Principal Software Architect (mfx) Focus AI Architecture

appliedAI; Heilbronn; Hybrid; EUR 90.000 - 120.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

A leading AI solutions provider in Heilbronn is seeking a Principal Software Architect to lead AI architecture initiatives. You will define the vision and strategy for complex AI-enabled software systems, ensuring scalability and technical excellence. The ideal candidate has at least 12 years of experience in large-scale systems, with a strong focus on cloud-native technologies and MLOps. This role offers a hybrid work model and opportunities for professional growth in a collaborative environment.

Leistungen

Hybrid work model

Sports membership

Sabbatical option after 3 years

Qualifikationen

• 12 years designing and operating large-scale production-grade systems; 5 years in consulting.
• Proven experience technically leading large projects with measurable outcomes.
• Expert-level in software architecture fundamentals and cloud-native platforms.

Aufgaben

• Define architectural vision and strategy for AI-enabled software systems.
• Lead design and critical solution workshops setting architecture standards.
• Mentor and guide engineering teams providing technical leadership.

Kenntnisse

Kubernetes

Cloud Architecture

Distributed Systems

System Architecture

Google Cloud Platform

NoSQL

Kafka

Tools

Docker

Terraform

Pulumi

Jobbeschreibung

About us

The appliedAI Initiative elevates Europes industry to become shapers in the age of AI creating a future that we desire to live in. Through our ecosystem of strong partners comprehensive programs services and solutions we advance companies holistically on their AI journey. With our uniquely diverse interdisciplinary and driven team we build on deep technical expertise while specializing on applicability of the solutions. We share a mindset of collaboration and openness with our ecosystem of leading companies and tech players. Our common goal is to strengthen the European landscape jointly creating unique knowledge for applying trustworthy AI. We believe that AI Agents will be the dominant topic for AI in the near future and that appliedAI with its partner ecosystem will impact how this technology is being used in industry and beyond in Europe.

Your mission

As a Principal Software Architect focused on AI Architecture in Professional Services you define reference architectures govern standards across programs and lead high-impact transformations with enterprise clients. You combine strategic architecture with hands‑on depth to deliver robust scalable and compliant AI systems at scale.

Your responsibilities will include :

• Define architectural vision and strategy for multi-team delivery of complex AI-enabled software systems ensuring coherence scalability and technical excellence
• Lead discovery design and critical solutioning workshops setting reference architectures standards templates and best practices across engagements
• Architect LLM / ML platforms (serving retrieval / RAG evaluation guardrails) and the MLOps backbone (registries CI / CD rollout / rollback). Engineer for SLOs / SLAs resilience security and cost efficiency across cloud and on-prem deployments
• Set and enforce standards for architecture design code quality observability security data governance and compliance including EU AI Act implications
• Mentor and guide engineering teams and clients providing technical leadership during spikes de‑risking activities and key decision points
• Partner with sales and delivery leadership in pre‑sales scoping estimations proposals and stakeholder alignment representing technical vision to clients and business leaders

Your profile

• 12 years designing and operating large-scale production‑grade systems; 5 years in consulting / professional services
• Proven experience technically leading large projects and customer engagements with measurable outcomes
• Expert‑level software architecture fundamentals (distributed systems data / messaging API design) and cloud‑native platforms (Docker / Kubernetes Terraform / Pulumi CI / CD)
• MLOps and LLM platform architecture (vLLM / Triton / ONNX; MLflow / W&B; monitoring / drift; evaluation frameworks; safety / guardrails)
• Security privacy and governance by design (SSO / IAM secrets audit logging data residency / compliance; EU AI Act awareness)
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management from engineering to C-level; strong documentation practices
• Fluent English fluent German is a plus

What we offer

• A highly qualified and motivated team of 90 people on a journey to change the rapidly evolving European AI Landscape.
• Experience the best of both worlds with our hybrid work model : You can choose to work from our vibrant offices - either at the IPAI in Heilbronn or the House of Communication in Munich - while also enjoying the flexibility to work remotely a few days each week
• Opportunity to shape a variety of projects and the development of new original content based on the latest developments in AI and its adoption in businesses
• An atmosphere that encourages to think and experiment in new ways with software hardware and processes
• Hottest topics of the next decade and freedom and trust toinitiateown activities
• A highly visible initiative that helps you build a large and high-level network of start‑ups partners and tech companies
• Sports membership withWellpassto access thousands of sports facilities all over Germany (and beyond)
• JobRadleasingoption
• You can take a sabbatical of up to 3 months after 3 years of employment - because sometimes 30 vacation days are not enough to explore the beauty of this world.

Contact

Lucas Fernandes - Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist

appliedAI Initiative GmbH August-Everding-Str.München

Key Skills

Kubernetes, S3, Google Cloud Platform, Cassandra, System Architecture, Redshift, AWS, Cloud Architecture, NoSQL, UML, Kafka, Distributed Systems

Employment Type: Full-Time

Experience: years

Vacancy: 1