Senior Director - Agentic AI

Lucidya is an innovative SaaS company dedicated to transforming the world of customer experience and content analysis through the power of Machine Learning, Big Data, and now Generative AI technologies. Our platform helps organizations across the MENA region unlock actionable insights from unstructured data sources—social media, surveys, contact centers, and more—enabling them to understand their customers like never before.

As part of our mission, we are looking for a visionary VP of Engineering - AI to lead our engineering efforts in advancing our artificial intelligence capabilities and product offerings.

As the VP of Engineering - AI, you will shape Lucidya’s technical vision and drive execution across customer-facing AI features, AI infrastructure platforms, and cutting-edge research in GenAI and classical ML. Reporting directly to the CTO, you will lead multiple cross-functional engineering teams, scale AI innovations, and ensure that high-level company KPIs are met.

This is a high-impact leadership role that combines strategic direction, deep technical engagement, and organizational mentorship.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and drive the technical strategy for AI in alignment with Lucidya’s business and product objectives.
• Lead research and innovation in both classical machine learning and Generative AI (e.g., LLMs, RAG, fine-tuning).
• Translate cutting-edge AI research into scalable, production-grade features and platform capabilities.
• Build, scale, and mentor high-performing teams of engineers, data scientists, and AI researchers.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement across engineering teams.
• Oversee the development, deployment, and integration of AI models within Lucidya’s SaaS products.
• Partner with Product and Platform Engineering teams to prioritize and deliver impactful AI-driven features.
• Ensure the scalability and reliability of AI infrastructure in collaboration with platform teams.
• Establish and enforce best practices across software development, MLOps, data governance, and responsible AI.
• Track and report on key technical and business KPIs to ensure AI initiatives deliver measurable value.
• Communicate technical progress, strategic direction, and key milestones to executive leadership.
• Manage team resources, hiring, and budgeting to meet project goals and organizational needs.
• Monitor industry trends and assess emerging AI technologies for adoption and differentiation.
• Champion internal R&D programs to explore and validate new AI methods and approaches.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Data Science, or a related field is required. A Master’s or PhD with a focus on AI is a strong plus.
• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, including 5+ years in senior leadership roles focused on AI/ML.
• Demonstrated success in delivering AI/ML products at scale, preferably within SaaS or enterprise environments.
• Hands-on expertise in both classical machine learning and Generative AI (e.g., LLMs, RAG).
• Strong programming skills in languages such as Python, Java, or R, with proficiency in ML frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, and Scikit-learn.
• In-depth understanding of the ML/AI lifecycle, including pipelines, model training, evaluation, and deployment.
• Proven ability to manage agile, cross-functional teams with a strong operational and delivery mindset.
• Strategic thinking with a track record of aligning technical initiatives to business goals.
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills, capable of bridging technical and non-technical audiences.
• Passionate about mentoring, coaching, and growing engineering and data science talent.
• Familiarity with modern cloud platforms, data infrastructure, MLOps and DevOps practices relevant to AI.