Fellow Software Engineer-Eng (Agentic AI Architecture & Engineering)

UKG; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 233,300 - 385,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance-based bonus plan

Restricted stock unit awards

Job summary

UKG in Seattle is looking for a Fellow AI Engineer to lead the enterprise-wide Agentic AI strategy across their product suite. The ideal candidate will have a PhD and over 15 years of software development and AI experience, including generative AI. Responsibilities include shaping AI vision, engaging with customers, and ensuring compliance with AI governance. The position offers a competitive salary range of $233,300 to $385,000, along with performance bonuses and stock options.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in software development and AI, with hands-on experience in generative AI.
• Proven expertise in architecting and deploying large-scale AI/ML systems in production.
• Track record of influencing cross-functional stakeholders.
• Recognized thought leader in AI with publications in top-tier conferences/journals.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive UKG’s enterprise-wide Agentic AI strategy.
• Collaborate with Product, Engineering, Data Science, Security, and Legal teams.
• Lead discussions on AI technology at the UKG Board level.
• Mentor senior engineers and architects to elevate AI maturity.

Skills

Expert-level skills in Python

Java

AI frameworks such as TensorFlow

PyTorch

Strong understanding of cloud platforms (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure)

MLOps practices

Exceptional problem-solving skills

Strong communication and storytelling skills

Education

PhD in Computer Science, AI, Machine Learning, or related field

Tools

Kubernetes

Terraform

GitHub Actions

Job description

About The Role

We are seeking a distinguished and customer-facing Fellow AI Engineer to define and lead UKG’s enterprise-wide Agentic AI strategy across the full UKG Product Suite. This role extends beyond technical excellence—it requires a seasoned AI leader who partners closely with customers, sales leaders, product teams, and engineering experts to translate AI innovation into measurable business impact.

As a Technical Fellow, you will serve as the strategic and architectural authority for Agentic AI systems, shaping how autonomous, goal-driven AI agents are designed, deployed, governed, and scaled across all UKG product suites.

UKG is unable to offer sponsorship for this position.

Responsibilities

Agentic AI Vision & Enterprise Strategy

Define and drive UKG’s enterprise-wide Agentic AI strategy, establishing a cohesive architectural and execution framework for intelligent agents across the product portfolio and AI Platform. Translate emerging AI capabilities into a clear roadmap aligned with business priorities, customer value, and long‑term platform evolution.

Customer & Field Partnership

Engage directly with strategic customers, sales teams, and solution consultants to shape AI‑driven value propositions, identify high‑impact agentic use cases, support executive conversations and AI strategy discussions, and translate real‑world customer challenges into scalable AI platform capabilities.

Cross‑Functional Leadership

Collaborate with Product, Engineering, Data Science, Security, and Legal teams to ensure alignment on architecture, governance, and responsible AI frameworks. Facilitate cross‑functional consensus to operationalize AI agents in a manner that is secure, compliant, and ready for production deployment. Lead discussions on AI technology at the UKG Board level.

Technical Authority & Architecture

• Multi‑agent systems and orchestration frameworks
• LLM‑powered agents and tool‑use architectures
• Retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG) and knowledge systems
• Autonomous workflow execution and decision intelligence
• AI safety, evaluation, and guardrails

Establish standards for scalability, observability, cost optimization, and performance across cloud‑native deployments.

Innovation & Applied Research

Stay at the forefront of Agentic AI advancements, continuously evaluating emerging models, frameworks, and research. Lead rapid experimentation and incubation of next‑generation AI capabilities, bridging cutting‑edge research with production‑grade systems.

Commercial & Product Influence

Collaborate with GTM and Product leadership to ensure AI investments translate into differentiated product offerings. Influence pricing models, packaging strategies, and AI monetization approaches aligned with enterprise customer expectations.

Responsible AI & Governance

• Transparency and explainability
• Human‑in‑the‑loop controls
• Privacy‑preserving architectures
• Risk management and compliance

Define and champion governance frameworks for autonomous AI systems aligned with UKG’s commitment to trust, fairness, and ethical innovation.

Mentorship & Organizational Impact

Elevate AI maturity across the organization by mentoring senior engineers and architects, fostering a culture of pragmatic innovation and disciplined execution.

Industry Representation

Represent UKG as a thought leader in Agentic AI through publications, keynote speaking, customer roundtables, and industry collaborations.

Qualifications

• PhD in Computer Science, AI, Machine Learning, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• 15+ years in software development and AI, with at least 5 years of hands‑on experience in generative AI, NLP, or related fields. Proven expertise in architecting and deploying large‑scale AI/ML systems in production environments.
• Track record of influencing cross‑functional stakeholders, including customer‑facing teams.
• Expert‑level skills in Python, Java, and AI frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch; strong understanding of cloud platforms (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure) and MLOps practices.
• In‑depth knowledge of generative AI methodologies, including transformer models, diffusion models, GANs, large language models, and multi‑modal architectures; familiarity with NLP and machine learning algorithms such as linear and logistic regression, decision trees, and clustering methods.
• Experience partnering with sales and customers to shape AI roadmaps.
• Recognized thought leader in AI with publications in top‑tier conferences/journals (NeurIPS, ICML, CVPR) and a strong network within the AI research community.
• Strong communication and storytelling skills, executive presence.
• Exceptional problem‑solving skills and proven ability to influence and implement long‑term AI‑driven strategic initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in high‑compliance environments or with privacy‑preserving AI techniques; familiarity with responsible AI, model interpretability, and ethical AI practices.
• Record of optimizing AI models for cost‑efficiency at scale through compression, distillation, and efficient deployment strategies.
• Strong experience with cloud‑native architectures, containerization (Kubernetes), and CI/CD pipeline automation (Terraform, GitHub Actions).

Benefits & Compensation

Pay range for this position: $233,300.00 to $385,000.00 USD. Base pay may vary by skills, experience, job‑related knowledge, and location. Employees may also be eligible for a performance‑based bonus plan and restricted stock unit awards. Learn more at ukg.com/about-us/careers/benefits.

Equal Opportunity Employer

UKG is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, disability, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, and other legally protected categories.

UKG participates in E‑Verify. It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. For individuals with disabilities requiring additional assistance during the application and interview process, please email [e-mail].