Principal AI Engineer

Confiz; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Confiz, based in Phoenix, seeks a Principal AI Engineer to design and drive end-to-end AI-powered solutions—from data engineering and model architecture to full-stack integration and deployment. You will bridge data platforms, AI/ML systems, and application development, ensuring scalable, secure, and production-ready outcomes in a fast-moving enterprise environment.

This role requires deep expertise across Databricks, LLMs, and cloud architectures, plus strong leadership to mentor teams and

Qualifications

• 10+ years in software/solution architecture, with 4+ years specifically in AI/ML architecture.
• Strong understanding of LLMs, RAG architectures, agentic AI systems, prompt engineering, model fine-tuning, and MLOps.
• Databricks Lakehouse experience (Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, MLflow).
• Full-stack development knowledge (React/Angular, Node.js/.NET/Python) and API design (REST/GraphQL).
• Experience with Azure AI Foundry/Cognitive Services and/or AWS/GCP AI data services.
• Python is mandatory; knowledge of SQL and at least one full-stack language (JS/TS, C#, or Java).
• Solid system design principles, security, DevOps/CI-CD practices.
• Strong stakeholder communication translating architecture to business value.

Responsibilities

• Design and architect AI/ML solutions including LLM applications and predictive models.
• Define data architecture and pipelines using Databricks for large-scale processing.
• Architect full-stack solutions that integrate AI models into apps and cloud infra.
• Evaluate AI frameworks, LLM providers, and vector databases for fit.
• Establish model lifecycle practices: versioning, monitoring, retraining, governance.
• Collaborate with data/ML engineers and product owners to translate requirements.
• Design secure, scalable cloud architectures (Azure/AWS/GCP) for AI workloads.
• Lead architecture reviews, POCs, and feasibility studies for new AI initiatives.
• Mentor teams on AI integration patterns, prompt engineering, and RAG.
• Ensure compliance and data privacy in deployments.

Skills

Python

LLMs

MLOps

Architectural design

Cloud architecture

Stakeholder communication

Tools

Databricks

React

Node.js

.NET

Spark

Terraform

Job description

Confiz is seeking a Principal AI Engineer in the Phoenix AZ market, who can design and drive end-to-end AI-powered solutions from data engineering and model architecture to full-stack integration and deployment. This role bridges data platforms, AI/ML systems, and application development, ensuring solutions are scalable, secure, and production-ready.

Responsibilities

• Design and architect AI/ML solutions, including LLM-based applications, agentic systems, and predictive models, aligned with business objectives.
• Define data architecture and pipelines using Databricks (Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, MLflow) for large-scale data processing and model training/serving.
• Architect full-stack solutions that integrate AI models into web/enterprise applications — covering front-end, back-end APIs, and cloud infrastructure.
• Evaluate and select appropriate AI frameworks, LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure AI Foundry, etc.), and vector databases for use-case fit.
• Establish best practices for model lifecycle management: versioning, monitoring, retraining, and governance.
• Collaborate with data engineers, ML engineers, full-stack developers, and product owners to translate business requirements into technical architecture.
• Design scalable, secure, and cost-optimized cloud architectures (Azure/AWS/GCP) for AI workloads.
• Conduct architecture reviews, POCs, and technical feasibility assessments for new AI initiatives.
• Mentor engineering teams on AI integration patterns, prompt engineering, RAG pipelines, and agentic workflows.
• Ensure solutions meet performance, security, and compliance standards (data privacy, responsible AI practices).

Requirements

• 10+ years in software/solution architecture, with 4+ years specifically in AI/ML architecture.
• AI/ML: Strong understanding of LLMs, RAG architectures, agentic AI systems, prompt engineering, model fine-tuning, and MLOps.
• Databricks: Hands-on experience with Databricks Lakehouse (Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, MLflow, Databricks Workflows), Spark-based data processing.
• Full-Stack Development: Working knowledge of front-end (React/Angular) and back-end (Node.js/.NET/Python) development, API design (REST/GraphQL), and microservices architecture.
• Cloud Platforms: Experience with Azure (AI Foundry, Cognitive Services) and/or AWS/GCP AI & data services.
• Data Engineering: Familiarity with ETL/ELT pipelines, data modeling, and data governance.
• Programming: Python (mandatory), plus exposure to SQL, and at least one full-stack language (JavaScript/TypeScript, C#, or Java).
• Architecture: Proven experience designing scalable, distributed systems; solid grasp of system design principles, security, and DevOps/CI-CD practices.
• Strong stakeholder communication skills — ability to translate technical architecture into business value for both technical and non-technical audiences.

Nice to Have

• Experience with vector databases (Pinecone, Weaviate, Snowflake Cortex).
• Exposure to containerization (Docker/Kubernetes) and infrastructure-as-code (Terraform/Bicep).
• Prior experience in a client-facing or pre-sales/solutioning capacity.
• Certifications in Azure/AWS AI or Databricks (Databricks Certified Data Engineer/ML Associate).

We have a global team of amazing individuals working on highly innovative enterprise projects & products. Our customer base includes Fortune 100 retail and CPG companies, leading store chains, fast growth fintech, and multiple Silicon Valley startups.

What makes Confiz stand out is our focus on processes and culture. Confiz is ISO 9001:2015 (QMS), ISO 27001:2022 (ISMS), ISO 20000-1:2018 (ITSM) and ISO 14001:2015 (EMS) Certified. We have a vibrant culture of learning via collaboration and making workplace fun.

People who work with us work with cutting-edge technologies while contributing success to the company as well as to themselves.

To know more about Confiz Limited, visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/confiz/