Principal Engineer, Platform Engineering & AI Enablement

Alkermes; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Alkermes seeks a Principal Engineer to define and build foundational platforms, automation, and practices enabling secure, scalable delivery of modern applications, analytics, and AI solutions.

The role leads engineering foundations supporting enterprise AI initiatives, including model lifecycle, observability, governance, and secure deployment, reporting to the Senior Director and following a hybrid schedule in Waltham, MA with three days onsite.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Engineering, Information Technology, or related field or equivalent in practical experience.
• 10+ years of experience across software engineering, platform engineering, cloud engineering, or DevOps.
• 5+ years designing and operating enterprise cloud platforms, preferably on AWS.
• Strong hands‑on experience with automated build and release pipelines, infrastructure managed as code, cloud security, and monitoring.
• Experience leading complex technical initiatives and influencing teams without direct authority.
• Experience supporting artificial intelligence, data, or analytics platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in an Agile environment, including iterative planning, cross‑functional collaboration, and continuous delivery.
• Strong communication skills with technical and nontechnical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Define and deliver the enterprise platform engineering roadmap.
• Build reusable services, self-service capabilities, and standard patterns that help teams deliver solutions faster.
• Build and evolve Internal Developer Platform capabilities, self service engineering services, and standardized developer workflows.
• Automate repetitive work across cloud, data, artificial intelligence, and application delivery.
• Create tools, templates, and workflows that improve architecture intake, risk assessment, and solution reviews.
• Advise the Architecture Review Board on technical feasibility, platform fit, and risk.
• Set practical standards for source control, automated build and release pipelines, testing, and infrastructure managed as code.
• Standardize deployment, configuration, and release processes across teams.
• Improve developer experience through reusable workflows, guardrails, and approved tools.
• Measure platform adoption, delivery speed, quality, and reduction of manual effort.

Skills

CI/CD pipelines

IaC

Cloud security

Monitoring

Leadership

Agile

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

AWS

Terraform

Ansible

CloudFormation

Kubernetes

Docker

GitLab

GitHub

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION

Alkermes is building the next generation of cloud, data, and AI capabilities to accelerate innovation across the enterprise. We are seeking a Principal Engineer to define and build the foundational platforms, automation, and engineering practices that enable secure, scalable, and reliable delivery of modern applications, analytics, and artificial intelligence solutions.

Overview

JOB DESCRIPTION

Alkermes is building the next generation of cloud, data, and AI capabilities to accelerate innovation across the enterprise. We are seeking a Principal Engineer to define and build the foundational platforms, automation, and engineering practices that enable secure, scalable, and reliable delivery of modern applications, analytics, and artificial intelligence solutions. This individual will lead the engineering foundations that support enterprise AI initiatives, including large language models, generative AI applications, model lifecycle management, observability, governance, and secure deployment. The role partners with INDIGO, Security, Infrastructure, Data Analytics, and delivery teams to simplify processes, improve developer productivity, and enable cloud, data, and artificial intelligence solutions. The role reports to the Senior Director, Emerging Technology and Engineering and follows a hybrid schedule of three days per week in the Waltham office. Success in this role will accelerate solution delivery, improve platform reliability, reduce operational overhead, and enable the secure adoption of AI technologies across Alkermes.

Responsibilities

Platform Strategy, Architecture & Automation

• Define and deliver the enterprise platform engineering roadmap.
• Build reusable services, self-service capabilities, and standard patterns that help teams deliver solutions faster.
• Build and evolve Internal Developer Platform capabilities, self service engineering services, and standardized developer workflows.
• Automate repetitive work across cloud, data, artificial intelligence, and application delivery.
• Create tools, templates, and workflows that improve architecture intake, risk assessment, and solution reviews.
• Advise the Architecture Review Board on technical feasibility, platform fit, and risk.

Software Delivery & Developer Productivity

• Set practical standards for source control, automated build and release pipelines, testing, and infrastructure managed as code.
• Standardize deployment, configuration, and release processes across teams.
• Improve developer experience through reusable workflows, guardrails, and approved tools.
• Measure platform adoption, delivery speed, quality, and reduction of manual effort.

