AVP, AI Engineer, Innovation

Job Description Harrison Street Asset Management ("HSAM") is a leading global alternative investment management firm focused on real estate, infrastructure, and credit strategies across North America and Europe. Headquartered in Chicago, Toronto, and London with offices across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, the firm has over $108 billion in assets under management on behalf of institutional investors and registered investment advisors globally. Founded on a culture of innovation, HSAM is an early mover in alternative real estate and mid-market infrastructure. Today, the firm's global team, consisting of more than 520 professionals, is committed to creating long-term value through deep sector expertise and forward-thinking strategies. Harrison Street is seeking to hire an AI Engineer within the Innovation Department, reporting to the Chief Innovation Officer. This individual will be instrumental in designing, building, and deploying AI/ML systems that further enhance the Firm's AI strategy.Responsibilities: AI/ML Development & DeploymentDesign, develop, and deploy production-grade machine learning models to further enhance decision makingBuild and maintain Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architectures, agentic AI workflows, and multi-model orchestration pipelines to surface insights from structured and unstructured dataDevelop AI tools that translate model outputs into human-readable insightsData Engineering & InfrastructureBuild and optimize data pipelines to ingest, clean, and structure proprietary datasets across the Firm's investment portfolioWork within secure infrastructure to deploy scalable, secure AI solutionsIntegrate AI models with existing Firm systems, databases, and reporting workflowsCross-Functional CollaborationPartner with investment, asset management, portfolio management, and Impact teams to identify AI use cases and translate business needs into technical solutionsFacilitate innovation workshops, design thinking sessions, and prototype demonstrations for senior leadershipExpand existing relationships with external partners, startups, and research institutions as appropriate to advance the Firm's AI capabilitiesResponsible AI & GovernanceEnsure all AI systems are designed with human-in-the-loop principlesAdhere to the Firm's AI Policy, including data access controls, bias mitigation, explainability standards, and regulatory complianceBuild guardrails around AI scope, data access, and output reliabilityRequirements: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Data Science, Mathematics, Physics, or a related quantitative field3–7 years of professional experience in AI/ML engineering or a closely related roleHands-on experience with LLMs and Generative AI, including RAG, prompt engineering, embeddings, fine-tuning, and agentic frameworksExperience with cloud platformsStrong data engineering skillsExcellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholdersPreferredMaster's degree or PhD in a relevant fieldPrior experience in financial services, investment management, or real estate understanding of deal execution, due diligence, underwriting, and portfolio analyticsExperience building and deploying AI systems in regulated environmentsCompetenciesTranslational Thinking - Ability to bridge AI capabilities and investment decision-making, making models actionableHuman-Centered Design - Commitment to building AI systems that augment rather than replace human judgmentIntellectual Curiosity - Passion for staying current with emerging AI technologies, industry trends, and competitive developmentsOwnership & Execution - Ability to lead projects from concept through production with minimal supervisionFor Illinois Only: The expected base salary range for this position is $125,000 to $200,000. Actual salaries may vary based on a number of factors, including skills, experience, and qualifications. In addition to base salary, total compensation at Harrison Street includes a generous discretionary bonus, along with a comprehensive range of benefits — including medical, financial, and wellness programs — designed to support our employees both professionally and personally. Harrison Street is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to veteran status, uniform service member status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information or any other protected class under federal, state, or local law. If you require accessibility assistance applying for open positions, please contact our ADA Accessible Line at (312) 920-0500 or careers@harrisonst.com. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations. Harrison Street does not accept unsolicited headhunter and agency resumes. Harrison Street will not pay fees to any third-party agency or company that does not have a signed agreement with Harrison Street.