Director of Engineering at FuseMachines – New York, New York

Fusemachines is a 10+ year old AI company, dedicated to delivering state-of-the-art AI products and solutions to a diverse range of industries. Founded by Sameer Maskey, Ph.D., an Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia University, our company is on a steadfast mission to democratize AI and harness the power of global AI talent from underserved communities. With a robust presence in four countries and a dedicated team of over 400 full-time employees, we are committed to fostering AI transformation journeys for businesses worldwide. At Fusemachines, we not only bridge the gap between AI advancement and its global impact but also strive to deliver the most advanced technology solutions to the world.

About the Role:

We are seeking a Director of Engineering with strong expertise in both core software engineering and applied AI/Machine Learning to lead the development of innovative, production-grade products.

This is a hands-on leadership role requiring a highly technical individual who can actively contribute to system design, coding, and architecture while also guiding a team. The ideal candidate combines deep engineering execution with the ability to set technical direction and drive delivery in a fast-paced B2B environment.

This role operates with a 60% focus on technical execution and 40% on leadership and oversight.

Key Responsibilities: Hands-On Technical Leadership

• Serve as a hands-on technical leader, spending the majority of time coding, reviewing code, and designing systems
• Operate at a senior/principal engineering level while setting technical direction
• Lead by example in building production-grade software across backend, frontend, and infrastructure

AI & Data Systems Development

• Design, build, and deploy AI-enabled products end-to-end, including:
  • Statistical and predictive models
  • LLM-based systems (e.g., LLaMA, Qwen, Mistral)
• Fine-tune and integrate models into customer-facing B2B applications
• Focus on shipping AI into production, not research
• Collaborate effectively with AI/ML specialists

Software Engineering Excellence

• Contribute as a core software engineer across backend and frontend systems
• Build high-quality applications with emphasis on:
  • Clean architecture
  • Performance and scalability
  • Reliability and maintainability

Backend, Platform & Infrastructure

• Develop backend services using Golang
• Work extensively with Kubernetes, including:
  • Service architecture
  • Deployment and scaling
  • Debugging, observability, and production operations

Full-Stack Development

• Build and review end-to-end product features using:
  • React
  • NestJS
• Contribute across the full stack as needed

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead and mentor a small-to-mid-sized engineering team while remaining hands-on
• Provide code reviews, technical mentorship, and architectural guidance
• Establish engineering standards and best practices with minimal process overhead
• Partner with Product and business stakeholders to drive outcomes

Product & Business Impact

• Build and scale B2B products
• Make engineering decisions with a clear understanding of:
  • Customer impact
  • Delivery timelines
  • Revenue implications
• Align technical priorities with product and business goals

Qualifications:

• Experience: At least 5 years of technology experience, with experience in leadership roles managing teams that specialize in both ML/MLOps and core software engineering. Experience with ML metrics observability, workflow orchestration, service release automation, notebook development, and LLM deployment is a plus.
• Education: Advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, with a strong background in both AI/machine learning and software engineering.
• Technical Expertise: A deep understanding of Enterprise Software architecture, design patterns, and modern programming languages coupled with a strong foundation in machine learning algorithms, data modeling, and MLOps practices across the major cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Leadership and Vision: Proven ability to lead, inspire, and grow multidisciplinary engineering teams. A Strategic thinker with the capacity to balance short-term goals with long-term vision.
• Collaborative Skills: Excellent communication and collaboration skills, capable of fostering positive relationships across engineering teams and with other business units.
• Experience in startup or high-growth environments

*Hybrid. Must be able to meet in Hicksville, Long Island twice a week*

Fusemachines is an Equal Opportunities Employer, committed to diversity and inclusion. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.