Principal, Artificial Intelligence Engineering at The Options Clearing Corporation

*****THIS POSITION IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR VISA SPONSORSHIP*****What You'll Do:OCC, the world's largest equity derivatives clearing organization, seeks a principal-level AI engineer to serve as the technical lead for the organization's recently formed AI Research & Engineering team. This senior individual contributor role is a technical leader who will lead through expertise and ensure the technical success of the team's work. The position requires a seasoned engineer with strong software engineering experience, technical leadership skills, and foundational knowledge of AI/LLMs with a keen interest in applying these technologies to financial infrastructure. You will play a key role in executing OCC's AI roadmap while mentoring a team of talented junior engineers in driving organizational transformation. As a team leaning into emerging technology, we also support continuous growth and learning by providing time for experimentation with AI tools and technologies.Primary Duties and Responsibilities:To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each primary duty satisfactorily.Partner with the Executive Director, AI Engineering to help define and execute on OCC's AI technical roadmapLead and partner on the architecture of scalable systems incorporating LLMs and AI into organizational processes and infrastructureDesign and build production applications in support of organizational use casesProvide technical mentorship to junior engineers on engineering best practices and system design (no direct reports)Conduct code/architectural reviews ensuring production readiness, safety, and adherence to high security and compliance standardsImplement testing, evaluation, and monitoring frameworks for AI systems including hallucination detection and bias assessmentEstablish safety guardrails and responsible AI practices for LLM applications in a regulated environmentConnect AI agents to organizational systems and workflowsEvaluate emerging technologies and recommend adoption strategiesFoster continuous learning culture in a rapidly evolving AI landscapeQualifications:The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary functions.RequiredBachelor's or Master's in Computer Science or related technical field10+ years software engineering/systems architecture experience with strong technical leadership5+ years as senior technical contributor on complex production systemsExpert in Python and proficient in SQLSystem design expertise: monolithic and microservice architectures, distributed systems, event-driven architectures, APIsHands-on experience in data (e.g., data engineering, data pipelines, data transformation)Foundational experience with LLMs and familiarity with multiple frontier lab models (e.g., Gemini, Claude, GPT)Familiarity of risk vectors in AI applications including hallucinations, bias, prompt injection, data privacyExperience mentoring and reviewing the work of junior engineersExceptional communication skills explaining complex technical conceptsStrong interest in AI/LLM space with demonstrated commitment to continuous learningPreferredProduction experience with AI applications or LLM-powered systemsExperience with RAG architectures and context engineeringFamiliarity with diverse LLM provider APIs and experience connecting agents to systemsExperience tinkering with frontier lab tools and productsCloud platforms/technologies: AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CDInfrastructure as code: TerraformExperience in financial market infrastructure or derivatives industryBackground in regulated environmentsAbout UsThe Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) is the world's largest equity derivatives clearing organization. Founded in 1973, OCC is dedicated to promoting stability and market integrity by delivering clearing and settlement services for options, futures and securities lending transactions. As a Systemically Important Financial Market Utility (SIFMU), OCC operates under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. OCC has more than 100 clearing members and provides central counterparty (CCP) clearing and settlement services to 19 exchanges and trading platforms. More information about OCC is available at www.theocc.com.BenefitsA highly collaborative and supportive environment developed to encourage work-life balance and employee wellness. Some of these components include: A hybrid work environment, up to 2 days per week of remote workTuition Reimbursement to support your continued educationStudent Loan Repayment AssistanceTechnology Stipend allowing you to use the device of your choice to connect to our network while working remotelyGenerous PTO and Parental leave 401k Employer MatchCompetitive health benefits including medical, dental and visionVisit https://www.theocc.com/careers/thriving-together for more information.CompensationThe salary range listed for any given position is exclusive of fringe benefits and potential bonuses. If hired at OCC, your final base salary compensation will be determined by factors such as skills, experience and/or education. In addition, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as part of any final offer. We typically do not hire at the maximum of the range in order to allow for future and continued salary growth. We also offer a substantial benefits package as noted on www.theocc.com/careers All employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus. Discretionary bonuses are based on various factors, including, but not limited to, company and individual performance and are not guaranteed.Salary Range$164,500.00 - $224,000.00Incentive Range23% to 30%This position is eligible for an annual discretionary incentive compensation award, for which the target range is listed above (see Incentive Range). The amount of such award, if any, will be based on various factors, including without limitation, both individual and company performance.Step 1When you find a position you're interested in, click the 'Apply' button. Please complete the application andattach your resume.Step 2You will receive an email notification to confirm that we've received your application.Step 3If you are called in for an interview, a representative from OCC will contact you to set up a date, time, and location.For more information about OCC, please click here.OCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer