Are you looking for a career move that will put you at the heart of a global financial institution? We are seeking an exceptionally skilled Principal AI Software Engineer to architect and implement robust, scalable backend systems that power our advanced AI tools and services. This hands-on individual contributor role demands expert knowledge of Python fundamentals, a profound understanding of software design principles, architectural patterns, and an unwavering commitment to writing clean, maintainable, and production-grade code that minimizes technical debt. Proficiency in FastAPI is a must. Prior hands-on expertise in Generative AI development and its associated frameworks is required. Hands-on experience and in-depth understanding of C++ is a significant bonus.
By Joining Citi, you will become part of a global organisation whose mission is to serve as a trusted partner to our clients by responsibly providing financial services that enable growth and economic progress.
Team/Role Overview
The Credit Risk Technology team is at the forefront of leveraging data and artificial intelligence to transform critical risk functions within Citi. We develop and maintain complex software solutions that empower Citi's Risk organization to manage counterparty credit risk. Our systems integrate vast datasets, including trades, collateral, market data, and counterparty information to compute essential metrics such as Pre-Settlement Risk (PSE), Exposure at Default (EAD), and Risk Weighted Assets (RWA), alongside optimizing margin allocation, collateral haircuts, liquidity, and concentration levels.
What you’ll do
As a Principal AI Software Engineer, you will:
Architect and implement cutting-edge software systems, defining the technical design for our AI solutions to ensure scalability, performance, and reliability.
Drive the hands-on design, implementation, and deployment of sophisticated systems that automate the analysis of data, code, and documentation.
Apply deep expertise to structure extracted knowledge within a Credit Risk Domain-aware knowledge graph, including advanced strategies for effectively modelling complex codebases, particularly C++, within this graph.
Act as a critical technical partner with data scientists, business analysts, and other engineering teams to translate challenging business requirements into robust technical solutions and ensure successful, high-quality project delivery.
Tackle the most complex technical challenges within our AI initiatives, providing solutions that set the standard for engineering excellence.
What we’ll need from you
Exceptional Python Expertise: Demonstrated mastery of core Python, including advanced features, performance optimization, and a deep understanding of the FastAPI framework.
Prior hands-on experience with Generative AI, Large Language Model (LLM) frameworks (e.g. LangChain, LlamaIndex), and their application in enterprise environments is a must. This must be underpinned by a profound understanding of core machine learning principles, algorithms, and data science methodologies.
Full Lifecycle Ownership: Extensive hands-on experience and technical authority throughout the entire software development lifecycle, from conceptualization and design to implementation, deployment, and operational ownership of enterprise software solutions, involving significant cross-functional collaboration.
Strategic System Design: Significant hands-on experience in architecting and designing (architecture, design patterns, reliability, scaling) highly complex new and current systems with broad technical impact.
Hands-on expertise with containerized deployment technologies (e.g. Kubernetes, OpenShift, Docker) and orchestration strategies.
Hands-on experience and in-depth understanding of C++ is a significant bonus, particularly for complex code analysis, parsing, and integration into knowledge graph structures.
What we can offer you
This Principal role provides a unique opportunity to be at the technical vanguard, making foundational contributions to our organization's strategic direction through pioneering AI product development within a dynamic global financial environment. You will leverage unparalleled technical depth to solve critical, complex challenges integral to cutting-edge AI projects. This will enable you to define technical paradigms, drive radical innovation, and significantly accelerate your career at the forefront of a leading global financial institution, influencing the very core of our AI ecosystem.
We work hard to have a positive financial and social impact on the communities we serve. In turn, we put our employees first and provide the best-in-class benefits they need to be well, live well and save well.
By joining Citi London, you will not only be part of a business casual workplace with a hybrid working model (up to 2 days working at home per week), but also receive a competitive base salary (which is annually reviewed), and enjoy a whole host of additional benefits such as:
Generous holiday allowance starting at 27 days plus bank holidays; increasing with tenure
A discretional annual performance related bonus
Private medical insurance packages to suit your personal circumstances
Employee Assistance Program
Pension Plan
Paid Parental Leave
Special discounts for employees, family, and friends
Access to an array of learning and development resources
Alongside these benefits Citi is committed to ensuring our workplace is where everyone feels comfortable coming to work as their whole self every day. We want the best talent around the world to be energized to join us, motivated to stay, and empowered to thrive.
Sounds like Citi has everything you need? Then apply to discover the true extent of your capabilities.
------------------------------------------------------
Job Family Group: Technology------------------------------------------------------
Job Family:Applications Development------------------------------------------------------
Time Type:Full time------------------------------------------------------
Most Relevant Skills Please see the requirements listed above.------------------------------------------------------
Other Relevant Skills For complementary skills, please see above and/or contact the recruiter.------------------------------------------------------
Citi is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.
If you are a person with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation to use our search tools and/or apply for a career opportunity review Accessibility at Citi.
View Citi’s EEO Policy Statement and the Know Your Rights poster.
Skills Required
- Exceptional Python Expertise
- Hands-on experience with Generative AI and LLM frameworks
- Full Lifecycle Ownership in software development
- Significant experience in strategic system design
- Expertise with containerized deployment technologies
- In-depth understanding of C++
Citi Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Citi and has not been reviewed or approved by Citi.
-
Healthcare Strength — Benefits coverage is positioned as comprehensive, including health, dental, and vision insurance plus on-site clinics, prescription drug support, and disability coverage. Family-building support such as fertility assistance is described as a notable differentiator within the overall package.
-
Retirement Support — Retirement benefits are framed as strong, highlighted by a 401(k) with matching and additional plan options like a Roth 401(k). Financial support is reinforced through discounts and broader financial guidance resources tied to the benefits ecosystem.
-
Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellbeing support extends beyond insurance through programs like an Employee Assistance Program, counseling/legal resources, and gym or wellness reimbursement. These offerings increase the perceived total rewards value even when cash compensation sentiment varies by role.
Citi Insights
What We Do
Citi's mission is to serve as a trusted partner to our clients by responsibly providing financial services that enable growth and economic progress. Our core activities are safeguarding assets, lending money, making payments and accessing the capital markets on behalf of our clients. We have 200 years of experience helping our clients meet the world's toughest challenges and embrace its greatest opportunities. We are Citi, the global bank – an institution connecting millions of people across hundreds of countries and cities.
