Principal AI Engineer

TEAM OVERVIEW
KKR’s Technology team is pivotal in building and supporting the firm’s technological foundation. Recognized as a key business enabler, technology at KKR accelerates global scale and business transformation. The team drives excellence by evolving technology into platform-based capabilities, enhancing agility and business impact.

POSITION SUMMARY
KKR is seeking a seasoned Senior AI Engineer for development and deployment of cutting-edge Generative AI and ML solutions. This is a multi-disciplinary with business-facing responsibilities requiring ownership across the entire project lifecycle—from ideation through deployment and ongoing optimization.

This role requires a deep understanding of cloud-native architecture and proficiency in Python programming. Experience with financial data is highly desirable. The ideal candidate will possess a strong foundation in machine learning, data analysis, and a passion for building scalable AI systems that drive innovation and efficiency.

PROJECT RESPONSIBILITIES
•    End-to-end project lifecycle ownership: Encompassing ideation, requirements gathering, prototyping, development, MVP delivery, and long-term maintenance of production-grade AI solutions that are tailored for business purposes.
•    Business-facing collaboration: Partner closely with product owners, stakeholders, business consumers, App Dev teams, and domain experts to translate business goals into technical solutions.
•    Agile project delivery: Actively engage in sprint ceremonies—planning, daily stand-ups, backlog grooming, sprint reviews and retrospectives. Manage backlog items, prioritize based on business value, and ensure timely delivery.

TECHNICAL RESPONSIBILITES
•    Design, develop, and deploy AI Agents and Tools for business utilization. 
•    Integration of best-in-class AI solutions, Large Language Models, and Search Engines.
•    Architect and implement scalable, secure, and cost-effective AI solutions on cloud platforms such as AWS and GCP.
•    Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate AI models into existing systems and workflows.
•    Optimize model performance through hyperparameter tuning, A/B testing, and continuous monitoring.
•    Document processing at scale with embeddings and indexing for Semantic Search.
•    Knowledge Graph integration.
•    Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations and implement ethical AI practices.
•    Mentor junior engineers and contribute to the team's knowledge base.

QUALIFICATIONS
REQUIRED
•    Strong communication skills and experience working in cross-functional teams. 
•    Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
•    5+ years of experience in AI/ML engineering, with a focus on Generative AI.
•    10+ years of experience in software engineering, with a focus on distributed architecture.
•    Proficiency in Python and experience with frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch.
•    Demonstrated experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and cloud-native services.
•    Strong understanding of machine learning algorithms and data structures.
•    Database and SQL experience.
•    Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently. 

PREFERRED
•    Experience with financial datasets, including time-series data and market analytics.
•    Familiarity with MLOps practices and tools.
•    Knowledge of ethical considerations in AI and security architecture.
•    Strong presentation skills with business focus.

#LI ONSITE