Applied AI, Technical Lead, Forward Deployed AI Engineer

Mistral AI is seeking a Technical Lead, Applied AI to drive the technical strategy, execution, and delivery of complex AI solutions for our enterprise customers. In this role, you will lead a project teams of Applied AI Engineers, ensuring the successful deployment of Mistral AI products and the development of high-impact, scalable AI use cases. You will act as the primary technical point of contact for our most strategic customers, guiding them through the entire lifecycle—from pre-sales to post-implementation—while collaborating closely with research, product, and engineering teams to shape the future of our offerings. As a Technical Lead, you will bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI research and real-world enterprise applications, ensuring our solutions are robust, scalable, and aligned with both customer needs and Mistral's technological vision.

Responsibilities

Deliver as an IC the critical lines of code of our complex projects; Lead technical teams of Applied AI Engineers, providing mentorship, technical guidance, and best practices for deploying state-of-the-art GenAI applications across industries; Lead technical discussions during pre-sales, translating customer requirements into actionable solutions and communicating Mistral's technological advantages to diverse stakeholders; Design and oversee the implementation of complex AI systems, including fine-tuning, RAG, agentic workflows, and custom LLM applications, ensuring alignment with Mistral's product roadmap and open-source initiatives; Drive innovation by identifying emerging trends in AI, evaluating new tools and methodologies, and championing best practices for fine-tuning, inference, and deployment; Work closely with product managers, researchers, and engineers to ensure seamless integration of customer feedback into Mistral's product development cycle

Requirements

Fluent in French and English; PhD or Master's degree in AI, Machine Learning, Computer Science, or a related field; 7/8+ years of experience in AI/ML, with at least 2+ years in a technical leadership role (e.g., Tech Lead, Engineering Manager, Staff Engineer or Solutions Architect) focused on AI products or enterprise solutions; Proven track record of leading teams to deliver complex AI projects, from prototyping to production, in industries such as tech, finance, healthcare, or industrial automation; Deep expertise in fine-tuning LLMs, advanced RAG, agentic systems, and deploying NLP applications at scale; Proficiency in Python, PyTorch, and modern AI frameworks (e.g., LangChain, Hugging Face); Strong software engineering skills, including API design, backend/full-stack development, and system architecture; Excellent technical communication, with the ability to articulate complex concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences, including executives and engineers; Ability to thrive in fast-paced, collaborative environments and passion for mentoring and growing technical talent

Nice to have

Contributed to open-source projects, particularly in the LLM or AI space; Experience in customer-facing roles (e.g., Solutions Architect, Customer Engineer, or Technical Product Manager) with a focus on enterprise AI adoption; Track record of driving technical strategy and influencing product direction based on customer needs and market opportunities; Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and MLOps tools

Benefits

Healthcare coverage; Parental leave; Retirement plans; Relocation support; Wellness programs; Meal and transportation allowances; Other location-specific perks; Support for well-being, growth, and work-life balance