Job Specifications
Prana Tree is a fast-growing IT consulting and product innovation firm specializing in AI, Data Engineering, Blockchain, and Cloud solutions.
We’re currently hiring for our US-based global management consulting and technology client, a market leader in healthcare and life sciences. Headquartered in Illinois (USA) and present across 30+ countries. This role will start off as a 6-9 month long contract with possible conversion to a Full time role, else the contract will be extended. If you’re passionate about building cutting-edge applications and working with the latest in AI, this could be a great fit!
Location and workplace type: Hybrid model (3 days onsite) in New York, Chicago, or Princeton NJ.
Visa statuses accepted: USC, GC, GC EAD, H4 EAD.
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced Lead Software Engineer (AI/LLM) to guide a high-performing engineering team in delivering scalable, innovative, and AI-powered software solutions. This role requires deep technical expertise, architectural vision, and leadership skills to design and implement robust systems while mentoring talented engineers.
Key Responsibilities
Lead a team of software engineers to deliver high-quality, scalable products
Oversee solution design, technical architecture, and system performance optimization
Make strategic buy vs. build vs. open-source (OSS) software decisions
Develop applications that integrate software engineering with LLM (Large Language Model) capabilities
Collaborate with stakeholders to translate business needs into technical solutions
Ensure coding, architecture, and security best practices are followed
Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement
Conduct design and code reviews; mentor junior engineers
Drive Agile best practices, sprint planning, and ensure timely delivery
Required Skills & Qualifications
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
8+ years of software engineering experience, including 3+ years in technical leadership
Strong background in full-stack development, cloud technologies, and distributed systems
Expertise in LLM engineering and API integrations (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini)
Proven solution design and technical architecture expertise
Strong technology evaluation skills for buy vs. build vs. OSS decisions
Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving abilities
Good to Have
Experience with microservices architecture
Knowledge of MLOps and AI model deployment
Familiarity with containerization (Docker/Kubernetes) and CI/CD pipelines
Exposure to multi-cloud environments (Azure, AWS, GCP)