Founding AI Scientist, Technical Lead

What You’ll Do

• Act as the founding AI scientist and technical leader for C10 Labs’ NYC hub, guiding both incubated ventures and operating portfolio companies.
• Work hands-on with AI and engineering teams to assess infrastructure, build models, optimize pipelines, and architect scalable systems.
• Partner with the 25+ ventures created in the studio on an annual basis, helping translate ideas into prototypes and production systems.
• Serve as the de facto “CTO” for the NYC studio, shaping internal AI direction, tooling, and partnerships.
• Lead AI diligence on new venture concepts, evaluating feasibility, data readiness, and risk.
• Mentor founders and engineers on model design, best practices, MLOps, and AI infrastructure.
• Represent C10 Labs externally as a thought leader in Applied AI, speaking and contributing to the community.

Some Expertise You Should Have

• 7+ years in AI/ML, research, or engineering roles, ideally with experience as a founding AI scientist, lead engineer, or early-stage CTO.
• Proven track record building AI-first startups or scaling early ventures; you have shipped ML models in production under real-world constraints.
• Deep technical experience with large models, MLOps tooling, distributed training, inference optimization, and cloud infrastructure.
• Strong product orientation; able to move from research to impact, balancing long-term vision with short-term delivery.
• Comfortable building under ambiguity and managing across multiple ventures simultaneously.
• Experience mentoring teams, providing technical guidance, and driving standards for AI development.
• Excellent communication skills; able to translate technical tradeoffs and decisions to non-technical stakeholders.

What We Offer

• The opportunity to define the AI backbone of a venture studio at the intersection of research, product, and early-stage execution.
• Equity stake and total compensation aligned with high-impact, mission-driven roles.
• A “startup inside a studio” environment where you’ll wear many hats and your decisions shape the trajectory of multiple companies.
• Collaboration with top-tier technical and operational talent.
• A chance to contribute meaningfully to AI ventures focused on healthcare, climate tech, mobility, energy, and beyond.

If you are passionate about AI, would love to work with an amazing team, ready to solve challenging problems, and eager to transform industries through innovative technologies, we want to hear from you. Apply now and join us on our mission to shape the future of AI.

C10 Labs is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

About C10 Labs

C10 Labs is a Cambridge-based venture studio fund transforming the future of AI-First startups. We partner with inspiring entrepreneurs to push their businesses forward and scale their solutions. Through surrounding our teams with expert technology support, operational know-how, and our network of advisors, we help create a greater impact together.