AI/ML Engineer at Gtcr

 AI/Machine Learning Engineer GTCR Founded in 1980, GTCR is a leading private equity firm that pioneered The Leaders Strategy™ – finding and partnering with management leaders in core domains to identify, acquire and build market-leading companies through organic growth and strategic acquisitions. GTCR is focused on investing in transformative growth in companies in the Business & Consumer Services, Financial Services & Technology, Healthcare and Technology, Media & Telecommunications sectors.  Since its inception, GTCR has invested more than $30 billion in over 280 companies, and the firm currently manages $50 billion in equity capital. GTCR is based in Chicago with offices in New York and West Palm Beach. The Role GTCR is seeking an exceptional AI/Machine Learning Engineer to play a transformative role in shaping the future of AI, data, and technology at the firm. Reporting directly to GTCR’s Head of AI, this high-impact position offers significant exposure to senior leadership, investment teams, the Head of Data, and other key contributors to the firm’s technology strategy. As the first dedicated ML Engineer at GTCR, you will help define and implement the foundational infrastructure, tools, and processes that support our long-term vision for AI-driven innovation. This is more than a technical role—it is a strategic opportunity to champion the integration of AI across the firm, enhancing decision-making, increasing efficiency, and creating new opportunities for value creation. You will act as a catalyst for change, building organizational awareness of the transformative potential of AI and data initiatives. By leveraging your deep technical expertise and creative problem-solving skills, you will help drive a culture of innovation, self-service, and continuous improvement. Your work will span business functions, empowering teams to adopt AI solutions that optimize workflows and reduce dependency on external vendors. This role is ideal for a visionary, hands-on engineer who thrives at the intersection of technology and business strategy. You will be a key contributor to GTCR’s evolution as a data- and AI-enabled investment firm—and a part of shaping our future in an era of disruptive technological change. The ideal candidate will have a long-term interest in growing within GTCR at the intersection of data, technology, commerce, and private equity investments. They will be motivated to make increasing levels of impact—internally and through engagement with portfolio companies that are actively deploying AI and related technologies. We are looking for someone who combines strong technical capabilities and core intellect with the commercial drive to grow alongside us in this rapidly evolving space. Key Responsibilities  Act as a creative and insightful change agent, building awareness and enthusiasm for the transformative potential of AI, technology, and data initiatives across the firm. Collaborate closely with senior leadership, investment professionals, the Head of Data, and other key stakeholders to surface, shape, and execute high-impact AI/ML opportunities that align with GTCR’s strategic priorities. Design and implement machine learning models and intelligent systems that enhance decision making, streamline internal workflows and enable scalable self-service capabilities across teams. Develop and optimize the firm’s foundational AI/ML infrastructure and tooling, setting the technical groundwork for scalable innovation and long-term growth. Develop advanced search functionality leveraging retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and other modern techniques. Leverage large language models to create scalable, intelligent systems that solve real-world problems. Drive initiatives that enhance internal efficiency, reduce reliance on external vendors, and empower teams with self-service capabilities. Solve complex challenges at the intersection of machine learning, software engineering, and business strategy, with a focus on creating sustainable value. Experience and Skills 4-10 years of experience in Software Engineering with a focus on AI/Machine Learning Bachelor's degree in computer science required; master's degree in computer science with a focus on Artificial Intelligence preferred Strong software engineering foundations, including experience building scalable systems and writing clean, maintainable code Experience developing, fine-tuning, and deploying NLP and computer vision models, including hyperparameter optimization to improve model performance Hands-on experience with search technologies (e.g., RAG) and building LLM pipelines Extensive experience programming in Python, leveraging frameworks such as PyTorch and HuggingFace, and deploying models using cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP Demonstrated ability to think strategically about the role of AI/ML in driving business outcomes and aligning technical solutions with organizational goals Proven ability to establish foundational AI/ML infrastructure and processes in a greenfield environment Strong communication skills, with a passion for collaborating across teams to build awareness of AI’s potential and to drive adoption of innovative technologies by being able to clearly articulate technical concepts to non-technical audiences and work effectively with cross-functional stakeholders Experience with change management and creating enthusiasm for the possibilities AI technology bringsAppetite for tackling foundational challenges, including setting up tooling and infrastructure from scratch Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently in a fast-paced, dynamic environment Experience collaborating with Product, documenting technical designs, and gathering user feedback to iterate to successfully product launches Passion for leveraging AI to drive internal efficiency and empower teams to achieve more Excellent communication skills, a growth mindset, and enthusiasm for being part of a dynamic investment firm that views AI and technology as core to its future success  Location This position is based in New York City.