Lead AI Software Engineer with 7 year Experience (Contract

[1 year contract, renewable]About The RoleWe are seeking a Lead Software Engineer with deep expertise in full stack development, Generative AI, and DevSecOps practices. This is a hands-on leadership role at the forefront of building AI-native products that combine robust engineering with cutting-edge generative capabilities.You will drive the architecture, development, and deployment of secure, scalable applications infused with AI — from LLM-powered experiences and intelligent agents to automated workflows and decisioning systems. Beyond technical execution, you will embed shift-left quality and security, mentor engineers, and set the direction for how Generative AI shapes our product strategy.Key ResponsibilitiesGenerative AI EngineeringDesign and build LLM-powered applications (retrieval-augmented generation, multi-agent systems, generative search, AI copilots).Implement prompt engineering, fine-tuning, and evaluation frameworks for production-grade reliability.Optimize AI inference at scale (latency, cost efficiency, guardrails).Ensure responsible AI use (bias detection, explainability, data privacy).Full Stack DevelopmentArchitect and deliver end-to-end features across frontend (React/Next.js), backend (Node.js/Python/Java), and cloud-native infrastructure.Build secure APIs, data pipelines, and real-time services that power AI-driven user experiences.DevSecOps & Shift-Left PracticesEmbed security and testing early in the development lifecycle.Own CI/CD pipelines with automated testing, vulnerability scanning, and compliance guardrails.Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and observability for resilience and scalability.Leadership & CollaborationMentor engineers on AI software engineering best practices.Collaborate with product managers and data scientists to translate business problems into AI-first solutions.Drive technical decision-making, balancing innovation speed with long-term system sustainability.QualificationsMust-Have: 7+ years of professional software engineering experience, with 2+ years in a senior/lead role. Strong full stack development skills (React/Next.js, Node.js, Python, Java, etc.). Proven experience delivering Generative AI applications into production, including:LLM integration (OpenAI, Anthropic, Llama, etc.)RAG pipelines (vector databases, embeddings, semantic search)Fine-tuning and evaluation of modelsSafety/guardrail implementation Solid knowledge of DevSecOps and shift-left practices (automated testing, SAST/DAST, IaC, CI/CD). Hands-on experience with cloud-native platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and container orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes) and infrastructure provisioning. Strong foundation in software architecture and distributed systems. Singapore citizenship due to security clearance requirements.Nice-to-Have Experience with multi-agent architectures or autonomous AI workflows. Familiarity with AI evaluation frameworks (LangSmith, Weights & Biases, MLflow). Contributions to open-source AI/ML or developer tooling. Startup or high-growth environment experience.