Cloud Operations, Reliability & Security

• Design and operate secure, scalable, cost-effective cloud platform services in AWS.
• Establish monitoring, logging, alerting, service objectives, and incident response practices.
• Lead reliability improvements, post-incident reviews, disaster recovery, patching, and vulnerability management.
• Embed security and compliance controls into platform designs and automated delivery.
• Recommend tools and platform improvements based on cost, performance, reliability, and business value.

Artificial Intelligence & Data Enablement

• Build reusable platform capabilities and cloud patterns for artificial intelligence, machine learning, analytics, and generative AI workloads.
• Partner with data and science teams to move solutions from development into reliable production use.
• Automate model deployment, monitoring, and lifecycle management.
• Apply governance requirements for validation, security, bias, explainability, and regulatory compliance.
• Evaluate emerging technologies that improve engineering productivity or business outcomes.

Collaboration & Technical Leadership

• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to senior technology leadership on platform engineering, cloud strategy, and AI enablement.
• Work across Architecture, Engineering, Security, Infrastructure, PMO and business teams to deliver shared outcomes.
• Mentor engineers and promote practical, consistent engineering practices.
• Influence technical decisions through hands‑on expertise, clear communication, and sound judgment.
• Challenge inefficient ways of working and build capabilities that reduce reliance on external resources.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Engineering, Information Technology, or related field or equivalent in practical experience.
• 10+ years of experience across software engineering, platform engineering, cloud engineering, or DevOps.
• 5+ years designing and operating enterprise cloud platforms, preferably on AWS.
• Strong hands‑on experience with automated build and release pipelines, infrastructure managed as code, cloud security, and monitoring.
• Experience leading complex technical initiatives and influencing teams without direct authority.
• Experience supporting artificial intelligence, data, or analytics platforms.
• Experience in a regulated industry; life sciences experience is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in an Agile environment, including iterative planning, cross‑functional collaboration, and continuous delivery.
• Strong communication skills with technical and nontechnical audiences

Preferred Skills

• AWS, Terraform, Ansible, CloudFormation, Kubernetes, Docker, GitLab, or GitHub.
• Monitoring platforms such as Datadog, Splunk, New Relic, or Grafana.
• Python, PowerShell, Bash, or similar scripting languages.
• Snowflake, machine learning operations, or generative artificial intelligence environments.
• Internal developer platforms, workflow automation, and self‑service engineering.
• Relevant AWS, Kubernetes, or infrastructure automation certifications.

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $180,000 to $210,000. In addition, this position is eligible for an annual performance pay bonus. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, training, knowledge, and experience. Alkermes offers a competitive benefits package. Additional details can be found on our careers website: www.alkermes.com/careers#working-here

Alkermes has recently adopted a hybrid working environment to support and meet the needs of employees and this role will operate in a flexible environment with 60% of time in the office and 40% from home. This position is eligible for the hybrid workplace model, requiring work to be completed onsite at our Waltham, MA office at least 3 days per week. This role is not eligible for fully remote work.

About Us

Why join Team Alkermes?

Alkermes applies its decades of deep neuroscience expertise to develop medicines designed to help people living with complex and difficult-to-treat psychiatric and neurological disorders. A global biopharmaceutical company, headquartered in Ireland with U.S. locations in Massachusetts and Ohio, we seek to make a meaningful difference in the way people manage their diseases. We have a portfolio of proprietary commercial products for the treatment of alcohol dependence, opioid dependence, schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder and narcolepsy, and a pipeline of clinical and preclinical candidates in development for various psychiatric and neurological disorders.

We are proud to have been recognized as an employer of choice by many national organizations. In 2024 and 2025, we were certified as a Great Place to Work in the U.S. and named one of Massachusetts’ Top Places to Work by the Boston Globe, a Best Place to Work in Greater Cincinnati by the Cincinnati Business Courier and recognized as a Best Place to Work in BioPharma by Fortune Magazine.

Alkermes, Inc. is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any qualified applicant or employee because of race, creed, color, age, national origin, ancestry, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression and identity, disability, genetic information, veteran status, military status, application for military service or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law. Alkermes also complies with all work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act and IRCA. Alkermes is an E-Verify employer.