Senior Staff AI Engineering

Job ID: 26012950Posted: 2026-09-01Location: New York, NY, United States; Sunrise, FL, United States; Phoenix, AZ, United StatesSalary: $144250 - $256250 annually + bonus + equity (if applicable) + benefitsJob Function: Engineering & ArchitectureSchedule: Full timeShift: DayWorkplace: HybridCareer Area: TechnologyCompany: American ExpressDescriptionThe Enterprise Technology Services organization partners with every part of the American Express business to power the company’s growth and innovation with trust and efficiency, and drive competitive differentiation with speed. We support the delivery and operations of technology, digital, and data capabilities, platforms, and services globally. Specifically, our team is responsible for the company’s technology engineering, architecture, and infrastructure, providing 24x7 support to ensure an uninterrupted, high-quality experience for customers and colleagues. We also provide product management for core enterprise platforms, and lead technology risk and information security, enterprise data governance and platforms, digital product and design, and enterprise AI platforms on behalf of the companySenior Staff AI Engineer leads enterprise-scale AI architecture and implementation across infrastructure and agentic AI systems. The role sets technical direction, ensures scalable, reliable, secure, and responsible AI platforms, mentors senior technical talent, and drives continuous improvement in AI engineering practices and platform capabilities.ResponsibilitiesServes as a senior technical authority for enterprise-scale AI systems with significant strategic and long-term business impactDefines architecture and engineering patterns for agentic AI, retrieval/grounding, model integration, inference platforms, observability, evaluation, and safetyLeads resolution of complex and ambiguous technical challenges, balancing performance, cost, scalability, security, safety, and regulatory constraintsShapes long-term AI engineering strategy across platforms, tools, and system design approachesGuides multiple cross-team AI initiatives to ensure coherent architecture, integration, and alignment across domainsLeads technical and architectural reviews, setting standards for engineering excellence and consistent implementationPartners with Product, Data Engineering, Cloud Infrastructure, Architecture, Risk, and Cybersecurity leaders to align AI solutions with enterprise priorities and governance requirementsEvaluates emerging AI technologies and translates them into scalable, enterprise-ready capabilitiesMentors Staff and Senior Engineers, raising organizational technical capability and developing future technical leadersQualificationsEducation and KnowledgeMS/PhD in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Computer Science, or related discipline preferredDeep knowledge of machine learning and deep learning systems, including model architectures, training, evaluation, and optimizationAdvanced knowledge of Generative AI and LLM ecosystems, including embeddings, fine-tuning, prompt design, retrieval-augmented generation, and inference at scaleStrong understanding of AI infrastructure, including GPU platforms, accelerated compute, workload scheduling, capacity optimization, model serving, and inference performanceAdvanced understanding of agentic AI design, including planning, reasoning, tool use, memory, multi-agent coordination, and autonomy controlsStrong foundation in distributed systems, cloud-native architecture, Kubernetes, APIs, microservices, event-driven design, observability, and platform reliabilityKnowledge of DevOps and CI/CD platforms such as Harness, including automated deployment, environment promotion, governance, and operational controlsKnowledge of enterprise AI governance, including model risk management, explainability, bias detection, safety, and regulatory complianceWork Experience12+ years of experience in AI/ML engineering, AI infrastructure, platform engineering, data engineering, or related fields, with a track record of delivering complex production systems at scaleProven experience architecting end-to-end AI/ML platforms across data pipelines, training, deployment, serving, monitoring, and inference optimizationExperience designing and operating GPU-based AI infrastructure, including accelerated compute platforms, workload scheduling, utilization optimization, capacity management, and performance tuningExperience with cloud-native and Kubernetes-based platforms supporting training, batch workloads, inference, orchestration, observability, reliability, and cost efficiencyHands-on experience with Python and modern AI/ML frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, Scikit-learn, Hugging Face, and related toolingDeep experience with agentic AI systems, including planning, tool use, memory, evaluation, retrieval, embeddings, vector databases, and agent frameworksExperience leading complex cross-functional technical initiatives and influencing architecture and engineering direction across teams without direct authorityDemonstrated ability to mentor and develop engineers at all levels, including Staff-level engineersExperience working in regulated environments such as financial services, including AI governance, risk management, and compliance considerations Depending on factors such as business unit requirements, the nature of this position, cost and applicable laws, American Express may provide visa sponsorship for certain positions. About the TeamAt American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. From delivering differentiated products to providing world-class customer service, we operate with a strong risk mindset, ensuring we continue to uphold our brand promise of trust, security, and service.As part of Team Amex, you’ll experience our powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career. Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express.