Principal Engineer - AI and Python

xdesign; United States; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

35 days leave incl. holidays

Private medical insurance

Enhanced parental/adoption leave

5% pension match

40 hours paid learning & development

Job summary

xdesign is seeking a hands-on principal engineer to advance AI-assisted software development as a core capability. You will blend production coding, technical leadership, mentoring and product thinking to improve workflows and demonstrate how agentic tools can accelerate outcomes.

In this role you’ll shape practices, stay hands-on in production, coach others, and drive AI-first adoption across teams to deliver value and speed. Flexible hybrid/remote work is available.

Qualifications

• Must have a principal-level engineering track record with production software.
• Hands-on capability in a common backend language (e.g., .NET, Java, Python).
• Deep practical experience with several generative AI or AI-assisted development tools.
• Ability to mentor and influence experienced engineers while leading by example.

Responsibilities

• Shape engineering practices and development patterns for AI-assisted delivery.
• Remain hands-on in production development and embed with teams.
• Coach engineers through pairing, code reviews, and tool guidance.
• Lead adoption of AI-first approaches across engineering teams.
• Align engineering improvements with product value, delivery speed and capability.
• Explain impact of new AI-enabled methods to stakeholders.

Skills

Principal-level engineering

Backend languages

AI-assisted development tools

Mentoring engineers

Communication & leadership

Tools

AI tools

Job description

Role overview

Act as a hands-on principal engineer helping teams adopt AI-assisted software development as a core engineering capability. You will combine production coding, technical leadership, mentoring and product thinking to improve development workflows, raise engineering quality and demonstrate how agentic tools can accelerate meaningful outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Shape engineering practices and development patterns suited to AI-assisted delivery, challenging inefficient or outdated ways of working.
• Remain hands-on in production development, embedding with teams to solve complex problems and demonstrate effective use of AI tools.
• Coach engineers through pairing, code reviews and practical guidance on tool selection, prompting, context preparation and review discipline.
• Lead adoption of AI-first approaches across engineering teams in a pragmatic, sustainable way.
• Work with technical leads and product managers to connect engineering improvements with product value, delivery speed and enhanced capability.
• Explain the impact of new AI-enabled methods to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Requirements

• Principal-level engineering experience and a record of building high-quality production software.
• Strong hands-on ability in a common backend language such as .NET, Java, Python or an equivalent technology.
• Deep practical experience with several generative AI or AI-assisted development tools, using them effectively in professional software delivery.
• Ability to mentor and influence experienced engineers while remaining close enough to implementation to lead by example.
• Willingness to rethink the software development lifecycle and introduce new workflows based on evidence and practical results.
• Strong communication skills, technical curiosity and enthusiasm for improving engineering craft.

Benefits and work setup

Flexible working is available, including hybrid and remote arrangements, with office hubs in the UK and Bulgaria. Occasional travel to client sites or offices may be required.

Listed benefits include 35 days of leave including bank holidays, private medical insurance, enhanced parental and adoption leave, financial coaching, a 5% pension match and 40 hours of paid learning and development.