Principal Software Development Engineer (SDE) AI/ML

HCLTech; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 220,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan

10 paid holidays per year

Employee assistance program

Job summary

A leading technology firm in Seattle is seeking a Principal Software Development Engineer (SDE) AI/ML. This mid-senior level position demands extensive experience in building and integrating algorithms in large-scale systems. Applicants should have a strong background in AI/ML technologies, including machine learning frameworks like PyTorch and TensorFlow. The role also involves technical leadership and mentoring junior engineers, making it ideal for candidates looking to impact their teams substantially. Competitive compensation package includes a pay range of $220,000 to $240,000 annually.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in relevant engineering fields.
• Experience with large-scale systems and large language models.
• Hands-on skills in algorithm design and system architecture.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical efforts on complex, high-performance products.
• Ensure quality of architecture and design.
• Mentor and develop junior engineers.

Skills

Deep experience with machine learning

Expert knowledge in performance and scalability

Influencing senior leadership

Mentoring junior engineers

Education

Bachelor’s degree in computer science or engineering

Master’s degree or higher in relevant field

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

AWS

GCP

OCP

Job description

Principal Software Development Engineer (SDE) AI/ML

HCLTech is looking for a highly talented and self‑motivated Principal Software Development Engineer (SDE) AI/ML to join it in advancing the technological world through innovation and creativity.

Job Title: Principal Software Development Engineer (SDE) AI/ML

Job ID: 1627918BR

Location: Seattle, WA

Base pay range: $220,000.00/yr – $240,000.00/yr

Job Description:

You set the standard for scientific excellence and make decisions that affect the way we build and integrate algorithms. Your solutions are exemplary in terms of system design, clarity, efficiency, and extensibility. You tackle intrinsically hard problems; you’re interested in learning; and you acquire skills and expertise as needed. Your expertise is deep and broad; you’re hands‑on, producing both detailed technical work and high‑level architectural designs. Principal Engineers are pragmatic visionaries who can translate business needs into workable technology solutions, translating enterprise‑wide requirements into scalable, sustainable products and reviewing critical coding CRs.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Serve as a technical lead on our most demanding, cross‑functional products.
• Ensure the quality of the architecture and design of distributed high‑performance systems.
• Functionally decompose complex problems into simple, straightforward building blocks.
• Fully and completely understand system interdependencies and limitations.
• Possess expert knowledge in performance, scalability, enterprise system architecture, and engineering best practices.
• Leverage knowledge of internal and industry prior art in design decisions.
• Effectively research and benchmark our technology against other competing systems in the industry.
• Contribute intellectual property through patents.
• Assist in the career development of others, actively mentoring individuals and the community on advanced technical issues and helping managers guide the career growth of their team members.
• Exert technical influence over multiple teams, increasing their productivity and effectiveness by sharing your deep knowledge and experience.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or other engineering field
• 10+ years of experience
• Previous experience with leading the delivery of large‑scale systems focused on large language models, including the data curations, modeling, and evaluation stages, including distillation, supervised fine‑tuning, and policy optimization

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher preferred in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or a related field
• Recognized as an expert in a specific AI/ML domain (e.g., Large Language Models, Recommender Systems, Computer Vision)
• Experience influencing senior leadership and driving technical decisions across a large organization
• Previous experience mentoring and developing junior engineers

Used Technologies, Services, Languages, or Frameworks

• Previous deep experience with machine learning, transformer models, and frameworks like PyTorch or TensorFlow
• System Design and Architecture; AWS, GCP, OCP (principal‑level); Data Engineering; Machine Learning; API Strategy
• Deliver into Economic and Pricing Modeling, Platform‑as‑a‑Service (PaaS) concepts, Software‑as‑a‑Service (SaaS) concepts

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range Minimum: $220,000 per year

Pay Range Maximum: $240,000 per year

HCLTech is an equal‑opportunity employer, committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees regardless of race, religion, sex, color, age, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, physical disability or genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with federal, state, and/or local law. Should any applicant have concerns about discrimination in the hiring process, they should provide a detailed report of those concerns to [e-mail] for investigation.

A candidate’s pay within the range will depend on their skills, experience, education, and other factors permitted by law. This role may also be eligible for performance‑based bonuses subject to company policies. In addition, this role is eligible for the following benefits subject to company policies: medical, dental, vision, pharmacy, life, accidental death & dismemberment, and disability insurance; employee assistance program; 401(k) retirement plan; 10 days of paid time off per year (some positions are eligible for need‑based leave with no designated number of leave days per year); and 10 paid holidays per year.

How You’ll Grow

At HCLTech, we offer continuous opportunities for you to find your spark and grow with us. We want you to be happy and satisfied with your role and to really learn what type of work sparks your brilliance the best. Throughout your time with us, we offer transparent communication with senior‑level employees, learning and career development programs at every level, and opportunities to experiment in different roles or even pivot industries. We believe that you should be in control of your career with unlimited opportunities to find the role that fits you best.

Seniority Level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment Type

Full‑time

Job Function

IT Services and IT Consulting