Head of Applied AI
Catena Labs is seeking a Head of Applied AI to lead its AI Platform team, combining AI engineering and data science. This role involves building production AI systems, setting technical direction, and owning the orchestration layer connecting product experiences to banking infrastructure. The successful candidate will also be responsible for hiring and developing AI engineers and data scientists.
Catena Labs is building the first AI-native financial institution to provide the new financial infrastructure and services AI systems need to conduct commerce. We’re giving AI agents the tools to identify themselves and use money safely and efficiently. At the same time, we’re providing businesses with a trusted, licensed financial partner with the capability to manage risk and compliance. By building a financial institution with AI and stablecoin infrastructure, we are breaking down the legacy financial system barriers that prevent an AI-driven economy.
Backed by leading venture investors, we’re assembling a team of engineers, designers, data scientists, and finance professionals working together to build a stronger, more resilient global economy that creates broad prosperity. We’re looking for people with the talent, curiosity, and passion to invent an entirely new category of financial services.
We're looking for a Head of Applied AI to lead our AI Platform team. This role combines AI engineering and data science. You'll build systems directly while setting technical direction for how AI works across Catena, both in our products and our operations.
The AI Platform team sits alongside Product Development and Banking Core, and reports to the CTO. You'll own the tools, models, frameworks, and eval processes we use internally and within our products. Product Development relies on your team's capabilities, and you'll ensure AI integrates reliably with Banking Core via APIs, MCP, and other interfaces. You'll also build AI tools that make the company itself more effective.
This spans product AI (agent interactions, identity, risk), operational AI (compliance workflows, automation), and corporate AI (how the team works with AI daily). We care more about good judgment on what to build than rigid adherence to categories.
Initially, this is an 80/20 maker/manager role. You'll build on an existing foundation while growing the team.
We work primarily in Python and TypeScript, deploy on AWS and CloudFlare, and use multiple models. You'll have opinions on this stack and the latitude to evolve it.
Posted May 31, 2026