Principal, AI Architecture & Venture Development; NYC

Compensation: $180,000 - $220,000 / year

Department:
Studio

Location:

New York City

Headquartered in Kendall Square, Cambridge (MIT), C10 Labs is expanding its presence to New York City - one of the most vibrant ecosystems for Applied AI. As we grow, we are seeking bold, entrepreneurial leaders to help shape the future of AI innovation.

• Act as the founding AI scientist and technical leader for C10 Labs’ NYC hub, guiding both incubated ventures and operating portfolio companies.
• Work hands‑on with AI and engineering teams to assess infrastructure, build models, optimize pipelines, and architect scalable systems.
• Partner with the 25+ ventures created in the studio on an annual basis, helping translate ideas into prototypes and production systems.
• Serve as the de facto “CTO” for the NYC studio, shaping internal AI direction, tooling, and partnerships.
• Lead AI diligence on new venture concepts, evaluating feasibility, data readiness, and risk.
• Mentor founders and engineers on model design, best practices, MLOps, and AI infrastructure.
• Represent C10 Labs externally as a thought leader in Applied AI, speaking and contributing to the community.

• 7+ years in AI/ML, research, or engineering roles, ideally with experience as a founding AI scientist, lead engineer, or early‑stage CTO.
• Proven track record building AI‑first startups or scaling early ventures; you have shipped ML models in production under real‑world constraints.
• Deep technical experience with large models, MLOps tooling, distributed training, inference optimization, and cloud infrastructure.
• Strong product orientation; able to move from research to impact, balancing long‑term vision with short‑term delivery.
• Comfortable building under ambiguity and managing across multiple ventures simultaneously.
• Experience mentoring teams, providing technical guidance, and driving standards for AI development.
• Excellent communication skills; able to translate technical tradeoffs and decisions to non‑technical stakeholders.

• The opportunity to define the AI backbone of a venture studio at the intersection of research, product, and early‑stage execution.
• Equity stake and total compensation aligned with high‑impact, mission‑driven roles.
• A “startup inside a studio” environment where you’ll wear many hats and your decisions shape the trajectory of multiple companies.
• Collaboration with top‑tier technical and operational talent.
• A chance to contribute meaningfully to AI ventures focused on healthcare, climate tech, mobility, energy, and beyond.

C10 Labs is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.