Manager AI opening at Denver, CO (Onsite)

Employment Type: Contract to HireExperience Required: 8+ Years Management | 8+ Years ML/Data ScienceRole OverviewR Systems International is looking for a Manager of AI Engineering who brings a rare combination of deep hands-on AI/ML delivery experience and demonstrated people leadership. This is not a research role — we are seeking someone who has delivered real, production-grade AI/ML systems in industry and is now ready to lead teams that do the same. You will drive technical vision, build high-performing engineering teams, and ensure AI solutions move from concept to production reliably and at scaleKey ResponsibilitiesLead, manage, and grow a team of AI engineers working on production LLM, RAG, and ML/NLP systemsDefine and drive the technical vision for AI engineering — from architecture decisions to tooling choices and coding standardsOwn end-to-end delivery of AI/ML models into production: scoping, design, build, deployment, and monitoringPartner with Data Science, Data Engineering, Product, and Business stakeholders to align AI engineering work with strategic prioritiesMentor and develop engineers — conducting code reviews, knowledge-sharing sessions, and career development conversationsEstablish and enforce engineering best practices: CI/CD, MLOps, model monitoring, responsible AI, and documentationEvaluate new LLM frameworks, RAG architectures, and agentic patterns and advise on their adoptionCommunicate technical progress, risks, and blockers clearly to senior leadership and cross-functional partnersRequired Skills:

• Hands-on AI/ML leader with strong experience in AI Engineering, Machine Learning, Data Science, or appliedNo Less than 4 years in ML/NLP
• Deep expertise in machine learning, deep learning, and NLP, with experience working on text data such as call transcripts, customer interactions, or reviewsNo Less than 4 years in ML/NLPProven track record of building and deploying production AI solutions, ideally in real-time or agent-assist environmentsExperience leading or mentoring AI teams while remaining technically close to the workStrong fit should be AI/ML-first; not primarily a software engineering manager or program manager backgroundPreferred experience in use cases such as auto summarization, sentiment analysis, next best offer/action, or agenticLeadership & CommunicationStrong ability to mentor engineers and build high-performing, collaborative teamsDemonstrated ability to drive technical vision and influence across organizational boundariesExcellent communication skills — able to translate complex AI/ML concepts for both technical and business audiencesEducationBachelor's degree in Computer Science, AI, or a related technical field. Master's or PhD preferred.