Senior Staff AI Research Engineer, AI Platform

Are you passionate about advancing AI research to solve complex real-world problems? Do you excel at evaluating ML models and  large language models (LLMs) to optimize performance? Are you eager to shape the future of AI at Ridgeline by designing frameworks, tools, and innovative solutions that leverage cutting-edge AI technology?
If so, we invite you to join our innovative team.

As a Senior Staff AI Research Engineer on the AI Platform team, you will design and build end-to-end AI systems that solve complex business problems across Ridgeline's platform. Your work will span the full research-to-production lifecycle — from prototyping multi-stage processing architectures and building evaluation frameworks, to benchmarking commercial and open-source models for accuracy, consistency, and cost efficiency. You will partner directly with business teams to validate and iterate on AI-powered tools, with a focus on building reusable, horizontal capabilities that can be applied across multiple business domains to transform investment management operations.

What will you do?

• Research and prototype various AI ML and Gen AI techniques, as well as related technologies (OCR, RAG, etc) to identify optimal solutions for Ridgeline’s use cases.
• Prove out the value of solutions from a business perspective, including cost implications, latency and success rates. 
• Create and maintain comprehensive and scalable model evaluations for existing and future AI capabilities.
• Future projects might entail - Develop fine-tuning strategies for LLMs, tailoring them for domain-specific applications; Compare the performance of small language models (SLMs) with large language models (LLMs) to inform platform design decisions; develop and train proprietary models, setting the foundation for future AI innovations.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to support moving your prototypes into Ridgeline’s enterprise-grade systems.
• Stay at the forefront of AI advancements, advocating for the adoption of new tools and methodologies where appropriate.

Desired Skills and Experience

• 8+ years of experience in AI/ML research and development
• Familiarity with deploying machine learning models on cloud platforms like AWS (preferred), GCP, or Azure.
• Experience with natural language processing, including utilizing and evaluating large language models
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, with experience in developing scalable, high-performance solutions.
• Excellent communication skills to effectively convey complex technical concepts.
• Strong planning and organizational stills, with proven ability to run research independently. 
• A degree in computer science or related technical discipline.

Bonus

• A master’s degree or PhD in AI/ML, data science, or a related field.
• Proficiency in Python and frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch.
• Experience training proprietary AI models from scratch.
• Background in financial technology or knowledge of the investment management domain.

About Ridgeline

Ridgeline is the first front-to-back system of record for investment managers. Founded by visionary entrepreneur Dave Duffield (co-founder of both PeopleSoft and Workday), the company was created to modernize an industry held back by outdated, disconnected technology. Powered by a single, real-time data set and embedded AI, Ridgeline helps firms automate complexity, accelerate collaboration, and deliver tailored client experiences at scale, without added headcount or risk. Ridgeline is headquartered in Lake Tahoe, with offices in New York, Reno, and the Bay Area, and is recognized by Fast Company as a “Best Workplace for Innovators,” by Frost & Sullivan as a “Technology Innovation Leader,” and by The Software Report as a “Top 100 Software Company.”

Ridgeline is proud to be a community-minded, discrimination-free equal opportunity workplace.

Ridgeline processes the information you submit in connection with your application in accordance with the Ridgeline Applicant Privacy Statement. Please review the Ridgeline Applicant Privacy Statement in full to understand our privacy practices and contact us with any questions.

Compensation and Benefits 

The typical starting salary range for new hires in this role is $236,000-$295,000. Final compensation amounts are determined by multiple factors, including candidate experience and expertise and may vary from the amount listed above.

As an employee at Ridgeline, you’ll have many opportunities for advancement in your career and can make a true impact on the product. 

In addition to the base salary, Ridgeline employees can participate in our Company Stock Plan subject to the applicable Stock Option Agreement. We also offer rich benefits that reflect the kind of organization we want to be: one in which our employees feel valued and are inspired to bring their best selves to work. These include unlimited vacation, educational and wellness reimbursements, and $0 cost employee insurance plans. Please check out our Careers page for a more comprehensive overview of our perks and benefits.

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