Principal AI/ML Engineer

Deeplight · Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates · — · Posted 2026-09-22

Workplace: on_site

Description

DeepLight AI is a specialist AI and data consultancy dedicated to transforming the regional corporate landscape through bespoke, high-impact intelligent systems. We combine deep quantitative expertise, cutting-edge cloud architecture, and modern MLOps to engineer secure, scalable, and resilient platforms designed to power enterprise AI at scale.

With deep roots across the financial services and banking sectors in the UAE, we help major institutions bridge the gap between experimental models and production-grade AI platforms. We don't build temporary fixes or isolated prototypes—we engineer bulletproof, banking-grade AI solutions for high-stakes enterprise transformations.

The Opportunity

We are seeking an exceptional Principal AI / ML Engineer to serve as a technical authority, team mentor, and trusted client principal across our high-impact enterprise engagements in the UAE.

This is a high-visibility leadership role at the intersection of quantitative science, deep learning architectures, modern MLOps, and strategic consulting. You will lead cross-functional squads of AI Engineers, Data Scientists, and Data Engineers—translating complex executive visions into elegant, production-ready machine learning and Generative AI systems while navigating client organizations with high emotional intelligence (EQ), empathy, and poise.

What You’ll Do...

Architect, build, and deploy enterprise-grade machine learning models, deep learning pipelines, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems, and LLM agent frameworks on modern cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure).
Act as the primary technical advisor to client C-suite, Chief AI Officers, and Engineering Leads. Translate complex business challenges into clear technical execution blueprints, evaluation harnesses, and delivery roadmaps.
Direct and nurture a team of AI engineers and quantitative specialists. Build a culture of psychological safety, continuous learning, and technical excellence through hands-on coaching and active listening.
Use high EQ to de-escalate project friction, align disparate business and IT agendas, and defend technical choices, explainability models, and AI ethics before architecture review boards (ARBs) and risk committees.
Design zero-trust AI security frameworks, prompt injection defences, PII masking protocols, and automated CI/CD pipelines compliant with regional Central Bank regulatory frameworks and data sovereignty laws.

As an AI consultancy, our greatest asset is the expertise of our people.
While technical mastery is the foundation of what we do, the ability to bridge the gap between complex data science and actionable business value is what defines your success with Deeplight.
We're looking for individuals who are not only world-class in their fields of specialism, but also compelling communicators and persuasive advocates for their own skills.
You will be the face of our firm, tasked with building trust, articulating the "why" behind your technical decisions, and effectively "selling" your vision to high-level stakeholders.
If you thrive on the challenge of presenting cutting-edge solutions as much as you do on building them, you will fit right in.

Requirements

What We’re Looking For...

A Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Theoretical Physics, Physics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field.
8+ years in software engineering, machine learning, and AI platform development, with substantial experience leading teams inside top-tier technology or management consultancies.
Demonstrated ability to build authentic client trust, read organizational dynamics, resolve technical friction constructively, and lead teams with empathy and clarity.
Deep technical command of modern AI frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face, LangChain/LlamaIndex), vector databases, container orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes), and cloud MLOps (AWS SageMaker, Azure OpenAI).
Proven track record of taking complex AI/ML systems out of experimental notebooks and into secure, high-concurrency production cloud environments.
While we welcome expertise across complex enterprise industries, a background in financial services, banking, or capital markets is highly advantageous.

What Gives You an Edge...

Practical experience with parameter-efficient fine-tuning (LoRA, QLoRA), quantization, and serving open-weight LLMs (vLLM, Ollama, TGI).
Hands-on experience designing concurrent multi-cloud AI architectures across AWS and Azure in regulated environments.
Experience navigating enterprise procurement, client dynamics, and local regulatory frameworks across the UAE or broader GCC region.

Benefits

The benefits you'll enjoy as part of this role include:

Competitive salary
Comprehensive 'Gold Level' personal health insurance
Individual Visa Sponsorship
Professional development and certification support
Subscription reimbursement relating to your role
Opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI projects
Monthly Employee Incentive program
Career advancement opportunities in a rapidly growing AI company

_This position offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of AI implementation while working with a talented team of professionals at the forefront of technological innovation. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in driving our company's success in delivering transformative AI solutions to our clients.

At DeepLight AI, we recognise that diversity drives innovation. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where individuals with different thinking styles can thrive and contribute their unique strengths to our specialised AI and data solutions._

Our goal is to ensure our application and interview process is accessible, predictable, and fair for all candidates.

