harassment of, applicants or employees by anyone at Suffolk, or anyone working on behalf of Suffolk.Compensation InformationWhere required by law, pay ranges can be found in Suffolk's job postings. Base Salary for this position is just one component of Suffolk’s total rewards package for employees. Actual salaries may be based on several factors including, but not limited to, a candidate's skill set, experience, education and other qualifications. Suffolk offers a comprehensive benefits package as part of its overall total rewards strategy. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly to reflect market trends. Job SummaryID: 2026-10650Job Location : Location: US-MA-BostonType: Regular Full-TimeCategory/Department: Artificial IntelligenceSalary Range: $210,000.00 - 282,000.00