Lead Machine Learning Engineer, Associate Director, London

Fitch Group is currently seeking a Lead Machine Learning Engineer, Associate Director based out of our London office. The Fitch Group's AI Implementation Chapter is seeking a dynamic Lead Machine Learning Engineer with 6+ years of experience, including leadership and people management. This role involves designing AI/ML solutions and ensuring implementation of AI initiatives across the Fitch Ratings organization. You will manage a team of 2-3 engineers, blending hands-on technical work with leadership responsibilities, while collaborating with product squads, business partners, and cross-functional teams to integrate advanced AI solutions into flagship Fitch Ratings products and workflows.

The AI Chapter’s team objectives:

• Implement AI & ML technology in collaboration with Fitch Ratings business partners and product squads
• Develop and support enterprise-level AI exploration tools and capabilities
• Provide guidance for efficient and secure development and deployment of AI
• Establish and maintain guidelines and processes for AI/ML governance

How You’ll Make an Impact:

• Lead and manage a team of 2-3 machine learning engineers, balancing direct leadership with technical contributions to projects
• Oversee the design, development, and deployment of scalable AI/ML solutions, focusing on advanced generative AI frameworks, large language models, and agentic workflows
• Mentor and develop junior engineers, ensuring best practices in coding, architectural design, and project execution
• Drive projects and strategic initiatives, ensuring the integration of ML solutions into existing workflows by collaborating with product squads and business stakeholders
• Develop robust, production-quality software artifacts using Python and large-scale data workflow orchestration platforms (e.g., Airflow), while managing team resources & timelines
• Leverage expertise in cloud computing platforms (AWS and Azure) to build and optimize AI infrastructure
• Champion ML governance, ensuring adherence to guidelines, monitoring SLAs, and enhancing AI solutions’ performance and reliability
• Translate complex data science and ML concepts for technical and non-technical audiences, fostering alignment across distributed teams
• Design and develop APIs (e.g. using FastAPI) for integration and deployment of ML models and solutions.

You May be a Good Fit if:

• 6+ years of professional experience as an AI/ML engineer, with a strong record of delivering production-quality solutions.
• Experience managing and mentoring technical teams, with the ability to lead people and technical strategy.
• Extensive experience in developing and integrating advanced generative AI and ML solutions into existing products and systems.
• Proficiency in Python and strong knowledge of ML algorithms, ranging from classical techniques to deep learning methods.
• Experience in training, fine-tuning, and deploying neural network models using frameworks like PyTorch.
• Expertise in containerization (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes, AWS EKS) and building scalable systems in cloud environments.
• Deep understanding of software development fundamentals, including automated testing, source version control, and code optimization.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to interact effectively with both technical teams and business stakeholders.
• Bachelor’s degree in machine learning, computer science, data science, applied mathematics, or a related field (Master’s or higher is strongly preferred).

What Would Make You Stand Out:

• A track record of successfully leading project initiatives and shaping technical strategies through effective team management.
• Familiarity with credit ratings agencies, industry regulations, and financial data products.
• Experience developing/integrating functionality for Document and Content Management Systems.
• Ability to support prototyping teams for seamless transitions from prototype to development and deployment.
• Passion for leveraging data and ML to drive meaningful business outcomes while fostering a collaborative team environment.
• Proven ability to integrate AI solutions into broader workflows and projects through cross-functional team collaboration.

Why Choose Fitch:

• Hybrid Work Environment: 2 to 3 days a week in office required based on your line of business and location
• A Culture of Learning & Mobility: Dedicated trainings, leadership development and mentorship programs designed to ensure that your time at Fitch will be a continuous learning opportunity
• Investing in Your Future: Retirement planning and tuition reimbursement programs that empower you to achieve your short and long-term goals
• Promoting Health & Wellbeing: Comprehensive healthcare offerings that enable physical, mental, financial, social, and occupational wellbeing
• Supportive Parenting Policies: Family-friendly policies, including a generous global parental leave plan, designed to help you balance career and family life effectively
• Inclusive Work Environment: A collaborative workplace where all voices are valued, with Employee Resource Groups that unite and empower our colleagues around the globe
• Dedication to Giving Back: Paid volunteer days, matched funding for donations and ample opportunities to volunteer in your community