Role Summary
Vanguard is seeking a Domain AI Architect to lead the design of secure, scalable, and responsible AI solutions that power next-generation client and crew experiences. This role partners across Engineering, Product, Data, Risk, Security, and Enterprise Architecture to translate business needs into production-ready AI architectures.
The architect will define reusable patterns for LLMs, RAG, agentic systems, model integration, observability, and governance while being hands on and coaching teams on modern AI engineering practices.
What it means to work at Vanguard:
This is an opportunity to help shape Vanguard’s leading client-facing AI assistant, while advancing the enterprise architecture patterns that enable secure, scalable, and responsible AI across the firm. You will join a high-energy team working on meaningful, visible, and fast-evolving AI capabilities—where we hold a high bar for engineering excellence, collaborate deeply across the enterprise, and make time to enjoy the journey together.
Key Responsibilities
Architecture & Platform Leadership
Architect end-to-end AI architectures for LLM-powered applications, RAG, agentic workflows, orchestration frameworks, APIs, and enterprise data integration.
Define reusable architecture patterns, reference implementations, and deployment approaches that accelerate delivery across teams.
Enable secure, resilient, observable, and cost-effective AI services across cloud-native environments.
Responsible AI & Engineering Excellence
Embed responsible AI, security, privacy, auditability, and regulatory controls into solution designs.
Establish best practices for prompt engineering, evaluation, testing, observability, model lifecycle management, and production readiness.
Review architectures and code, optimize performance and reliability, and support experiments that validate business value.
Influence & Stakeholder Partnership
Serve as a trusted advisor to product, engineering, data, risk, and architecture stakeholders.
Mentor engineers and technical leads on AI architecture, emerging technologies, and delivery practices.
Drive alignment across teams while balancing innovation, governance, and pragmatic execution.
Qualifications
10+ years in software engineering, distributed systems, or application architecture; demonstrated Generative AI solutions in production.
Expertise with LLMs, RAG, agentic AI, LangChain/LangGraph or similar frameworks, vector databases, APIs, microservices, cloud-native platforms, and Kubernetes/EKS.
Experience designing secure, scalable enterprise applications; financial services or regulated-industry experience preferred.
Strong communication, influence, and stakeholder partnership skills.
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required; graduate degree preferred.
What Success Looks Like
AI solutions are delivered securely, reliably, and at enterprise scale.
Reusable patterns accelerate adoption across product and engineering teams.
Responsible AI and governance are embedded from design through production.
AI platforms create measurable business, client, and crew outcomes.
10+ years in software engineering, distributed systems, or application architecture.
3+ years designing and delivering AI/ML or Generative AI solutions in production.
Hands-on expertise with LLMs, RAG, agentic AI, LangChain/LangGraph or similar frameworks, vector databases, APIs, microservices, cloud-native platforms, and Kubernetes/EKS.
Strong ability to communicate complex technical concepts to business and technical stakeholders.
Special Factors
Sponsorship
Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.About Vanguard
At Vanguard, we don't just have a mission—we're on a mission.
To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients' lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne, our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.
How We Work
Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.
Skills Required
- 10+ years of experience in software engineering, distributed systems, or application architecture
- 3+ years designing and delivering AI, machine learning, or generative AI solutions in production
- Demonstrated experience delivering generative AI solutions in production
- Hands-on expertise with LLMs, RAG, agentic AI, LangChain, LangGraph or similar frameworks, vector databases, APIs, microservices, cloud-native platforms, and Kubernetes/EKS
- Experience designing secure and scalable enterprise applications
- Strong communication, influence, and stakeholder partnership skills
- Strong ability to communicate complex technical concepts to business and technical stakeholders
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
- Financial services or regulated-industry experience
- Graduate degree
Vanguard Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Vanguard and has not been reviewed or approved by Vanguard.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support appears unusually strong through a 401(k) design that includes a match plus an additional employer contribution, which can materially lift long-term total rewards. HSA seeding and an enhanced employer match further strengthen the savings-and-benefits value of the package.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellbeing and lifestyle support is reinforced by a sizable annual FlexFund stipend that can be applied across many day-to-day categories such as fitness, childcare, and other personal expenses. On-site or virtual clinics and fitness options add practical health and wellness convenience.
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Affordable Benefits — Healthcare and related benefits are positioned as comparatively affordable via heavily subsidized medical plans and broad coverage options. This affordability can offset moderate base pay for employees who place higher value on out-of-pocket cost reductions.
Vanguard Insights
What We Do
We are a community of 30 million who think – and feel – differently about investing. Together, we’re changing the way the world invests. Since our founding in 1975, helping our investors achieve their goals is our sole reason for existence. With no other parties to answer to and therefore no conflicting loyalties, we make every decision—like keeping investing costs as low as possible—with only your needs in mind. Vanguard is one of the world's largest investment companies, offering a large selection of high-quality low-cost mutual funds, ETFs, advice, and related services. Individual and institutional investors, financial professionals, and plan sponsors can benefit from the size, stability, and experience Vanguard offers. As of April 30, 2019, we managed more than $5.6 trillion in global assets. In addition, we have 189 funds in the United States and 225 funds in global markets. For Commenting Guidelines & Important information, visit here: http://vanguard.com/linkedin Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.
