About the role 

We are seeking an experienced Machine Learning Lead to helm our Machine Learning team. 

In this pivotal role, you will be the engineering architect behind Vulcan’s core AI capabilities. You will act as the nexus between Research, Platform, and Product. Your mission is to translate cutting-edge findings on GenAI threats into robust, production-ready machine learning models that power our GenAI Security Guardrails (Blue Team) and Automated Vulnerability Assessment (Red Team). 

Crucially, you will serve as the bridge between deep tech and business strategy, articulating technical constraints (like FLOPS and latency) to leadership and clients while guiding the engineering direction. 

Key Responsibilities

1. Model Development & Optimization (Training & Fine-tuning):

• Research to Production: Collaborate with the Security Research Team to operationalize new threat detection techniques. They identify the "what" (e.g., new prompt injection patterns); you determine the "how" (model architecture, training strategy). 
• Fine-tuning & Adaptation: Lead the fine-tuning of Language Models (e.g., using LoRA/PEFT) to optimize for our supported muti-lingual languages and specific security intents.
• Multimodal Readiness: Prepare the system for Multimodal (Text + Image/Audio) capabilities. Evaluate and implement models to detect visual prompt injections and non-textual threats as the product evolves. 

2. MLOps& Data Infrastructure: 

• Enhance & Scale MLOps: Take ownership of our existing ML pipelines. Focus on optimizing and scaling CI/CD/CT workflows to improve training efficiency and deployment velocity. 
• Data Governance: Implement and enforce rigorous Data Versioning strategies (e.g., DVC) to ensure complete reproducibility of model artifacts and datasets.
• Monitoring & Reliability: Maintain rigorous monitoring for model drift and performance, ensuring high reliability in a production security environment.

3. Cross-Functional Implementation & Leadership:

• Platform Collaboration: Work closely with the Platform Engineering Team to integrate ML models into the broader product architecture. Ensure seamless interaction between model inference services and the main platform logic. 
• Team Leadership: Lead and mentor Machine Learning Engineers, fostering a culture of engineering rigor, code quality, and operational excellence.
• Resource Management: Manage GPU resources and compute budgets effectively for both training and inference workloads. 

4. Technical Strategy & Stakeholder Management:

• Translating Tech to Business: Act as the technical voice of the ML team. You must effectively explain complex ML concepts (e.g., FLOPS, quantization trade-offs, model latency vs. accuracy) to executive leadership and clients. 
• Cost-Benefit Analysis: Justify compute resource investments. Articulate the trade-off between infrastructure costs (GPU hours) and performance gains to non-technical stakeholders. 

Qualifications

• Experience: 5+ years in Machine Learning Engineering, with specific experience in leading technical projects or mentoring engineers.
• Communication & Business Acumen: Exceptional ability to distill complex technical topics (e.g., compute complexity, infrastructure costs) into clear, business-relevant insights for decision-makers.
• MLOps Proficiency: Proven experience in optimizing ML pipelines and infrastructure. Familiarity with tools like MLflow, Kubeflow, Airflow, and Data Versioning tools (DVC, etc.).
• Engineering First: Proficient in Python, Docker, and Kubernetes. You treat ML models as software artifacts that need testing and version control.
• NLP & LLM Expertise: Experience with Transformer architectures, Embeddings, and LLM fine-tuning. Familiarity with frameworks like PyTorch, Hugging Face, and vLLM.
• Language Support: Experience processing or fine-tuning models for multi-lingual environments. 

Nice to Have

• Multimodal Expertise: Experience working with Multimodal models (Image-to-Text, Text-to-Image, VLMs like CLIP, LLaVA).
• Security Awareness: Understanding of GenAI security threats (e.g., Prompt Injection).
• High-Performance Computing: Experience optimizing inference speed (quantization, distillation, vLLM) for real-time applications.
• Vector Database: Experience with Vector DBs for RAG applications. 

Why Join Us? 

• Innovative Environment: Be part of a company at the forefront of technology to provide security in GenAI, with opportunities to work on groundbreaking projects. 
• Growth Opportunities: Take your career to new heights with our career development programs and growth-focused culture. 
• Dynamic Team: Join a multi-cultural and dynamic team of dedicated professionals who inspire and support each other. 
• Compensation: Competitive salary and benefits package, commensurate with experience and performance. 

Application Process 

• If you're ready to embark on this exciting journey and contribute to shaping the future of GenAI security, please submit your resume outlining your relevant experience and motivation for applying.
• If you prefer a direct connection or have specific questions about our vision, feel free to reach out to our Co-founder, Alvin Kwock, via LinkedIn. 

As an AI Researcher at Vatic Labs in Abu Dhabi, you will research and develop innovative AI-driven quantitative trading strategies. You will explore vast amounts of market and alternative data, inventing and applying a new generation of state-of-the-art technologies that are inspired by large language models, deep neural networks, transformers, and advanced prompt engineering methods to discover and capitalize on trading opportunities.

The nature of the problems we work on is challenging, hence we hire some of the world's top AI talent to develop novel AI methods and trading strategies. Our team of talented researchers and technologists has been recognized as leaders in their field. Our distinguished researchers have been widely cited for their publications in top-tier, peer-reviewed scientific journals. We are passionate about hiring the best and the brightest, empowering them with the tools and mentorship needed to be successful. Our environment is highly collaborative and open, sharing AI and trading expertise across team members and fostering innovation and growth.

If you possess all or most of the following, we would love to explore what is available for you with our team:

• Earned or will earn a Master’s or Ph.D. in a quantitative field, such as Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Applied Math, Statistics, Quantitative Finance, Cognitive Science, Physics or another field of science.
• Experience analyzing large data sets with rigorous statistical and ML/AI approaches, including classification, clustering, regression (linear and nonlinear), optimization, signal processing, filtering and smoothing, time-series analysis, hidden Markov models, high-dimensional data analysis, vector quantization, decision tree methods, EM methods, Bayesian methods, variational inference methods, and neural networks.
• Demonstration of deep knowledge of large language models and deep neural networks for practical applications (e.g. NLP, vision, speech, signal processing, scientific computing, finance, etc). Finance applications preferred but not necessary.
• Ability to generate impactful research in academic or professional pursuits.
• Advanced understanding and experience of practical programming languages and software tools for data analysis and ML/AI applications, such as Python, C++, PyTorch, Tensorflow, etc.
• Interest and enthusiasm for learning about financial markets (previous experience not required).

At Vatic, we’re serious about our work—but we also believe in balance, growth, and having fun along the way. Here’s what you can expect:

• Flat structure with direct executive exposure – Work closely with leadership and make an impact from day one.
• Comprehensive health benefits – Full health insurance coverage for employees and dependents.
• Daily meals provided – Enjoy free lunch at the office.