Software Engineering Lead – Cloud & AI (Financial Services) Location: Charlotte, NC Pay: $65/hr W2 ONLY, NO C2C Duration: 6 Months Job Summary: We are seeking a highly experienced Software Engineering Lead with deep expertise in Cloud, AI/ML, and large-scale financial systems. In this role, you will lead backend development efforts, collaborate with data scientists to deploy and scale machine learning models, and mentor a team of engineers while driving the adoption of modern MLOps and cloud-native practices. Key Responsibilities: • Lead backend system design and development using Python and Java • Architect and implement AI/ML pipelines, including model training and inference services • Collaborate with Data Scientists to productionize models with performance and scalability in mind • Mentor engineers on AI integration, clean code, and software architecture best practices • Drive MLOps adoption: model versioning, CI/CD for ML, monitoring, and automation • Work cross-functionally to transform business requirements into AI-enabled solutions • Stay current with the latest AI/ML innovations and assess their fit for enterprise use Required Qualifications: • Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field • 8+ years of software engineering experience, with 3+ years in a leadership role • Strong programming skills in Python and Java • Proven experience building scalable backend systems • Hands-on experience with AI/ML frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn) • Experience deploying ML models to production (REST APIs, batch jobs, etc.) • Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) • Solid grasp of data structures, algorithms, and modern software architecture