Principal Software Engineer - Enterprise AI Solutions

ALKU; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

ALKU in Boston is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to lead Enterprise AI Solutions. You will design and implement AI-enabled applications and reusable capabilities across the enterprise.

This hands-on role requires deep experience with Python, cloud platforms (Azure), and large language models, plus the ability to guide architecture and deliver end-to-end solutions.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of software engineering experience at Staff/Principal level.
• Hands-on Python backend development experience.
• Experience designing scalable cloud solutions (Azure).
• Experience with full delivery lifecycle (testing, deployment, observability).
• Experience building AI applications using LLMs/Generative AI.
• Strong technical judgment and rapid learning ability.

Responsibilities

• Build enterprise AI solutions and reusable capabilities across the enterprise.
• Own end-to-end delivery from discovery through deployment and ongoing improvement.
• Shape architecture and tech direction across Microsoft, open-source, and commercial technologies.

Skills

Python backend development

Distributed systems design

Generative AI / LLMs

Cloud architecture (Azure)

Full delivery lifecycle

Strong communication

Learning new technologies quickly

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or related field

Tools

LangGraph

LangChain

Semantic Kernel

Azure OpenAI Service

Job description

Principal Software Engineer - Enterprise AI Solutions

Our client is seeking a hands-on Principal Software Engineer to join our Enterprise AI Solutions team. You will build AI-enabled applications and shared capabilities that improve workflows, decision-making, and operational efficiency across the enterprise.

This is a builder-first role for an accomplished software engineer who enjoys solving difficult problems and turning emerging technologies into reliable business solutions. You will spend most of your time designing and writing software while providing technical direction across AI applications, enterprise integrations, distributed systems, and cloud platforms.

We are not looking for expertise in every current AI product or framework. We value strong engineering fundamentals, sound judgment, demonstrated experience applying Generative AI, and the ability to learn rapidly as the technology evolves.

What Success Looks Like:

In the first year, you will help deliver meaningful AI solutions, establish reusable technical patterns, and improve our ability to move promising ideas into reliable enterprise capabilities. You will also expand your own expertise as the AI landscape evolves and take on increasingly complex technical challenges.

What You'll Do:

Build enterprise AI solutions. Design and implement AI-enabled applications, workflow automation, and reusable capabilities that solve meaningful business problems.

Own solutions end to end. Take ideas from discovery and prototyping through implementation, integration, deployment, measurement, and ongoing improvement.

Create durable technical foundations. Apply strong software engineering practices, so solutions are scalable, reliable, observable, maintainable, and appropriately secured.

Shape technical direction. Make pragmatic architecture and build-versus-buy decisions across Microsoft, open-source, and commercial technologies. Influence through working software, evidence, and clear technical reasoning.

Required Qualifications:

10+ years of software engineering experience, including operating at a Staff, Principal, Lead, or comparable level.

Strong recent hands-on development experience in Python, building complex backend applications, platforms, or distributed systems.

Experience designing scalable cloud solutions (Azure preferred) and integrating them with enterprise applications, data, and services.

Experience taking software through the full delivery lifecycle, including testing, deployment, observability, and operational support.

Hands-on experience (professional or non-professional) building multiple meaningful applications using large language models, retrieval, agents, or related Generative AI approaches. These solutions do not all need to have reached full production.

Strong technical judgment, problem-solving ability, communication skills, and a demonstrated capacity to learn unfamiliar technologies quickly.

Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.

ENTERPRISE AI SOLUTIONS - Preferred Qualifications

Experience building enterprise workflow automation, internal platforms, developer productivity solutions, or shared application services.

Experience with Microsoft Azure and modern AI application platforms or frameworks such as LangGraph, LangChain, Semantic Kernel, AWS Strands

Familiarity of the Microsoft AI Ecosystem: Experience with Azure OpenAI Service, Azure AI Search, Microsoft Copilot Studio and related areas

Familiarity with Vector Databases: Experience with specialized vector stores such as Pinecone or Azure AI Search.

Experience integrating with ERP or other complex enterprise systems.

Familiarity with systematic approaches for evaluating and improving AI solution quality.

DevOps for AI: Experience setting up LLMOps pipelines for monitoring model performance, drift, and hallucination rates.

Frontend Basics: Familiarity with React or similar for UI development frameworks