Lead AI Software Engineer- (Hybrid NYC)

Role Summary

We are seeking an experienced Lead Software Engineer to join T. Rowe Price Labs’ AI Engineering team. In this role, you will lead the design and delivery of production-grade AI systems, guide technical direction across high-impact initiatives, and help define how AI products are built, hardened, and scaled across the firm.

Positions are available in our New York City office or with our AI Engineering squad in Harbor Point, Baltimore, MD. In either location, you will work closely with engineers, product owners, and business stakeholders to incubate new AI products, mature them for production, and enable broader adoption through a Build-Operate-Transfer model.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role for someone who enjoys solving complex engineering problems, mentoring other engineers, and shaping best practices for responsible AI. You will contribute to reusable AI capabilities, influence engineering standards, and help set direction for modern AI engineering at T. Rowe Price.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, deployment, and evolution of production-grade AI agents and intelligent systems within modern cloud-native architectures.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineers across squads, helping raise the bar on architecture, engineering quality, and execution.
• Drive the Build-Operate-Transfer model by incubating new AI products, hardening them for production, and partnering with business-aligned technology teams to transition proven solutions for long-term ownership and scale.
• Work closely with engineers, product owners, and senior partners to shape ambiguous problems into scalable AI solutions that deliver measurable business value.
• Guide the development of reusable AI capabilities and shared platform components across areas such as agent orchestration, tool use, retrieval-based systems, evaluation frameworks, observability, and guardrails.
• Champion engineering excellence through strong software design, code quality, automated testing, continuous integration, and continuous delivery practices.
• Ensure AI systems are built with measurable quality, production readiness, operational observability, and appropriate safety controls.
• Oversee technical debt and drive continuous improvement across AI platforms, services, and development standards.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to apply AI in ways that accelerate workflows, improve decision-making, and create scalable business impact across the firm.

Business Knowledge

• Engage directly with business stakeholders, product owners, and senior partners to understand priorities, shape solution direction, and align technical decisions to business outcomes.
• Apply strong product and engineering judgment to balance innovation, scalability, risk, and long-term maintainability.
• Translate complex business needs into robust, scalable technical solutions that support both immediate value delivery and broader enterprise adoption.

Qualifications

Required:

• BS or MS in Computer Science or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 8+ years of progressive software engineering experience developing applications in object-oriented languages such as Java, Python, or JavaScript, including experience leading technical delivery across teams or major initiatives.
• Extensive hands-on experience architecting and delivering cloud-native solutions using AWS or equivalent, containerized microservices, and modern software delivery practices.
• Experience building or leading development of AI-enabled systems, intelligent workflows, or agentic applications in production or near-production environments.
• Strong familiarity with modern AI engineering patterns such as agent orchestration, tool integration, retrieval-based systems, evaluation approaches, monitoring, or guardrails.
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and system design skills, with a proven ability to lead teams through complex technical challenges.
• Strong communication and influence skills, with the ability to work effectively across engineering, product, and business stakeholders.
• Demonstrated commitment to engineering excellence through setting and upholding standards for automated testing, code reviews, observability, and continuous delivery.
• Results-oriented leader with a passion for mentoring others, fostering innovation, and operating effectively in a rapidly evolving technology landscape.

Preferred:

• Experience contributing to shared platform capabilities, workflow systems, retrieval-based services, or other reusable engineering components.
• Understanding of financial markets, asset management, or financial instruments.

FINRA Requirements

FINRA licenses are not required and will not be supported for this role.

Work Flexibility

This role is eligible for hybrid work, with up to three days per week from home.

Base Salary Ranges

Please review the job posting for the location of this specific opportunity.

Placement within the range provided above is based on the individual’s relevant experience and skills for the role.  Base salary is only one component of our total compensation package.  Employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus, which is determined upon company and individual performance.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At T. Rowe Price, our associates are our greatest asset. We thrive because our company culture is built on inclusion and because we sustain a work environment where associates can bring their best selves to work every day. The backgrounds, talents, and experiences of our global associates allow us to embrace new ideas and perspectives that move our business priorities forward and enable us to deliver strong client outcomes. Here, you can expect equal opportunity and fair and consistent treatment for all. 

Benefits