Principal AI Platform Engineer - Onsite

Cognizant; San Leandro (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance

Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off

401(k) plan and contributions

Long‑term/Short‑term Disability

Paid Parental Leave

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

Cognizant is seeking an AI Platform Engineer for onsite work in San Leandro, CA, to design, develop, and deploy scalable enterprise AI applications and platforms. The role requires strong software engineering in C#/.NET and Python, plus hands-on experience with Generative AI, LLMs, cloud platforms, APIs, microservices, and containerized deployments.

You will build backend services and secure integrations, deploy with Docker/Kubernetes, and contribute to production support, monitoring, and CI/CD.

Qualifications

• Proficient in C#/.NET and Python development.
• Experience with ASP.NET Core, REST APIs, and microservices.
• Hands-on with Docker and Kubernetes in cloud deployments.
• Familiar with CI/CD pipelines and enterprise security basics.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop AI-enabled enterprise applications and platform services.
• Build backend services, REST APIs, and microservices using ASP.NET Core.
• Integrate Generative AI/LLMs into workflows and systems.
• Deploy and manage applications with Docker, Kubernetes and cloud platforms.
• Collaborate with AI engineers and data scientists to deliver production-ready solutions.

Skills

C#/.NET

Python

ASP.NET Core

REST APIs

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD

Security/Auth

Databases

Tools

Azure

AWS

GCP

Job description

• Please note, this role is not able to offer visa transfer or sponsorship now or in the future*

• Please note, this role is not able to offer visa transfer or sponsorship now or in the future*

About Us

Cognizant is one of the world's leading professional services companies, transforming clients' business, operating, and technology models for the digital era. Our unique industry-based, consultative approach helps clients envision, build, and run more innovative and efficient businesses. Headquartered in the U.S., Cognizant, a member of the NASDAQ-100, is ranked 195 on the Fortune 500 and is consistently listed among the most admired companies in the world. Learn how Cognizant helps clients lead with digital at www.cognizant.com.

About Cognizant’s IoT Practice

Intelligent, IoT-enabled products will soon result in the proliferation of data and disrupt virtually all industries. To be successful, both large and small companies must leverage IoT capabilities by designing modern products that fundamentally connect people with processes. Within Cognizant IOT, we engineer industry-aligned, IoT-enabled products that merge industry needs with human drivers. Our intelligent products will revolutionize experiences and result in exciting, transformative outcomes. Without human-centered thinking, connected products are just standalone things—but with it, our modern connected products facilitate a unified way of life enjoyed by all.

AI Platform Engineer

Employment Type: Full-Time

Work Model: Onsite

Locations: San Leandro, CA | Lake Forest, CA | Scottsdale, AZ | Pittsburgh, PA

Role Overview

We are looking for an experienced AI Platform Engineer to design, develop, and deploy scalable enterprise AI applications and platforms. The ideal candidate will bring strong software engineering expertise in C#/.NET and Python, along with hands‑on experience in Generative AI, LLM integration, cloud platforms, APIs, microservices, and containerized deployments.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop scalable AI-enabled applications and platform services using C#, .NET/.NET Core, and Python.
• Build enterprise backend services, REST APIs, and microservices using ASP.NET Core.
• Integrate Generative AI/LLM capabilities into enterprise applications and workflows.
• Develop solutions involving RAG, embeddings, vector databases, prompt engineering, and AI APIs, where applicable.
• Support deployment, integration, monitoring, and productionization of AI/ML models and services.
• Develop secure and scalable integrations between .NET applications, AI services, databases, and enterprise systems.
• Deploy and manage applications using Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud platforms such as Azure, AWS, or GCP.
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines for .NET, Python, and AI workloads.
• Apply software engineering best practices around API security, authentication, logging, monitoring, performance, and scalability.
• Collaborate with AI engineers, data scientists, architects, DevOps teams, and business stakeholders to deliver production-ready AI solutions.

Required Skills

• Strong hands‑on development experience with C# and .NET/.NET Core
• Strong experience with ASP.NET Core, Web API, REST APIs, and microservices
• Good programming experience with Python
• Experience developing or integrating AI/ML and Generative AI solutions
• Exposure to LLMs, RAG, prompt engineering, embeddings, or vector databases
• Experience with cloud platforms, preferably Microsoft Azure, AWS, or GCP
• Strong experience with Docker and Kubernetes
• Experience with CI/CD and DevOps practices
• Knowledge of relational and/or NoSQL databases
• Experience building secure, scalable, production‑grade enterprise applications
• Strong understanding of software architecture, design patterns, troubleshooting, and performance optimization

Preferred Skills

• Experience with Azure OpenAI, Microsoft Semantic Kernel, or similar GenAI frameworks
• Knowledge of Azure AI Services / Azure Machine Learning
• Experience integrating LLMs with existing .NET enterprise applications
• Familiarity with MLOps, model monitoring, and AI governance
• Experience with vector databases or search platforms such as Azure AI Search
• Front‑end experience with React or Angular is a plus

Location Requirement

This is a full-time onsite role. Candidates must be willing to work from one of the following locations:

San Leandro, CA | Lake Forest, CA | Scottsdale, AZ | Pittsburgh, PA

Compensation

- $100,000 to $180,000 + this position is also eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant’s applicable plans. Application will be accepted by 11/27/2026

Benefits

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
• Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off
• 401(k) plan and contributions
• Long‑term/Short‑term Disability
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan