AI Tech Lead - Remote Contract Role in LATAM — Columbus
Traveler-Friendly Insight
Remote-First, LATAM-Restricted Contract: This is a fully remote contractor role, but it is explicitly limited to candidates based in LATAM. That means you can work from anywhere within Latin America — a great fit for nomads who rotate between cities like Medellín, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, or Lima, as long as you stay within the region.
Schedule & Timezone Flexibility: The posting does not specify fixed hours, but the requirement to work in an English-speaking environment and partner with Product Management suggests overlap with US business hours (likely EST or PST). Expect some synchronous meetings, but the cross-functional pod structure suggests a reasonable degree of async autonomy for deep technical work.
Compensation vs. Cost of Living:
- Medellín, Colombia: $3,500–$4,500/mo USD is very comfortable — roughly 3–4x the local average professional salary. A digital nomad can live well for $1,200–$1,800/mo.
- Buenos Aires, Argentina: Purchasing power is high due to favorable exchange rates; this salary affords an excellent lifestyle.
- Mexico City, Mexico: $3,500–$4,500 comfortably covers quality housing, coworking, and travel; mid-range living runs ~$1,500–$2,200/mo.
Visa Considerations: Several LATAM countries offer digital nomad visas (e.g., Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Panama) or allow contractor work on tourist visas for short stays. As a contractor, you should consult local tax rules for your base country of residence. No equipment stipend or coworking allowance is mentioned.
The Tech Lead is responsible for translating product ideas and data science capabilities into production-ready AI solutions. This role partners closely with Product Management and the Data Science Leader to rapidly design, prototype, and ship AI-driven features that deliver measurable business value. This is a highly hands-on technical leadership role focused on speed, pragmatism, and production quality, balancing experimentation with scalable engineering practices.
This is a remote opportunity. We are seeking contractors located in LATAM who are comfortable working in an English-speaking professional environment.
Key Responsibilities
AI Solution Delivery & Architecture
- Lead the technical design and implementation of AI-powered product features from concept through production.
- Own end-to-end architecture for AI solutions, including data flows, model integration, APIs, and application integration.
- Make pragmatic decisions to accelerate delivery while maintaining system integrity.
- Ensure AI solutions are secure, observable, scalable, and aligned with platform standards.
Pod Leadership & Execution
- Act as the technical lead for a cross-functional AI Pod.
- Break down product requirements into executable technical workstreams and prototypes.
- Guide rapid iteration cycles, proofs-of-concept, and MVPs, balancing experimentation with production readiness.
- Review code, architecture, and technical decisions to maintain quality and velocity.
Product & Data Collaboration
- Partner closely with Product Management to shape problem definitions, success metrics, and delivery plans.
- Collaborate with the Data Science Leader to integrate models, analytics, and data assets into product workflows.
- Translate data science outputs into consumable APIs, services, and product features.
- Provide technical feedback on feasibility, scope, and tradeoffs during product discovery.
Operationalization & Quality
- Ensure features are production-grade, including monitoring, logging, and performance tracking.
- Implement guardrails around AI usage, including reliability, latency, cost controls, and failure modes.
- Support experimentation frameworks, A/B testing, and post-launch learning loops.
- Drive responsible AI practices, including explainability, bias awareness, and data privacy considerations.
Technical Standards & Enablement
- Define and enforce lightweight engineering standards for AI-enabled systems.
- Promote reuse of components, prompts, pipelines, and services across AI initiatives.
- Mentor pod engineers on AI-adjacent system design and best practices.
- Contribute to internal documentation and shared AI patterns/playbooks.
Required Qualifications
- BS or MS in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field.
- 5+ years of software engineering experience, including leading complex systems.
- Strong experience designing and building production APIs and backend services.
- Proficiency in Python and at least one backend language (e.g., Java, Node.js, Go).
- Experience with cloud-native architectures (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
- Solid understanding of data pipelines, model serving, and system observability.
- Ability to work closely with product teams in fast-moving, iterative environments.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working in AI-first or data-driven product teams.
- Familiarity with modern LLM platforms, prompt engineering, and agent frameworks.
- Experience operationalizing ML models (model serving, monitoring, versioning).
- Exposure to experimentation platforms, feature flags, and A/B testing.
- Experience in Agile or product-led development environments.
Total monthly compensation: $3,500–$4,500 USD
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a fully remote position?
What is the compensation for this Tech Lead role?
Is this a full-time employee position or a contract role?
What technical skills are required for this AI Tech Lead role?
Is experience with LLMs or generative AI required?