If you require any specific adjustments to the application process, or if you require any reasonable adjustments should you be successful in being processed to the interview stage, please do let us know. This information will be kept strictly confidential and will not impact hiring decisions.

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About the company

DeepLight develops highly coherent, compact lasers tailored for space research and laser technology applications. Its lasers span the visible and near-infrared spectrum and feature exceptional frequency agility to support advanced applications, including long-range coherent LiDAR. The products rely on a combination of compact light sources and integrated photonics, including MEMS-based ultrafast acousto-optic modulation, enabling fast, precise control of laser light. Unlike many competitors, DeepLight emphasizes tight coherence, high linearity, and integration with MEMS for rapid modulation, supported by collaborations with major space agencies like the European Space Agency and revenue streams from technology sales and tech-transfer funding. The company's goal is to commercialize its laser technology for space research, communication protocols, and fibre sensing, accelerating the deployment of next-generation laser sources in science and industry.

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

Debt Financing

Total Funding

$90K

Headquarters

Saint-Sulpice, Switzerland

Founded

2021

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

In 2026, Deeplight secured Horizon Europe EIC grants for FORTE, AGILIGHT, and CombTools.
April 2026 partner validation for DLT-FT-1550 supports credibility in fiber sensing and QKD.
EPFL and FIT backing, plus 2025-2026 product updates, reduce technical and fundraising risk.

What critics are saying

Deeplight remains 11-50 employees in 2026, with fragile execution capacity.
The company still needs certifications and first-customer contracts after FIT’s 2023 seed loan.
If partner validation stalls in 2026, Deeplight becomes a grants-dependent lab, not a business.

What makes Deeplight unique

Deeplight’s April 2026 DLT-FT-1550 hits below 5 Hz intrinsic linewidth.
Its PIC-based lasers combine 2 GHz tuning with MHz-bandwidth actuation, unusual for startup hardware.
DeepLight targets QKD, fiber sensing, LiDAR, and space telecom from Swiss-German labs.

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Benefits

Health Insurance
Professional Development Budget
Performance Bonus

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

-5%

1 year growth

2 year growth

StartupTicker

May 7th, 2024

Innosuisse Funded 45 Start-Up Innovation Projects

Since the beginning of 2023 Innosuisse has been able to directly support innovation projects from start-ups before they go to market. Up to now 45 start-ups received funding – check the full list.With the Start-up innovation project, Innosuisse directly funds high potential science-based projects initiated by Swiss start-ups, giving them a financial boost to propel their market entry. The innovation projects must be based on application-oriented research and prepare the start-ups for entering the market for the first time. In the case of these projects, only the start-up is supported. A research partner is not necessary. Furthermore, eligible companies must be headquartered in Switzerland, were established not more than 5 years ago and have less than 50 full-time equivalent employees.Since the start in 2023, 45 companies received direct funding for their science-based projects

StartupTicker

Nov 21st, 2023

Deeplight and ProSeed get FIT Funding boost

Deeplight: affordable high-end lasers for mass marketsIn collaboration with EPFL's Laboratory of Photonic Integrated Circuits and Quantum Measurements, Deeplight is at the forefront of the development of innovative lasers based on hybrid photonic integrated circuit technology. These lasers are essential for applications such as satellite-to-satellite telecommunication, LiDAR remote sensing in the automotive sector, and greenhouse gas detection.   These lasers feature the highest spectral purity on the market enabling optical detection applications with much greater sensitivity than today. Deeplight has already signed licensing and collaboration agreements with EPFL, as well as development contracts with leading industrial companies.   The CHF 100,000 Tech Seed loan from FIT will enable Deeplight to strengthen the robustness of its lasers and achieve key milestones, including obtaining the relevant laser certifications and concluding contracts with its first customers.   ProSeed gives a second life to brewing by-productsProSeed's mission is to transform the Swiss food industry by upcycling brewing by-products into valuable raw materials. Using an innovative production unit, ProSeed offers breweries a hassle-free solution for transforming their by-products into food-grade raw materials, generating additional revenue while significantly reducing waste.   ProSeed's business model involves setting up processing units in breweries to convert brewers' residual grain into barley flakes, which it then sells to its network of ingredient manufacturers. The three-step process has been patented and the start-up has already signed letters of intent with breweries and food manufacturers. By teaming up with a major bakery, ProSeed sold over 8,500 baguettes made from barley flake-based protein flour in three months.   With the CHF 100,000 FoodTech loan from FIT, ProSeed will optimise its technology and increase its production capacity, with the aim of generating revenue by 2025.(Press release)

Deeplight

Principal AI/ML Engineer

About the job