Head of AI Engineering - NCT

<div class="content-intro"><p>Banyan Software is the best permanent home for software businesses that serve specialized industries, their employees, and their customers. With a buy-grow-and-hold-for-life approach and a permanent capital base, Banyan acquires and grows companies worldwide, honoring founder legacies and helping portfolio companies modernize through shared AI expertise and operational discipline. Founded in 2016, Banyan operates more than 120 portfolio companies across North and South America, Europe, and APAC, and has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list for six consecutive years. The Banyan Software Foundation, endowed with $100 million in Banyan stock, leverages technology to build a greener and more equitable world.</p></div><h1><strong>Head of AI Engineering</strong></h1> <p><strong>Company:</strong> Next Chapter Technology (An Operating Company of Banyan Software)</p> <p><strong>Location:</strong> US-Based (Remote) — <em>Must meet federal-adjacent compliance eligibility</em> <strong>Reports To:</strong> Chief Executive Officer</p> <h3><strong>About Next Chapter Technology (NCT)</strong></h3> <p>Next Chapter Technology builds CaseWorks, a mission-critical content and workflow management platform embedded in county-level Health and Human Services operations across the United States. With a 15-year engineering history, a captive install base, and structured operational data, NCT sits at an inflection point to become an AI-first platform. As a Banyan Software operating company, we combine the agility of an independent business with the permanent backing of a global enterprise that buys, holds, and grows software companies for life.</p> <h3><strong>The Opportunity</strong></h3> <p>We are seeking a <strong>Head of AI Engineering</strong> to spearhead NCT’s transition into an AI-first platform. This is an intensely hands-on, builder-to-leader role designed for an elite engineer who is energized by complex, legacy transformation.</p> <p>You will lead from the front with a strict <strong>"build-solo-first" mandate</strong>. Your initial mission is to personally design, build, and prove the first version of NCT's AI-driven capability, shipping measurable customer value before expanding headcount. Once the AI factory framework is successfully established, you will take on the people-management responsibility of scaling and upskilling the engineering team to adopt these modern workflows. We are not looking for a hands-off manager or a slide-deck architect—anyone who has left day-to-day technical execution behind will not be a fit.</p> <h3><strong>What You Will Own</strong></h3> <ul> <li><strong>AI-First Modernization (Hands-On):</strong> Personally design and build NCT's foundational AI capabilities (RAG systems, code generation, LLM orchestration, and multi-agent workflows) to analyze legacy code and generate production-ready services.</li> <li><strong>Platform Modernization:</strong> Pragmatically refactor legacy components into scalable, cloud-native services and replace manual workflows with AI-driven automation without succumbing to the temptation of a wholesale platform rewrite.</li> <li><strong>Phased Engineering Leadership:</strong> Once the AI factory is proven solo, you will assume direct delivery outcomes: managing team execution, elevating talent density, setting engineering rhythms, and mentoring developers into an AI-native way of working.</li> <li><strong>Safe, Compliant Execution:</strong> Safely deploy features (utilizing feature flags, shadow mode, and monitoring) while strictly operating within government-adjacent and public-sector compliance frameworks (HIPAA, CJI