Principal AI Engineer

Confiz Limited; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

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

The role emphasizes leadership across data engineers, ML engineers, and developers, with responsibility for cloud architectures on Azure/AWS/GCP and governance of the model lifecycle.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in software/solution architecture; 4+ years in AI/ML architecture.
• Strong understanding of LLMs, RAG architectures, agentic AI systems, prompt engineering, model fine-tuning, and MLOps.
• Hands-on with Databricks Lakehouse (Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, MLflow).
• Front-end and back-end development knowledge; API design (REST/GraphQL) and microservices.

Responsibilities

• Design and architect AI/ML solutions, including LLM-based apps and agentic systems.
• Define data architecture and pipelines for large-scale processing and model training/serving.
• Architect full-stack solutions integrating AI models into web/enterprise apps.
• Evaluate AI frameworks and vector databases for fit.
• Establish model lifecycle governance including versioning and monitoring.
• Mentor teams on AI integration patterns and RAG workflows.
• Design scalable, secure cloud architectures for AI workloads.
• Conduct architecture reviews and feasibility assessments for new initiatives.
• Collaborate with data/ML engineers, full-stack developers, and product owners.

Skills

LLM architectures

Prompt engineering

MLOps

Python

System design

Data pipelines

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/CE

Tools

Databricks

React/Angular

Node.js/.NET

Python

Docker/Kubernetes

Terraform/Bicep

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/