Principal Architect

Scale AI; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 257,000 - 321,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage

Retirement benefits

Learning and development stipend

Generous PTO

Commuter stipend

Job summary

A leading AI technology firm in Washington, DC is looking for a Principal Architect & Technical Team Lead to drive the design and development of their AI products. This role requires at least 10 years of software engineering experience and expertise in AI technologies. You will mentor a team of over 20 engineers and engage with executive stakeholders. A competitive salary of $257,000 to $321,000 annually is offered, alongside comprehensive benefits, including health coverage and retirement plans.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of software engineering experience, including 5+ years in a technical leadership role.
• Deep understanding of modern AI/ML technologies, including experience working with LLMs.
• Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-changing environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of 20 engineers, fostering technical excellence.
• Guide the team through challenges involving LLMs and AI agents.
• Engage with senior partners, showcasing strong technical competence.

Skills

Software engineering experience

Technical leadership

Modern AI/ML technologies

Programming languages (Python, JavaScript/TypeScript)

Kubernetes

Cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure)

Product and business sense

Executive engagement

Job description

Principal Architect & Technical Team Lead

Location: Washington, DC

About the Role

We are seeking a Principal Technical Team Lead to drive the design, development, and deployment of our agentic AI products in a fast‑paced, collaborative, extremely high‑visibility environment.

In this role, you will lead a team of 20+ engineers, providing both strategic and technical guidance. You’ll be responsible for high‑impact architectural decisions, cross‑company collaboration, and executive level engagements.

What You'll Do

• Team Leadership: Lead and mentor a high‑performing engineering team of 20, fostering a culture of technical excellence and ownership.
• Technical Direction: Guide your team through complex challenges involving LLMs, AI agents, and large‑scale distributed systems.
• Executive Stakeholder Engagement: Represent Scale AI in high‑stakes negotiations and strategic discussions with senior external partners, demonstrating strong technical competence and credibility.
• Strategic Planning & Communication: Develop and communicate a compelling vision for Scale AI’s technology applied to your program. Provide regular updates to senior leadership and key stakeholders on progress, risks, and opportunities.
• Culture & Teamwork: Foster a culture of speed, unity of purpose, resilience, and teamwork. Lead through uncertainty with determination and adaptability.

What We're Looking For

• 10+ years of software engineering experience, including 5+ years in a technical leadership or staff role.
• Deep understanding of modern AI/ML technologies, including experience working with LLMs and AI agents.
• Proficient in one or more modern programming languages (Python, JavaScript/TypeScript).
• Hands‑on experience with Kubernetes and cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
• Strong product and business sense, with a track record of aligning engineering efforts with company goals.
• Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, fast‑changing environments and guide your team to do the same.
• Experience in executive level engagement with industry partners and Public Sector customers.

Success Metrics

Within 6 months

• Successful demonstration of agentic AI’s mission value in high‑stakes customer demonstrations.
• Establish Scale AI as the preferred agentic AI partner for the PEO.
• Establish high velocity, agile engineering cadence both internally and with our industry partners.

Within 12–18 months

• Secure follow‑on contract award with expanded scope for Scale.
• Position Scale AI as the global AI leader in this mission area.
• Establish developed solutions as Scale product offerings to deliver on future contracts.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation packages at Scale for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. Scale employees in eligible roles are also granted equity based compensation, subject to Board of Director approval. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process, and confirm whether the hired role will be eligible for equity grant. You’ll also receive benefits including, but not limited to: Comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, a learning and development stipend, and generous PTO. Additionally, this role may be eligible for additional benefits such as a commuter stipend.

The base salary range for this full‑time position in the location of Washington DC is: $257,000 — $321,000 USD.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability status, gender identity or Veteran status.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and mental disabilities.