Principal AI/ML Engineer (Remote – US Based)

Principal AI/ML Engineer (Remote – US Based)
Full-Time | Remote or Hybrid Options | $203K–$270K Base + Bonus + Equity

We’re a leading staffing partner working with a global payments and technology company seeking an experienced Principal AI/ML Engineer to lead the development of AI/ML infrastructure at scale. This is a high-impact leadership role ideal for someone who thrives in fast-moving, data-driven environments and is passionate about building production-grade AI/ML platforms.

What You'll Do:

• Architect and lead the development of scalable AI/ML platforms and services used across the organization.

• Drive technical strategy and innovation in AI/ML infrastructure, data pipelines, and real-time systems.

• Own end-to-end system performance, reliability, security, and observability.

• Guide your team and peers in using machine learning, reinforcement learning, and LLM technologies to solve complex business problems.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams—including data science, product, security, and SRE—to deliver highly reliable solutions.

• Champion engineering excellence: CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code (Terraform/Kubernetes), DORA metrics, and code quality.

• Serve as a mentor and thought leader, fostering a culture of innovation, ownership, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications:

• 15+ years of software engineering experience, with deep expertise in scalable backend systems, AI/ML frameworks, and cloud platforms.

• Hands-on experience with distributed systems and tools like Spark, Ray, Kubernetes, Terraform, and AWS services (S3, EMR, Lambda, etc.).

• Strong skills in Java or Python, with the willingness to code when needed.

• Demonstrated experience deploying ML models in production (supervised/unsupervised, RL, or LLMs).

• Track record of architecting and operationalizing AI/ML platforms and data pipelines in cloud environments.

• Ability to mentor engineers, set technical direction, and build high-performing teams.

• Strong communication and leadership presence—able to influence at all levels of the organization.

Nice to Have:

• Experience with SageMaker, Azure, and big data tools like Hadoop, HBase, Hive, or Spark.

• Understanding of payments, fintech, or risk modeling systems.

Compensation & Benefits:

• Base Salary: $203,000–$270,000 annually (commensurate with experience)

• Bonus & RSU package

• Comprehensive Benefits Package:

  • Medical, dental, vision, HSA/FSA

  • 401(k) with company match

  • Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays

  • Life and disability insurance

  • Tuition reimbursement

  • Employee wellness and assistance programs

Note: This is a direct-hire opportunity through our agency. You’ll work directly with the client company in a full-time capacity.