Lead Conversational AI Engineer

J  o  b    D  e  s  c  r  i  p  t  i  o  n

THE DETAILS

Job Code:

12107

Grade:

22S

Status:

Exempt

POSITION AND PURPOSE

The Lead Conversational AI Engineer is responsible for leading the design, implementation, governance, and optimization of conversational AI solutions using modern AI frameworks. This role provides technical leadership for conversational AI initiatives, establishes platform standards and best practices, and ensures solutions align with business objectives, technology strategies, and regulatory requirements.

Working closely with business, technology, operations, and vendor teams, this position leads the delivery of AI-driven solutions that automate interactions, orchestrate business processes, and enhance member and employee experiences. The role combines conversational design, prompt engineering, system integration, governance, platform administration, and technical leadership to deliver scalable, secure, and effective conversational AI solutions.

WHO WE ARE

Golden 1 Credit Union is among the top credit unions in the country. As a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative, Golden 1 is guided by the credit union philosophy of “people helping people.” We are committed to empowering our members and uplifting our communities as we create a more equitable and financially inclusive California. We welcome all who embrace our Core Values.

WHO YOU ARE

You champion the responsible adoption of conversational AI by setting technical direction, establishing governance standards, and delivering solutions that align business needs, technology strategy, and regulatory requirements.

You are a collaborative problem solver and trusted advisor who translates business objectives into intelligent conversational experiences, establishes best practices and governance standards, and guides teams in the successful adoption of emerging AI technologies.

You lead complex AI initiatives from concept through optimization, leveraging conversational design, prompt engineering, integrations, and analytics to create scalable experiences that drive efficiency and enhance member and employee interactions.

THE WORK

•

Conversational AI Strategy & Architecture

• Lead the design and architecture of conversational AI solutions, workflows, and integrations
• Establish standards, best practices, and governance frameworks for conversational AI development and administration
• Define conversational AI architecture, orchestration patterns, and integration approaches
• Evaluate emerging technologies, platforms, and AI capabilities and provide recommendations for adoption
• Develop and maintain conversational AI roadmaps aligned with business and technology objectives

•

Solution Design & Delivery

• Lead the design of conversation flows, prompts, tool configurations, knowledge sources, and escalation workflows
• Guide the implementation of integrations with enterprise systems using APIs and service endpoints
• Utilize JavaScript to support advanced workflow automation, validation, business rules, and integrations
• Review and approve solution designs, configurations, and implementation approaches
• Ensure solutions meet performance, scalability, security, and usability requirements

•

Governance, Compliance & Operational Excellence

• Establish governance controls, guardrails, standards, and operational practices for conversational AI solutions
• Ensure compliance with security, privacy, accessibility, and regulatory requirements
• Oversee documentation standards, change control processes, release management, and operational readiness activities
• Lead audit, risk management, and compliance-related activities for conversational AI platforms
• Monitor platform health, solution effectiveness, and business outcomes

•

Performance Optimization & Innovation

• Define and monitor key performance indicators for conversational AI solutions
• Analyze conversational data, operational metrics, and user feedback to identify improvement opportunities
• Lead prompt optimization, workflow improvements, knowledge management, and AI performance tuning efforts
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance automation, operational efficiency, and user experience

•

Leadership & Collaboration

• Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and guidance to conversational AI engineers and team members
• Collaborate with business, product, technology, operations, security, and compliance teams to define requirements and solution strategies
• Partner with vendors and platform providers to maximize platform capabilities and resolve complex issues
• Communicate solution strategies, risks, recommendations, and outcomes to leadership and stakeholders
• Support project planning, prioritization, estimation, and resource planning activities

•

Develop and maintain an understanding of the pertinent regulatory requirements and risks inherent to job responsibilities, establish, and maintain control activities that mitigate those risks consistent with the Credit Union’s risk appetite, and ensure operational integrity and compliance with applicable regulations.

QUALIFICATIONS

•

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience required

•

5+ years years of experience in conversational AI, software engineering, platform administration, business systems analysis, or a related field required

•

4+ years of experience working with conversational AI platforms required

•

4+ years of hands-on JavaScript experience required

•

Experience with large language models (LLMs), prompt engineering, APIs, and system integrations. Experience leading conversational AI implementations or enterprise technology initiatives. Experience mentoring team members and providing technical leadership.

•

Conversational AI architecture, solution design, and platform strategy

•

Prompt engineering, conversational design, and agent orchestration

•

JavaScript, APIs, integrations, and workflow automation

•

Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), knowledge management, and content governance

•

Conversational AI governance, security, compliance, and operational management

•

SaaS platform administration, including RBAC, release management, and environment promotion

•

Analytics, conversational optimization, and performance management

•

Technical leadership, mentoring, and stakeholder management

•

Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and organizational skills

•

Ability to translate business objectives and financial services workflows into scalable conversational AI solutions

•

None Required

•

Solves Problems Proactively - Tackles complex issues independently

•

Innovates and Applies Insights - Suggests improvements

•

Delivers Results with Agility - Maintains quality during change 

•

Collaborates Across Teams - Works effectively with peers 

•

Influences and Persuades - Shares expertise to guide others 

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTACTS AND RELATIONSHIPS

INTERNAL:

All levels of staff and management.

EXTERNAL:

Vendors and government agencies.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Work time includes weekend and after-hours time, based on organizational needs. This position works in-office where working conditions, lighting, temperature, audio, and workspace are all sufficient.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Work requires the ability to constantly operate a computer and the ability to read, type, and communicate. Work may require the ability to move work-related supplies weighing up to 10-15 pounds.

DISCLAIMER/INTENT AND FUNCTION OF JOB DESCRIPTIONS

The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by team members within this classification. Because the nature of positions and job functions can change over time, this job description is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all essential functions, duties, responsibilities and qualifications requirements of team members assigned to this job. Job duties may be changed or modified in the Credit Union’s discretion. The Credit Union will keep team members updated on key functions, duties, and requirements of their position by communications from the Credit Union and by updating the job description from time to time. Any team member with questions about the nature of their job duties is encouraged to consult with their supervisor.

DECLARATION/ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This job description outlines the essential functions and physical/mental requirements necessary to perform this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.