Lead AI Architect

Job Description

Lead AI Architect (Remote)
The E.W. Scripps Company is seeking a Lead AI Architect to design and implement enterprise-scale AI solutions with a strong engineering foundation, bringing deep technical expertise in agentic systems, developer tooling, and AI platform integration. Contribute to the architectural strategy for AI-powered applications - including agent frameworks, tool ecosystems, and model provider integrations - and translate business requirements into production-grade systems built to last.
WHAT YOU'LL DO:
• Define and own AI solution architectures spanning agentic workflows, MCP server infrastructure, and multi-model orchestration.
• Lead the design and deployment of complex RAG architectures and vector database strategies to support enterprise data retrieval.
• Architect and implement MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers and tool integrations, emphasizing advanced function calling and structured output schemas.
• Drive integration with major model providers (AWS Bedrock, Azure OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.) and define standards for model selection, routing, and fallback. Establish engineering patterns for AI observability, prompt engineering, and rigorous AI evaluation frameworks to ensure reliability.
• Collaborate with engineering, product, and platform teams to deliver integrated AI solutions within existing software ecosystems.
• Ensure scalability, security, and maintainability through sound software architecture principles.
• Guide prototyping and proof-of-concept efforts; define technical evaluation criteria for emerging AI tools and frameworks.
• Present technical solutions and recommendations to senior stakeholders in a clear and compelling way.
• Mentor peers and establish best practices in AI engineering, agent design, and tooling.
• Uphold and define security, compliance, and responsible AI standards, specifically addressing OWASP LLM Top 10 risks, prompt injection, and PII leakage.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
• Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Advanced experience building and deploying production AI applications with a software engineering mindset.
• Hands-on expertise designing and deploying AI agents using frameworks such as LangChain, LangGraph, CrewAI, AutoGen, or similar.
• Deep understanding of RAG implementation patterns and vector database optimization.
• Proficiency setting up and managing MCP servers and defining tool schemas for LLM tool-use integrations.
• Strong experience integrating with cloud-hosted model providers - particularly AWS Bedrock and Azure AI Service.
• Proficiency in at least one backend programming language (Python, TypeScript/Node.js, Java, etc.) for building production AI systems.
• Familiarity with REST/GraphQL APIs, event-driven architectures, and containerized deployments (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure-as-code, and developer tooling in cloud environments.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts to diverse audiences. Advanced understanding of AI safety, prompt security, and responsible AI practices.
WHAT YOU'LL BRING:
• BS/BA in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related discipline; or equivalent hands-on experience required.
• Generally 8+ years of experience in software engineering or related field; experience in AI/agent development strongly preferred.
• Experience in the Media and Broadcast domain is a plus.
• Awareness or experience with LLM fine-tuning is a major plus. Relevant certifications (AWS, Azure, cloud AI services) a plus.
If you are a current Scripps employee, please do not apply on this site. Please access our internal career site at Worklife > My Info > View Open Positions at Scripps.
SCRIPPS' COMMITMENT TO A CULTURE THAT CREATES CONNECTION:
At Scripps, we are committed to a culture that reflects the audiences and communities we serve. We are intentional about creating an environment where employees, our audiences and other stakeholders feel valued and inspired to reach their full potential and create connections. To successfully deliver on this commitment, we must understand and reflect the values and perspectives those around us embody. That process begins by looking inward to build and celebrate a respectful workplace where everyone feels a sense of belonging and connection. By continuing to cultivate an environment where all employees have a fair chance to s/ucceed, are included, valued, and seen, we will strengthen the connections that drive positive business impact and align with our core purpose.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-k23760-216-73-216-42-42 in your application.