The most desirable AI and machine learning jobs on Wall Street

Senior, PhD-level engineers with a background in artificial intelligence and machine learning may have more leverage than just about anyone on Wall Street. Investment banks are desperate for people with AI experience and are going to no end to bring them aboard, industry experience bedamned. J.P. Morgan recently poached AI specialists from Google, Facebook and two leading research universities in the U.S. Goldman Sachs hired away a machine learning guru from Amazon, while Morgan Stanley hired an AI and cloud engineering expert with the background in fashion.

Needless to say, banks are surely sweetening offers to recruit expert AI minds away from tech giants and comfy university positions. That said, there aren’t a massive number of AI jobs currently available on Wall Street as use of the technology is just ramping up. As such, we mined the job boards of the top U.S. banks and found the most attractive AI-related positions in New York and other nearby cities.

Chief data scientist at Goldman Sachs

Goldman Sachs has several AI roles available, but the most senior opening is for a chief data scientist within its consumer and investment management division. The role is specific to Clarity Money, the personal-finance startup Goldman purchased last year that's housed within its three-year-old online consumer bank, Marcus. The responsibilities are broad, including developing new applications and strategies as well as research, data collection and statistical modeling. They are looking for someone with a track record in establishing AI architecture at a complex, data-driven organization, but not necessarily in financial services.

Machine learning manager at J.P. Morgan

J.P. Morgan may be carrying the banner for the industry when it comes to artificial intelligence. The are building a new office out in Silicon Valley that will house much of its AI initiatives under Apoorv Saxena, one of Google’s best AI minds who made the jump to JPM last year. The bank also recently hired renowned AI and machine learning specialist Tucker Balch in New York, where the director-level position is located.

The job will be located within J.P. Morgan’s “Machine Learning Center of Excellence” – the bank’s incubator-like group that develops next-gen applications across its business lines. It’s very much a manager position that includes recruiting and hiring younger engineers. J.P. Morgan is also advertising an AI research lead within its consumer and investment bank.

AI research manager at Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley operates a similar team to J.P. Morgan: the Morgan Stanley Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence (AI-COE). The only thing is it’s located in Montreal, where Morgan Stanley has built up one of its largest engineering sites with over 1,200 technologists. Part of its tech division, this managerial role is unique because it appears to sit on the edge of the front-office. Rather than working on consumer products, the AI research manager will partner with strats, quants and traders to develop models for trading, market and alternative data. The person will be involved in recruiting other AI minds and representing the firm at external forums. Morgan Stanley also has two AI roles open in New York, but they are VP-level positions.

Senior AI technology architect at Bank of America

While Bank of America has a designer position open in New York, it’s most interesting role is for a senior AI technology architect at its headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. The person will partner with BofA’s chief technology officer to help develop frameworks that support the bank’s enterprise technology and shared services functions using AI and cloud computing. Unlike some other AI roles, they’re looking for technical expertise as well as financial experience and a strong business acumen.

Global head of credit and operational risk analytics (CORA) at Citi

This New York-based job at Citi is a bit atypical for an AI-related position, but it’s an extremely senior managing director-level role. The global head of CORA will manage roughly 50 risk professionals in New York and Tampa across its portfolio analytics, credit risk rating analytics, wholesale stress testing and retail model development teams. The bank essentially wants to introduce quant modeling, AI and machine learning into its risk assessment and stress testing processes.

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