AI Engineer III

Who we are:

At Preferred Travel Group, we champion the power of travel to inspire meaningful connections and enrich lives around the world. As a global family of brands and programs representing the finest independent hotels and resorts, we are united by a shared belief in authenticity, collaboration, and the value of independent spirit. Our culture reflects our ideology in action: people first, relationships at the center, and a commitment to creating lasting impact for our partners, our global community, and one another. When you join Preferred, you become part of a purpose-driven organization where ideas are welcomed, growth is encouraged, and your work contributes to shaping the future of travel.

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Why this role matters:

We are looking to hire a curious, hands-on, innovative, and results-oriented AI Automation Engineer who enjoys solving complex problems and transforming ideas into practical business solutions. This role translates business processes into AI-driven agents and automated workflows that integrate cleanly into enterprise systems, freeing associates to perform other tasks. As Preferred continues to expand its use of AI and intelligent automation, this position will play a critical role in identifying opportunities to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and accelerate innovation across the business. 

Success in this role comes from being able to take a proof of concept developed by others and quickly turn it into production-ready, maintainable solutions. Success also requires the ability to balance speed with quality, simplify complex technical concepts, and implement reliable AI-driven automation that can be adopted and scaled across the organization. The individual will consistently deliver solutions that are robust, well-documented, and aligned with business goals while maintaining high standards of engineering excellence.

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What you’ll deliver:

• AI Agents & Intelligent Automation (Primary Focus)
  • Design, build, and operate AI agents that perform multi-step reasoning, decision-making, and task execution across enterprise systems.
  • Develop agent-based solutions using LLMs, tools/function calling, memory, and orchestration frameworks to automate end-to-end business processes.
• Technical Leadership & Collaboration
  • Partner with business stakeholders to identify high-impact automation opportunities and translate them into AI agent designs.
  • Provide technical leadership, design guidance, and mentorship to engineers working on AI and automation initiatives.
  • Contribute to architectural standards, best practices, and documentation for agent-based AI systems.

What Would Make You Stand Out:

• Having experience with Microsoft AI products (such as Copilot, and AI Foundry) a plus as well as strong analytical skills with a bias toward quantitative evaluation of outcomes.

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What you’ll bring to the team:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or equivalent practical experience.
• Strong experience with API-driven system integration and service-based architectures in production environments.
• Hands-on experience building and operating AI-driven automation or agent-based systems.
• Solid understanding of software engineering best practices, version control, testing, and CI/CD.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver automation with measurable business impact.
• Experience with Generative AI, LLM-based agents, tool/function calling, and orchestration frameworks.
• Experience integrating AI solutions with enterprise applications and workflows.
• Familiarity with monitoring, observability, and cost management for AI systems.

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Where you’ll thrive:

• You are comfortable operating in a rapidly evolving technology landscape, thrive on continuous learning, and bring a proactive approach to identifying opportunities for automation and efficiency.
• You are naturally curious, innovative, and energized by applying AI and automation to solve real business challenges.
• You enjoy taking ideas from concept to reality, building scalable solutions that deliver meaningful business impact.

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Our Working Culture:

With our in-office philosophy, our associates are expected to be in the office at least three days per week, supporting a healthy balance between in-person collaboration and flexible remote work. We take pride in our vibrant and inclusive culture, which thrives on meaningful connection, shared purpose, and cross-functional teamwork. 

In-office engagement plays a vital role in fostering spontaneous collaboration, accelerating innovation, and strengthening relationships across teams. It also provides valuable opportunities for mentorship, professional development, and a deeper sense of community. 

Please note: While the current expectation is a minimum of three days per week in the office, this may evolve over time in alignment with business needs and our continued commitment to culture-building

Disclaimer - This description reflects the general nature and level of the role. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities or requirements.

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Salary:

$170,000 - $190,000 actual compensation within this range will be determined by multiple factors including candidate experience and expertise.