Lead AI Engineer

About the Role & Team
IDC is building the next generation of AI-powered intelligence platforms that transform how technology decisions get made. Our platform re-imagines the way decision-makers discover and interact with trusted research and data, and is foundational to IDC's future. 

We are looking for a Senior AI/Agent Engineer to serve as the player-coach dev lead for the new Memory / Living Intel Pod. This pod's mission is making the platform remember users and proactively alert them when things change. It starts with memory: persistent, cross-session understanding of each user. It grows into proactive intelligence: monitoring saved artifacts for changes, summarizing what matters, and routing alerts to the right channel. The pod may eventually split into two teams as these capabilities mature. 

You will be the first hire and will set the technical direction for a cross-functional team spanning AI/LLM engineering and backend infrastructure. This is a leadership role where you code more than 50% of the time.

What You’ll Do

• Lead a cross-functional pod of 4-8 engineers spanning AI/LLM and backend infrastructure disciplines
• Set the technical direction for the pod's memory and proactive intelligence systems
• Build memory capabilities that give the platform persistent, cross-session understanding of each user
• Design proactive intelligence systems that monitor artifacts for changes, summarize what matters, and route alerts to the right channel
• Integrate with the AI agent pipeline and channel adapters built by adjacent teams
• Define interfaces and contracts with adjacent teams
• Write production code. This role is coding more than 50% of the time

What You Bring

• 7+ years of professional Python development experience
• Proven experience building LLM-powered systems in production environments
• Player-coach track record leading teams of 4-8 engineers while remaining a significant code contributor
• Experience leading across disciplines, bridging AI/LLM engineering and infrastructure engineering
• Strong background in asynchronous system design: background jobs, event-driven patterns, scheduled processing
• Quality-minded approach to system design and code
• Comfort with ambiguity and building from scratch

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience building systems that maintain or evolve user context and state over time
• Familiarity with semantic search, embeddings, and vector databases (e.g., Snowflake Cortex, Pinecone, Weaviate)
• Background in event-driven architectures, job scheduling, and change detection patterns
• Experience with LLM observability tools (e.g., Langfuse, LangSmith, Weights & Biases)
• Track record of standing up new teams from zero

Why This Role Stands Out
At IDC, your work helps shape how the world understands technology and where it goes next. You collaborate with curious, high-caliber colleagues who value rigor, integrity, and shared success. As the premier global provider of trusted technology intelligence, IDC equips business and technology leaders with the evidence they need to make confident decisions. Our insights inform strategy, investment, and innovation across industries and regions.

Recognized by IIAR as Analyst Firm of the Year for five consecutive years, IDC sets the standard for credibility and impact. With more than 1,000 analysts worldwide and a truly global perspective, we combine deep expertise with practical relevance. Here, your ideas matter, your voice is heard, and your contributions provide the insights leaders rely on every day. It is meaningful work, backed by a culture that supports growth, collaboration, and long-term career development with a globally respected brand.

What We Offer

• 15 vacation days per year (increases with tenure; carryover allowed)
• 10 paid sick days per year
• 1 week paid new parenting leave
• Flexible work options (remote, part-time, flexible hours)
• Health, dental, vision, and paramedical coverage for you and your family
• $1,600 annual healthcare spending account
• Employee Assistance Program for counseling and support
• Best Doctors medical second opinions
• Life, AD&D, and long-term disability insurance
• Retirement savings plan with company match (up to 4% of salary)
• $75/month technology allowance for home office or phone expenses
• Company-paid cell phone plan
  

Compensation Transparency

At IDC, we are committed to fair and equitable pay practices. Employees are compensated equitably for their work, aligned with their skills and experience. Salary and incentive structures are determined through a rigorous process that considers experience, education, certifications, role-specific requirements, internal equity, and verified Canada market data from an independent third-party partner.

The expected total annual compensation, depending on location and experience, is between 170,000 CAD - 255,000 CAD, inclusive of base salary and variable compensation.

Equal Opportunity Employer

IDC is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified persons. Employment eligibility verification required. We participate in E-Verify.