AVP, AI Engineer, Innovation

Job Description Job Description Harrison Street Asset Management ("HSAM") is a leading global alternative investment management firm focused on real estate, infrastructure, and credit strategies across North America and Europe. Headquartered in Chicago, Toronto, and London with offices across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, the firm has over $108 billion in assets under management on behalf of institutional investors and registered investment advisors globally. Founded on a culture of innovation, HSAM is an early mover in alternative real estate and mid-market infrastructure. Today, the firm’s global team, consisting of more than 520 professionals, is committed to creating long-term value through deep sector expertise and forward-thinking strategies. Harrison Street is seeking to hire an AI Engineer within the Innovation Department, reporting to the Chief Innovation Officer. This individual will be instrumental in designing, building, and deploying AI/ML systems that further enhance the Firm’s AI strategy. Responsibilities: AI/ML Development & Deployment Design, develop, and deploy production-grade machine learning models to further enhance decision making Build and maintain Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architectures, agentic AI workflows, and multi-model orchestration pipelines to surface insights from structured and unstructured data Develop AI tools that translate model outputs into human-readable insights Data Engineering & Infrastructure Build and optimize data pipelines to ingest, clean, and structure proprietary datasets across the Firm's investment portfolio Work within secure infrastructure to deploy scalable, secure AI solutions Integrate AI models with existing Firm systems, databases, and reporting workflows Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner with investment, asset management, portfolio management, and Impact teams to identify AI use cases and translate business needs into technical solutions Facilitate innovation workshops, design thinking sessions, and prototype demonstrations for senior leadership Expand existing relationships with external partners, startups, and research institutions as appropriate to advance the Firm's AI capabilities Responsible AI & Governance Ensure all AI systems are designed with human-in-the-loop principles Adhere to the Firm's AI Policy, including data access controls, bias mitigation, explainability standards, and regulatory compliance Build guardrails around AI scope, data access, and output reliability Requirements: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Data Science, Mathematics, Physics, or a related quantitative field 3–7 years of professional experience in AI/ML engineering or a closely related role Hands-on experience with LLMs and Generative AI, including RAG, prompt engineering, embeddings, fine-tuning, and agentic frameworks Experience with cloud platforms Strong data engineering skills Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders Preferred Master's degree or PhD in a relevant field Prior experience in financial services, investment management, or real estate understanding of deal execution, due diligence, underwriting, and portfolio analytics Experience building and deploying AI systems in regulated environments Competencies Translational Thinking - Ability to bridge AI capabilities and investment decision-making, making models actionable Human-Centered Design - Commitment to building AI systems that augment rather than replace human judgment Intellectual Curiosity - Passion for staying current with emerging AI technologies, industry trends, and competitive developments Ownership & Execution - Ability to lead projects from concept through production with minimal supervision For Illinois Only: The expected base salary range for this position is $125,000 to $200,000. Actual salaries may vary based on a number of factors, including skills, experience, and qualifications. In addition to base salary, total compensation at Harrison Street includes a generous discretionary bonus, along with a comprehensive range of benefits — including medical, financial, and wellness programs — designed to support our employees both professionally and personally. Harrison Street is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to veteran status, uniform service member status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law. If you require accessibility assistance applying for open positions, please contact our ADA Accessible Line at View phone number on click.appcast.io or View email address on click.appcast.io. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations. Harrison Street does not accept unsolicited headhunter and agency resumes. Harrison Street will not pay fees to any third-party agency or company that does not have a signed agreement with Harrison Street.