Musashi AI North America, Inc. is a growing hardware and software focused company that builds smart vision solutions for quality assurance in manufacturing environments. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, Musashi AI North America employs a talented and dynamic team of R&D and Applications Engineers who lead design, prototyping, and testing efforts to drive new technology development, build innovative products, and support our deployed solutions.
The AI Team Lead , responsible for prioritizing team tasks, defining growth plans, and ensuring high team performance, will lead the development, deployment, integration, and ongoing maintenance of AI/ML solutions across the organization. This role focuses on transitioning AI/ML research and prototypes into robust, scalable production systems while ensuring continuous operation, performance optimization, and adaptability to evolving business needs. As a team lead, you will be both a hands-on contributor and strategic leader , managing a high-performing team of AI/ML engineers. You will be responsible for setting the technical direction and AI strategy , prioritizing tasks , defining team structure , establishing KPIs , and driving team growth and development . The role will be roughly 30% leadership and 70% hands-on , balancing technical execution with leadership and mentoring responsibilities. The team lead will collaborate with cross-functional teams including optics, electrical and robotics, and dashboard analytics, and will influence strategic initiatives that drive cost reduction, productivity improvements, and long-term value.
Reports to: Director of Engineering
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Math, or a related field. Preferably P.Eng or master's in Computer Science, Software Engineering.
- 10+ years of experience designing, deploying, and maintaining AI/ML solutions in production environments, including 5+ years in technical leadership or architecture roles.
- Deep experience with state-of-the-art computer vision algorithms and their real-world applications.
- Proficiency in Python, C, C++, and libraries such as OpenCV and CUDA.
- Expertise with frameworks such as TensorFlow and/or PyTorch.
- Experience productizing ML models with tools like CUDA, TensorRT, TFLite, and model quantization.
- Strong understanding of edge computing technologies (e.g., Nvidia GPUs) and cloud computing platforms.
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines and MLOps practices for deploying and updating ML systems.
- Proven ability to create, manage, and deploy deep learning datasets for computer vision tasks.
- Experience in industrial automation, automated inspection systems, or robotics is a strong asset.
- Strong mathematical, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and collaborate effectively in a team environment.
Job Responsibilities:
This role combines both strategic leadership and hands-on execution . To make the blend of responsibilities clear, they are grouped together below, showing how the AI Team Lead balances direction setting, team management, and direct technical contributions.
Strategic Leadership
- Ability to drive measurable business outcomes and communicating impact to leadership.
- Define the technical direction and long-term AI/ML strategy for Musashi AI North America.
- Provide strategic guidance on project planning, cost, risk management, and deployment feasibility.
- Define team structure, establish performance KPIs, and drive growth strategies for the AI/ML team.
- Prioritize engineering efforts and balance workloads across projects to meet key milestones.
- Present project updates, performance metrics, and future plans to internal stakeholders and leadership.
Operational & Hands-On Execution
- Lead the end-to-end deployment and integration of AI/ML models into production systems with a focus on scalability, performance, and robustness.
- Translate computer vision research and IP into production-ready, maintainable systems.
- Oversee maintenance and performance monitoring of deployed systems, ensuring minimal downtime and continuous improvement.
- Define and test models against production metrics and business KPIs.
- Conduct applied research to support product development and troubleshoot production issues.
- Monitor and evaluate new trends and technologies in AI/ML to guide internal strategy and tool adoption.
- Mentor junior engineers and drive team growth through recruitment, training, and performance development, fostering best practices across AI/ML and engineering teams.
- Travel to client and Musashi locations as needed for project execution and collaboration.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience with system monitoring, alerting, and observability tools for production AI.
- Understanding of cybersecurity best practices for ML systems in industrial environments.
Personal Attributes:
- Creative and analytical thinker with a proactive and solution-oriented mindset.
- Strong time management and organizational skills.
- Confident communicator who can convey complex technical ideas across teams.
- Professional, mature, and composed under pressure.
- Initiative-driven and comfortable leading through ambiguity.
- Collaborative and respectful team member who uplifts peers and contributes to team culture.
Musashi AI North America Expectations:
- Uphold company values, policies, and ethical standards.
- Be a champion of the Musashi Philosophy and 5S principles.
- Maintain adherence to all safety protocols and procedures.
- Contribute to the achievement of company and departmental goals.
- Engage constructively with peers and cross-functional collaborators.
Please note: This job description is not exhaustive. Duties and responsibilities may change at any time based on business needs.