Principal Architect - AI Engineer

United Airlines; Chicago, Northern (IL, KY); Hybrid; USD 141,000 - 183,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision coverage

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Parental leave

Employee assistance program

Commuter benefits

Paid holidays

Paid time off

401(k)

Flight privileges

Job summary

United Airlines seeks a Principal AI Engineer to design and deliver foundational AI agentic workflows transforming the customer experience across web, mobile, and voice channels.

You will lead production-grade AI and ML systems, shape agent architectures, and integrate LLMs with core retail systems. Strong collaboration with product managers and data science teams is essential, along with a focus on scalable, secure cloud-native design.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS, Engineering, or related field.
• 7+ years of software engineering experience with Python.
• Proven experience deploying AI/ML systems at scale.
• Deep understanding of AI agent architectures, prompt engineering, and LLM integration patterns.
• Strong API design and microservices experience; cloud platforms (AWS) knowledge.
• Experience with CI/CD, testing, and observability.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Design production-grade AI agentic workflows for retail AI across channels.
• Develop conversational AI solutions that integrate with retail systems and customer channels.
• Build scalable AI agent architectures supporting complex journeys and measurable outcomes.
• Establish standards and best practices for AI agent development.
• Drive performance, reliability, and customer experience improvements.
• Collaborate with product managers, data scientists, and engineering teams.

Skills

Python development

AI/ML system design

LLM integration

Prompt engineering

API design

Microservices

Cloud platforms (AWS)

CI/CD

Observability

Stakeholder communication

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field

Tools

LangChain

LangGraph

Lucidchart

AWS

Job description

Achieving our goals starts with supporting yours. Grow your career, access top-tier health and wellness benefits, build lasting connections with your team and our customers, and travel the world using our extensive route network.

Come join us to create what’s next. Let’s define tomorrow, together.

Description

Job overview and responsibilities

The Principal AI Engineer will be instrumental in designing and delivering foundational Retail AI agentic workflows that transform the customer experience across all channels. This position will drive technological innovation in conversational AI and autonomous systems, shaping United's future as we advance our digital transformation. As a technical leader, you will have exceptional engineering expertise, strong communication skills, and a deep understanding of AI agent architectures, LLM integration patterns, and production-grade system design.

Technical Leadership and Innovation

• Design and implement production-grade AI agentic workflows using modern frameworks and industry best practices
• Develop sophisticated conversational AI solutions that integrate seamlessly with United's retail systems and customer-facing channels across web, mobile, and voice
• Build scalable, reliable AI agent architectures that support complex customer journeys and deliver measurable business outcomes
• Establish engineering standards, patterns, and best practices for AI agent development across the organization
• Drive continuous improvement of AI system performance, reliability, and customer experience outcomes
• Evaluate emerging AI technologies and frameworks, making strategic recommendations for adoption

Collaboration and Stakeholder Management

• Engage and collaborate with product managers, data scientists, business stakeholders, and engineering teams to translate business requirements into technical solutions
• Partner with Digital Technology, Customer Support & Advocacy, and Customer Experience organizations to align AI initiatives with strategic business objectives
• Share knowledge and mentor engineers, contributing to the growth of United's AI engineering capabilities
• Provide technical guidance and thought leadership on AI agent design patterns, prompt engineering, and LLM integration strategies
• Foster open communication within cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and successful delivery of AI-powered customer experiences

System Design and Architecture

• Design cloud-native AI solutions leveraging AWS services and modern microservices architectures
• Implement robust API integrations connecting AI agents with United's retail, inventory, and customer data systems
• Ensure compliance with security protocols, data governance standards, and engineering best practices throughout the development lifecycle
• Build observability and monitoring capabilities to track AI system performance and customer experience metrics
• Collaborate with architecture teams to ensure AI solutions follow enterprise standards and scale effectively

Qualifications

What's needed to succeed (Minimum Qualifications):

• Bachelor's degree
• Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field preferred
• 7+ years of software engineering experience with strong Python development expertise
• Proven experience designing and deploying production AI/ML systems at scale
• Deep understanding of AI agent architectures, prompt engineering, and LLM integration patterns
• Strong knowledge of API design, microservices architecture, and cloud platforms (AWS preferred)
• Experience with modern software development practices including CI/CD, testing, and observability
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively engage stakeholders at all levels
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams
• Ability to effectively use software architecture design tools such as Lucid to create detailed technical architecture diagrams
• A mindset for continuous learning and staying updated on AI/ML industry trends and emerging technologies
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship
• Successful completion of interview required to meet job qualification
• Reliable, punctual attendance is an essential function of the position

What will help you propel from the pack (Preferred Qualifications):

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or related field
• Hands-on experience with LangChain and LangGraph for agent development
• Experience building conversational AI solutions for customer-facing applications in retail, e-commerce, or travel industries
• Knowledge of United's technology stack, SDLC tools, and enterprise systems
• Experience with real-time data processing and event-driven architectures
• Familiarity with contact center platforms, voice automation tools, and omnichannel customer experience systems
• 3+ years of experience building Generative AI and Conversational AI platforms
• Experience with AI model evaluation, A/B testing, and performance optimization techniques
• Understanding of responsible AI principles, bias mitigation, and AI governance frameworks

The base pay range for this role is $140,600.00 to $183,108.00.

The base salary range/hourly rate listed is dependent on job-related, factors such as experience, education, and skills. This position is also eligible for bonus and/or long-term incentive compensation awards.

• medical
• dental
• vision
• life
• accident & disability
• parental leave
• employee assistance program
• commuter
• paid holidays
• paid time off
• 401(k)
• flight privileges

United Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law. We provide reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation, contact [e-mail]