Lead AI Engineer - Autonomous Trading-Strategy Validation Platform (Python) | Individual Only

We run a systematic crypto trading operation on infrastructure we built ourselves - our platform has executed live strategies for 2+ years. Our next-generation core (Python microservices on Redis Streams, ArcticDB point-in-time data store, AWS, full CI/CD) is deploying now. What comes next is the reason for this role. THE ROLE Lead the build of our AI layer - two connected systems: 1) A strategy validation engine: an automated pipeline where candidate trading strategies are generated (human + AI), then survive - or die in - a gauntlet of realistic cost/slippage modeling, walk-forward testing on unseen data, overfitting checks (deflated Sharpe, backtest-overfitting probability), capacity and stress tests, and live paper trading. Nothing touches capital without passing, and a human approves every allocation - the machine recommends, it never spends. 2) A real-time operations terminal: one screen for the whole operation - live NAV/exposure/P&L, every strategy's pipeline state with its evidence, system health, and alerting. You lead architecture and delivery of this layer end to end, working directly with our quant researcher and tech lead. This is a lead role with real ownership - not ticket-taking. YOU - Senior Python engineer with production distributed-systems experience (message streams, microservices); TypeScript/React for the terminal front end - AI-native daily workflow (Claude Code, Cursor, or equivalent) - and clear about where you do NOT trust these tools - Experience with backtesting, quantitative finance, or market-data pipelines is a strong plus - An INDIVIDUAL, not an agency. We verify this. Proposals filed under an agency, or where the work would be delegated, are declined - no exceptions. HOW WE WORK Everything lands through reviewed PRs - no direct pushes. Weekly written status. Discord for planning and alerts. Every component documented so no single person is a point of failure. Paid trial task first; then long-term, full-time (~40 hrs/week) with substantial daily overlap with US Eastern hours. COMPENSATION Approximately $650/week full-time to start, reviewed upward as ownership and results are proven. If that structure does not work for you, please do not apply. TO APPLY - answer these three questions (applications that ignore them are declined): 1. Describe a validation, backtesting, or data-intensive pipeline you built that reached production. What broke once real data/users hit it, and how did you fix it? 2. Which AI development tools are part of your daily workflow, and where do you NOT trust them? 3. What is your current availability, and what other commitments do you have right now? Confirm you are applying as an individual.