AI/ML - Platform Engineering, Associate

About this role

Are you interested in building AI systems that fundamentally transform how software is engineered in a global financial institution? Do you like working at the speed of a startup while solving highly sophisticated, enterprise-scale problems in a highly complex environment?

With over USD $15 trillion of assets we have an exceptional responsibility, our technology empowers millions of investors to save for retirement, pay for college, buy a home, and improve their financial well-being. As an AI engineering leader at BlackRock, you will help define how AI is safely, securely, and effectively embedded into our engineering ecosystem at scale.

About the Team:

Our Platform Engineering division builds and operates the foundation system that power Aladdin and BlackRock’s enterprise technology landscape. We are leading BlackRock’s evolution toward an AI-native engineering organization. We are fundamentally reimagining how software is built, reviewed, tested, modernized, and operated through intelligent systems.

The AI Platform Engineering team is not simply integrating AI into existing workflows; we are redesigning those workflows altogether. The team drives step-change improvements in developer enablement, large-scale modernization, and enterprise AI governance. We operate at the intersection of AI innovation and enterprise-grade reliability, shaping the future of engineering across thousands of developers and multiple business domains. The team defines what AI-powered engineering looks at scale inside one of the world’s most sophisticated financial technology environments. 

Responsibilities:

• Design scalable AI architecture leveraging LLMs, RAG, fine-tuning, and model optimization techniques
• Establish evaluation frameworks to measure model quality, hallucination control, and precision/recall trade-offs
• Lead the design and implementation of scalable AI platform capabilities used across the software development lifecycle
• Partner with product and security teams to ensure AI solutions are safe, compliant, and production‑ready
• Drive delivery through ambiguity by breaking down complex problems into clear plans and milestones
• Lead buy vs. build decisions, evaluating third‑party solutions alongside internal capabilities
• Identify technical risks and dependencies early, with mitigation and escalation where needed
• Coordinate across multiple engineering teams and time zones to deliver shared outcomes
• Translate complex AI capabilities into clear business values and communicate progress, trade‑offs, and risks to senior stakeholders
• Lead and develop a team of engineers and senior ICs, providing coaching and technical mentorship
• Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Support the growth of emerging leaders by delegating responsibility and increasing scope over time

Requirements:

• Strong experience building and operating production AI systems, including LLM‑based workflows
• Solid understanding of modern AI practices such as prompt engineering, retrieval‑augmented generation, fine‑tuning, and evaluation
• Proven experience designing and delivering shared platforms or services at scale
• Deep technical fluency in Java and Python with hands-on experience building scalable, production-grade AI and platform services
• Experience designing APIs and operating services in a cloud environment
• Experience working with distributed Cloud environments
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively across teams
• Experience working in Agile development teams.

Our benefits

To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of employee benefits including: retirement investment and tools designed to help you in building a sound financial future; access to education reimbursement; comprehensive resources to support your physical health and emotional well-being; family support programs; and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about.

Our hybrid work model

BlackRock’s hybrid work model is designed to enable a culture of collaboration and apprenticeship that enriches the experience of our employees, while supporting flexibility for all. Employees are currently required to work at least 4 days in the office per week, with the flexibility to work from home 1 day a week. Some business groups may require more time in the office due to their roles and responsibilities. We remain focused on increasing the impactful moments that arise when we work together in person – aligned with our commitment to performance and innovation. As a new joiner, you can count on this hybrid model to accelerate your learning and onboarding experience here at BlackRock.

Guidance on AI use for candidates

At BlackRock, AI has long been part of how we work – enhancing decision-making, improving operations, and helping us deliver better outcomes for clients. We encourage candidates to use AI thoughtfully to learn, prepare, and work more effectively; but during our interview process, we want to focus on getting to know you through your own experiences, thinking, and judgment. To support you, we’ve provided guidance on when and how to use AI during our hiring process so you can approach each step with confidence and showcase your best self.

About BlackRock

At BlackRock, we are all connected by one mission: to help more and more people experience financial well-being.  Our clients, and the people they serve, are saving for retirement, paying for their children’s educations, buying homes and starting businesses. Their investments also help to strengthen the global economy: support businesses small and large; finance infrastructure projects that connect and power cities; and facilitate innovations that drive progress.

This mission would not be possible without our smartest investment – the one we make in our employees. It’s why we’re dedicated to creating an environment where our colleagues feel welcomed, valued and supported with networks, benefits and development opportunities to help them thrive.

To learn more about BlackRock, please visit Careers.BlackRock.com. We also encourage you to get to know us on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, X, and TikTok.

BlackRock is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to age, disability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation and other protected characteristics at law.