Senior AI Researcher ML Engineer Cognitive Computing

Location: Athens, Greece (Full Relocation & EU Blue Card Sponsorship Provided)

About Us

Athena Group Limited (Athena Group) is a global pioneer in Sovereign Cloud, Cybersecurity, and Sovereign AI. Operating through our leading brands of Cloud Carib Limited (serving the Caribbean, Central, and South America) and Athena Cloud Limited (focusing on EMEA and global markets). We are building the secure, sovereign digital infrastructure of the future.

We offer a unique sanctuary for top-tier US talent looking to escape the noise and political polarisation of the United States. Relocate to the beautiful Mediterranean city of Athens, Greece, where you can focus on pure innovation, high-impact research, and an exceptional quality of life. As we aggressively scale our operations and map our trajectory toward a major Euronext market listing by the end of the decade, joining us now represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a foundational leader in a globally significant enterprise.

The Mission: Solving the Agentic AI Internet

Over 25 years ago, the computer services industry set out to solve the challenge of "Autonomic Computing" which was supposed to be systems capable of self-management, self-healing, and self-optimization. The vision was ahead of its time, constrained by the technology of the era. Today, we are finally realising that vision through Cognitive Computing powered by Agentic AI.

We are assembling an elite strike team in Athens to build out this Cognitive Computing framework. You will be developing the Agentic AI engines and harness systems that will serve as the backbone for the next generation of the internet. This is a highly compelling, unsolved problem that the world must overcome to enable secure, autonomous, and scalable Agentic AI ecosystems. By joining Athena Group, your research and engineering will directly solve this historic challenge.

Role Description

We are seeking a highly experienced Data Scientist and AI Researcher to lead the design, development, and deployment of advanced autonomous AI models. You will bridge the gap between cutting-edge theoretical research and scalable, real-world solutions within our sovereign AI infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Spearhead the research and development of Cognitive Computing systems, advancing the historic goals of Autonomic Computing through modern Agentic AI and harness development.
• Design, build, and deploy production-grade autonomous machine learning models and end-to-end AI pipelines for sovereign environments.
• Architect advanced NLP solutions, including complex Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architectures, document ingestion, and conversational AI orchestration.
• Perform complex data clustering, anomaly detection, and predictive modelling using both tabular and time-series data to enable self-healing and self-optimizing cloud infrastructure.
• Architect and maintain scalable MLOps workflows leveraging cloud environments within legally Sovereign Stacks and Sovereign Cloud infrastructure protecting societies via VMware VCF/vCloud and Openstack solutions including containerisation tools (Kubernetes, Lxd, Linux).
• Collaborate with cross-functional global teams at Cloud Carib and Athena Cloud to integrate AI capabilities into back-end systems (Python, Flask, FastAPI, and other languages necessary for MLOps, and AI Harness development).
• Lead research into new deep learning algorithms to improve training, interpretation, and optimisation of neural networks for secure, isolated environments.

Requirements

• Master's degree or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Machine Learning, or a closely related field.
• Proven track record as a Senior Data Scientist, Machine Learning Engineer, or AI Researcher with a strong publication or production-deployment history.
• Deep passion for solving complex, fundamental computer science problems, specifically related to autonomous systems and Agentic AI.
• Extensive programming expertise in Python, SQL, and familiarity with C++, JavaScript, or Bash.
• Deep technical knowledge of ML/DL frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, Keras, scikit-learn, XGBoost, and Hugging Face.
• Hands-on experience with modern MLOps practices (Git, Docker, Jenkins, Grafana) and API integrations.
• A strong desire to relocate to Europe, seeking a healthier work-life balance and a focused, research-driven professional environment away from US domestic politics.

Benefits

Benefits & The Opportunity

• Full Relocation & Visa Sponsorship: Comprehensive support for your transition from the US to Athens, Greece, including complete processing of your EU Blue Card via our Law89 entity.
• Pre-IPO Trajectory: Unparalleled career growth and equity potential as you join a scaling global entity tracking toward a Euronext listing.
• Impactful Work: The chance to definitively solve the Autonomic Computing challenge and shape the Agentic AI-based internet.
• Unmatched Lifestyle: Enjoy the climate, culture, cuisine, and history of Greece, backed by comprehensive health insurance and wellness benefits.
• Access to state-of-the-art computational resources (including high-end local AI inference hardware) and a highly collaborative, research-driven environment.