Lead AI Engineer

Western National Insurance Group is seeking an AI Engineer IV to design, develop, test, and deploy enterprise-grade generative AI solutions. The individual will define and mature a Generative AI-specific Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), including requirements definition, model evaluation, testing standards, deployment processes, and governance checkpoints.

Requirements

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to independently deliver complex technical solutions.
• High attention to detail, particularly in model behavior, testing, and validation.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with both technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to rapidly learn and apply emerging technologies with minimal formal training.
• Advanced organizational skills and ability to manage multiple high-impact AI initiatives.
• Proven experience building and deploying production-grade applications.
• Demonstrated ability to define and implement engineering standards and quality controls.
• Ability to translate emerging AI capabilities into structured, repeatable SDLC practices.
• Demonstrated ability to prototype, evaluate, and iterate on solutions in ambiguous problem spaces.
• Advanced proficiency in Python (preferred) or Java / Spring.
• Experience with LLMs and prompt engineering and structured output techniques.
• Experience integrating services via APIs into enterprise systems.
• Knowledge of CI / CD pipelines, DevOps tooling, and cloud platforms.
• Experience with logging, monitoring, and observability frameworks.
• Bachelor of Science in computer science, data science, engineering, mathematics, or related field preferred; equivalent experience acceptable.

Benefits

• Medical insurance plan options
• Dental insurance
• Vision benefits
• Life insurance
• Disability insurance
• Health Savings Accounts (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• 401(k) Plan with 100% matching on the first 6% of contributions
• Wellbeing Program
• Paid Time Off
• 100% company-paid tuition reimbursement for approved job-relevant coursework and access to The Institutes
• Paid parental leave
• Bonus opportunities