Senior Research And Development Engineer

About the CompanyFirst Tech is a technology company focused on building, scaling, and delivering innovative digital platforms across financial services and other industries.We combine technology, product expertise, and a deep understanding of customer needs to create solutions that simplify complex processes and deliver seamless digital experiences. Our platforms are designed to be scalable, reliable, and impactful, helping businesses and customers navigate the evolving digital landscape with confidence.Founded with a vision to accelerate digital transformation, First Tech brings together strong engineering capabilities, product development expertise, and a culture of innovation to build modern solutions that address real-world challenges.By partnering with forward-thinking businesses and developing technology-driven products, we aim to reshape industries and improve everyday experiences. We believe in creating an inclusive, collaborative environment where talented individuals are empowered to innovate, grow, and make a meaningful impact.Job PurposeThe R&D Engineer prototypes and evaluates emerging technologies, platforms and AI capabilities ahead of product commitment, so that major technology bets are de-risked before they are made.The role runs time-boxed proofs of concept with defined success criteria and a clear go or no-go outcome and is accountable for an honest verdict rather than a favourable one.Proven work is handed to Development or AI for productization with documentation and a working reference implementation, so that the receiving team inherits something they can build on rather than a demonstration.The role exists to protect long-horizon work from day-to-day delivery pressure. It is an individual contributor position with group-wide scope and a deliberately experimental remit.The group operates an AI-first model. AI agentic tooling is the default means of producing work in this role, and the role holder runs it, directs it and remains fully accountable for reviewing and validating everything it produces.

What You'll Do

Technology Scouting & AssessmentMonitor emerging technologies, platforms, frameworks and AI capabilities relevant to the group’s products and markets.Assess technologies against the existing stack, cloud footprint, regulatory requirements, team capability and cost.Maintain a documented shortlist of technologies to pursue or rule out, with clear rationale.Present findings to Technology leadership in terms of business opportunity, cost and risk.Proofs of ConceptDesign each PoC around a specific question, agreed success criteria and a defined time box.Build realistic prototypes that test key risks, edge cases and failure scenarios, not just the happy path.Instrument and measure results objectively, stopping at the agreed time box and reporting inconclusive outcomes where applicable.Recommendations & ProductizationProvide a clear, evidence-based go/no-go recommendation for every PoC, including assumptions and conditions that could invalidate the recommendation.Quantify expected productization cost, effort and risk, and document lessons from unsuccessful investigations.Hand proven work to Development or AI with a working reference implementation, architecture, dependencies, configuration, limitations and open questions.Support early productization while ensuring prototype code is never promoted to production without normal engineering treatment and controls.AI & Machine LearningEvaluate AI/ML capabilities including hosted and open models, RAG, vector search, evaluation methods and inference cost across Azure AI, Azure OpenAI and comparable services.Work with the AI team to define the boundary between research and production model development.Assess data availability, quality, licensing and residency constraints before recommending AI-dependent solutions.Test AI outputs for reliability, bias and failure behavior, clearly identifying capabilities that are not yet dependableRequired ExperienceMinimum 6 years of experience in Software EngineeringStrong hands-on experience with .NET / ASP.NET Core and C# (Backend)Strong hands-on experience with React or React NativeExperience with TypeScript, MS SQL Server/PostgreSQL, Redis, Docker, and KubernetesExperience building prototypes and Proofs of Concept (PoCs) and evaluating new technologiesPractical experience with AI/Generative AI, including LLM integration, RAG, and model/prompt evaluationExperience with cloud platforms, preferably Azure, including Azure AI/Azure OpenAIWorking knowledge of Linux/Bash and PowerShellExperience with LangChain and vector databases is preferredExperience in insurance, financial services, government, or other regulated industries is an advantageWorking Model: Onsite - 5 days in office

Location: Amman - JordanSo, what does it really mean to work at First.Tech?We are building a company where people are empowered to do their best work and grow.

Our culture is rooted in ownership, collaboration, and continuous learning.As part of First Tech, you will be working in an environment that values innovation, speed, and impact, while giving you the opportunity to shape products that directly affect how people experience financial services.We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We welcome people from all backgrounds and encourage you to apply if this role excites you.