Senior AI Engineer – Generative AI & Applied Innovation (Financial Services) at Cetera Financial Group Inc
Cetera Financial Group Inc · San Diego, United States Of America · Hybrid
- Senior
- Office in San Diego
We are at the forefront of transforming the future of technology in the financial industry, and we seek curious, practical individuals to help us pave the way. Our team is not intimidated by taking calculated risks, as they relish a good challenge and are eager to engage in problem-solving. As a member of our team, you will work alongside like-minded experts in a culture that is deeply rooted in innovation and progression. Join us to be part of a transformative journey that can shape the industry's future.
We are looking for a highly skilled and self-driven Senior AI Engineer to join our AI innovation team focused on transforming financial services through Generative AI. This role is ideal for a hands-on technologist with a strong foundation in AI/ML who has proactively upskilled in GenAI and applied it to real-world use cases. You will play a critical role in designing, developing, and deploying AI solutions that enhance client experience, streamline operations, and unlock new business value.
Locations: This opportunity provides a Hybrid work schedule from either of our offices in San Diego, CA or El Segundo, CA.
What we need:
A tenured and self-motivated AI engineer with a strong track record of hands-on development and a passion for emerging AI technologies, especially GenAI. Someone who thrives in complex environments, proactively learns and applies new tools, and can bridge the gap between business needs and technical execution. You should be comfortable working across organizational boundaries, mentoring peers, and contributing to the broader AI community of practice.
What you will do:
- Design and implement GenAI solutions (e.g., LLMs, RAG pipelines, copilots) to address business challenges in financial services.
- Collaborate with AI program leadership, product managers, and LOB stakeholders to identify, scope, and prioritize AI use cases.
- Build and maintain scalable ML pipelines and APIs using modern frameworks and cloud-native tools.
- Rapidly prototype and iterate on AI models using platforms such as OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Hugging Face, and LangChain.
- Contribute to reusable AI components and internal libraries that align with enterprise architecture and governance.
- Support the Director of AI Program Strategy in aligning engineering efforts with strategic goals and governance frameworks.
- Partner with data engineers and MLOps teams to ensure robust deployment, monitoring, and lifecycle management of AI models.
- Document and share best practices, technical learnings, and reusable assets across the AI engineering community.
What you need to have :
- Design and implement GenAI solutions (e.g., LLMs, RAG pipelines, copilots) to address business challenges in financial services.
- Collaborate with AI program leadership, product managers, and LOB stakeholders to identify, scope, and prioritize AI use cases.
- Build and maintain scalable ML pipelines and APIs using modern frameworks and cloud-native tools.
- Rapidly prototype and iterate on AI models using platforms such as OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Hugging Face, and LangChain.
- Contribute to reusable AI components and internal libraries that align with enterprise architecture and governance.
- Support the Director of AI Program Strategy in aligning engineering efforts with strategic goals and governance frameworks.
- Partner with data engineers and MLOps teams to ensure robust deployment, monitoring, and lifecycle management of AI models.
- Document and share best practices, technical learnings, and reusable assets across the AI engineering community.
Really catch our eye with:
- Design and implement GenAI solutions (e.g., LLMs, RAG pipelines, copilots) to address business challenges in financial services.
- Collaborate with AI program leadership, product managers, and LOB stakeholders to identify, scope, and prioritize AI use cases.
- Build and maintain scalable ML pipelines and APIs using modern frameworks and cloud-native tools.
- Rapidly prototype and iterate on AI models using platforms such as OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Hugging Face, and LangChain.
- Contribute to reusable AI components and internal libraries that align with enterprise architecture and governance.
- Support the Director of AI Program Strategy in aligning engineering efforts with strategic goals and governance frameworks.
- Partner with data engineers and MLOps teams to ensure robust deployment, monitoring, and lifecycle management of AI models.
Document and share best practices, technical learnings, and reusable assets across the AI engineering community.
Our top performers share the following traits:
- Deep understanding of business processes and how AI can be applied to improve them.
- Pragmatic and collaborative, with the ability to build trust across business and technical teams.
- High standards of integrity and accountability in technical decision-making.
- Exceptional problem-solving skills and a bias for action.
- Comfortable navigating ambiguity and creating structure where none exists.
- Balances technical depth with practical execution and delivery.
- Demonstrates a continuous learning mindset to stay current with AI/ML trends and applications.
Compensation Range:
The salary range for this role is $156,000 – $196,000, plus a competitive performance-based bonus. Compensation packages are based on a wide array of factors unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, years and depth of experience, certifications, and specific office location. Compensation ranges may differ in differing locations due to cost of labor considerations.
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Company
What we give you in return:
Not many teams can say that they support people’s dreams coming to life… We happen to do that every day. And as important as we know your career is, we recognize that there’s a whole lot more to life. To ensure that our Employees can make the most of their time outside of working hours, we offer a competitive salary and for full-time roles, a benefits package including:
- Inclusive health, dental, vision and life insurance plans built to support diverse lifestyles, offer preventative care, and protect against hardship.
- Easy access to mental health benefits to meet our team members and their families where they are.
- 20+ days of paid time off (PTO), paid holidays, and 2 paid wellness days to give our employees the time they need to stay close with their loved ones, recharge, and give back to their communities.
- 401(k) Savings plan with a generous company contribution (up to 5%), and access to a financial professional to offer our employees the opportunity to plan-ahead for a strong financial future well beyond their working years.
- Paid parental leave to support all team members with birth, adoption, and foster.
- Health Savings and Flexible Spending Account options to help you save money on healthcare, daycare, commuting, and more.
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP), LifeLock, Pet Insurance and more.
About Cetera Financial Group:
Cetera Financial Group® ("Cetera") is a leading network of independent retail broker-dealers empowering the delivery of objective financial advice to individuals, families and company retirement plans across the country through trusted financial advisors and financial institutions. Cetera is an independent financial advisor network and a leading provider of retail services to the investment programs of banks and credit unions.
Through its multiple distinct firms, Cetera offers independent and institutions-based advisors the benefits of a large, established broker-dealer and registered investment adviser, while serving advisors and institutions in a way that is customized to their needs and aspirations. Advisor support resources offered through Cetera include award-winning wealth management and advisory platforms, comprehensive broker-dealer and registered investment adviser services, practice management support and innovative technology.
"Cetera Financial Group" refers to the network of retail independent broker-dealers encompassing, among others, Cetera Advisors, Cetera Advisor Networks, Cetera Financial Institutions,and Cetera Financial Specialists.
Cetera Financial Group is committed to providing an equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. For us, this is the only acceptable way to do business. Accordingly, all employment decisions at the Cetera Financial Group, including those relating to hiring, promotion, transfers, benefits, compensation, and placement, will be made without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic characteristics, religion, religious dress and/or grooming, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, U.S. military status, political affiliation, or any other class protected by state and/or federal law.
Agencies please note: this recruitment assignment is being managed directly by Cetera’s Talent Acquisition team. We will reach out to our preferred agency partners in the rare instance we require additional talent options. Your respect for this process is appreciated.
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