Principal Architect & Technical Team Lead

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

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health coverage

Retirement benefits

Learning and development stipend

Generous PTO

Job summary

A leading AI solutions firm in Washington, DC is looking for a Principal Technical Team Lead. You will lead a team of over 20 engineers, guiding them through AI product development and architectural decision-making. The ideal candidate has over 10 years of software engineering experience, with deep expertise in AI/ML technologies and strong leadership skills. Compensation ranges from $257,000 to $321,000 annually, along with comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of software engineering experience, including 5+ years in a leadership role.
• Deep understanding of AI/ML technologies, particularly LLMs.
• Ability to navigate fast-changing environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of 20+ engineers in building AI products.
• Engage with executive stakeholders for strategic discussions.
• Develop and communicate a vision for technology application.

Skills

Software engineering

AI/ML technologies

Leadership

Python

JavaScript/TypeScript

Cloud Infrastructure

Kubernetes

Job description

Overview

Principal Architect & Technical Team Lead at Scale AI. Location: Washington, DC.

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, high-visibility environment. You will lead a team of 20+ engineers, providing strategic and technical guidance, and making high-impact architectural decisions with 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 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 & Benefits

Compensation packages at Scale for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. The base salary range for this full-time position in Washington, DC is $257,000—$321,000 USD. You’ll also receive benefits including comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage, retirement benefits, a learning and development stipend, generous PTO, and potential eligibility for additional benefits such as a commuter stipend. Equity may be granted subject to Board approval. Specific salary range and equity eligibility will be shared by your recruiter during the hiring process.

Please Note: Our policy requires a 90-day waiting period before reconsidering candidates for the same role.

About Scale

Scale AI believes the transition from traditional software to AI is a pivotal shift. Our mission is to accelerate this transformation across industries. Our products power leading LLMs, generative models, and computer vision models, and we collaborate with OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, government agencies, and major enterprises. We are committed to being an inclusive, equal-opportunity workplace and to providing reasonable accommodations during the application process.

We collect, retain and use personal data for business purposes, including notifying you of opportunities and sharing with our affiliates. See our privacy policy for details.