Principal AI Engineer

Ladders; United States; Remote; USD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work across the U.S.

Professional growth & mentoring

Engagement with cutting-edge Gener\t\

Collaboration with leadership

Travel to on-site operations/vendor

Job summary

Ladders is seeking a Principal AI Engineer to join a leader in the Finance & Insurance space. You will shape and deliver production Generative AI solutions that support complex operational workflows and business transformation efforts.

You will work closely with cross-functional partners to translate ambiguous problems into scalable technical approaches, while contributing directly to code, architecture, and operating standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS, Engineering, or related field; Master's preferred.
• 10+ years of software engineering, including 4+ years with production Generative AI.
• Hands-on experience with AWS, Python, React, GitHub Actions, and Terraform.
• Experience leading technical delivery for a value stream without direct management authority.
• Preferred experience in insurance, claims, healthcare, or regulated domains.

Responsibilities

• Own the technical outcome of a value-stream pod from problem shaping through production operations.
• Partner with business transformation leaders to shape ambiguous problems and define practical solutions.
• Architect and build production Generative AI agents and applications while contributing code directly.
• Set and enforce engineering standards for the pod, including API-first and contract-first delivery.
• Define interface terms with vendor delivery teams for co-development.
• Establish evaluation criteria and evidence for AI workflow autonomy.
• Lead technical solution design and architectural reviews, escalating conflicts as needed.

Skills

Problem shaping

Cross-functional collaboration

Architecting scalable systems

Technical leadership without authority

Production AI delivery

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Tools

AWS

Python

React

GitHub Actions

Terraform

Job description

For our client, we are seeking a Principal AI Engineer to join the team of a leader in the Finance & Insurance space.

This role will help shape and deliver production Generative AI solutions that support complex operational workflows and business transformation efforts. You will work closely with cross-functional partners to translate ambiguous problems into scalable technical approaches, while contributing directly to code, architecture, and operating standards. The position is focused on driving strong technical outcomes for a value stream and helping ensure AI-enabled solutions are reliable, measurable, and ready for production use.

Location: Remote - US based candidates only, no visa sponsorship available

Compensation: $150,000 – $180,000 annually

Responsibilities

• Own the technical outcome of a value-stream pod from problem shaping through production operations
• Partner with business transformation leaders and end users to shape ambiguous problems and define practical solutions
• Architect and build production Generative AI agents and applications while contributing code directly
• Set and enforce engineering standards for the pod, including API-first and contract-first delivery
• Define interface terms with vendor delivery teams for co-development
• Establish evaluation criteria and evidence for AI workflow autonomy
• Lead technical solution design and architectural reviews, escalating conflicts as needed

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field; Master's preferred
• 10+ years of software engineering experience, including 4+ years working with production Generative AI systems
• Hands‑on experience with AWS, Python, React, GitHub Actions, and Terraform
• Experience leading technical delivery for a value stream without direct management authority
• Preferred experience in insurance, claims, healthcare, or other regulated domains

Benefits

• Remote work opportunity available across all U.S. states
• Opportunity for professional growth and mentoring
• Engagement with cutting‑edge Generative AI technologies
• Collaboration with cross‑functional teams and leadership
• Potential for travel to on‑site operations and vendor teams

Our client is an equal opportunity employer.