AI Engineer

Build the AI capabilities that will shape the future of housing and real estate software

At Zig, AI is no longer a future ambition. Across the business, it's already shaping real problems like rental payment predictions, pricing and asset management , concrete territory, not one fixed use case. This role isn't tied to a single product or country: you'll work across the whole of Zig, wherever the Group is growing. And Zig is growing with a clear ambition: to become the leading property tech company in Europe, with AI at the centre of it. So now we are ready to take the next step, and are hiring a AI Engineer.

As our first dedicated AI Engineer, you will help determine how we design, evaluate and scale AI across our products. You will work directly with our Chief AI Officer and turn complex challenges in housing and real estate into dependable product capabilities.

This is not a role focused on prototypes that never leave a notebook. You will build AI systems that customers can rely on, that deliver measurable value and that can be evaluated, governed and improved throughout their lifecycle. 

What will you do?

As an AI Engineer, you will take ownership of AI capabilities from initial problem definition through to production and continuous improvement.

You will:

• Design, build, deploy and monitor AI-powered features embedded in Zig’s existing SaaS products, while managing the lifecycle of models, prompts, datasets and releases.

• Develop evaluation strategies using representative datasets, reference tests, quality metrics and regression testing to demonstrate how AI systems perform before and after release.

• Work with Product Management, domain experts, engineers and customer-facing teams to identify valuable use cases, assess feasibility and turn business challenges into scalable solutions.

• Apply generative AI, agentic systems, retrieval-augmented generation and conventional machine learning, while contributing to architecture, privacy, security and AI governance.

In your first months, your focus will be on delivering a working version of one of the use cases in Zig’s AI portfolio. Together with our Chief AI Officer, you will also help establish the engineering principles and working methods on which Zig’s future AI capability will be built.

What do you bring?

You enjoy taking ownership and turning ideas into reality. In this role, you'll have the opportunity to influence technical decisions, challenge existing approaches, and help shape the future of AI within Zig. If you're excited by building new capabilities, continuously improving them and seeing the impact of your work in the hands of customers, this role is for you. 

Must-haves

• At least three years of professional software engineering experience, including at least two years working on AI or machine learning systems that reached production and remained in active use.

• Strong development skills in Python or TypeScript, working proficiency in SQL and the ability to implement solutions directly in product code rather than only in notebooks.

• Production experience with machine learning or large language models, including prompt and system prompt design, tool or function calling and at least one live RAG or agentic system.

• A solid conventional machine learning background, including feature engineering, model selection, validation, calibration, experimentation and the judgement to recognise when a language model is not the right solution.

• Practical experience with evaluation methods and cloud-based AI workloads, combined with clear written and spoken English and the ability to explain technical trade-offs to different stakeholders. 

Nice-to-haves

Experience with one or more of the following would be a plus:

• Data engineering, relational data stores and vector or hybrid search.

• Agent interoperability patterns such as Model Context Protocol, or practical exposure to different agent frameworks.

• Fine-tuning, adapter training, causal inference, uplift modelling or mentoring engineers moving into AI engineering. 

What do we offer?

• A challenging position in a fast-growing international software company, with direct access to the person shaping Zig’s AI direction.

• The opportunity to have a meaningful influence on our technology, architecture and product choices.

• Plenty of room for initiative, technical ownership, experimentation and professional development.

• Room to learn, experiment, and grow into an experienced AI Engineer, backed by guidance, coaching, and access to Zig Growth inclusive Udemy.

• Hybrid working, combining working from home with time at our Bucharest office.

• A competitive salary based on your knowledge and experience.

• The opportunity to help build and grow Zig’s AI engineering capability in the coming years.

Who are we?

At Zig, we build software that makes housing work, for everyone involved. For more than twenty years, we have been developing smart software for housing and real estate organizations. From our roots in the Netherlands, we have grown into a pan-European organisation with dedicated teams in four countries. We serve both social housing and commercial real estate, with integrated digital platforms that help housing association, property managers, developers and investors work faster, serve residents better, and build organisations that a ready for what comes next.  Software that simplifies processes, strengthens collaboration and creates room for what truly matters: pleasant and sustainable living environments for tenants.

Innovation is in our DNA. We are at the forefront of digitalization within the real estate sector and have been selected by Microsoft as an innovation partner. This means we build on a strong cloud foundation while actively working with the latest technologies in data, AI and automation. We do not innovate simply for the sake of innovation. We create smart applications that help organizations work faster, more effectively and with greater clarity.

Our software solutions support housing and real estate professionals in their daily work, from customer contact and maintenance to data insights and administration and finances. It is where processes, data and AI connect and reinforce one another, making work more efficient, intelligent and future-ready.

But Zig is about more than technology. We are a group of committed colleagues who build, learn and grow together. We believe in collaboration, clarity, and continuous improvement. You will have the freedom to contribute ideas and play an active role in innovation.

Alongside hard work, there is plenty of room for connection and enjoyment. Through our staff association, Zig | Time Out, we organize social, sporting and culinary activities, including drinks, sports events and team outings. And yes, for those who want to join, we even go on winter sports trips together.

Zig is growing. We prefer to do that together with people who are curious, energized by innovation and eager to contribute to solutions that truly matter.

Does that sound like your kind of place?

Join the club.

Zig | Making housing easier.

Ready to make an impact?

If you're excited about building AI solutions that solve real-world problems and want to help shape the future of housing and real estate software, we'd love to hear from you. Send Codruta-Florica Ilie your CV of contact her if you have any questions Codruta.Ilie@zig.nl or by phone +40722121588