Principal, Software Engineer - People.AI

StartupNWA; Bentonville (AR); On-site; USD 110,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative team is seeking a Principal Software Engineer with a strong background in machine learning and software engineering. You will drive observability, automation, and scalability for AI-powered solutions, enhancing user experiences and streamlining processes. Collaborating with talented engineers and leaders, you will implement cutting-edge technologies and best practices in ML and cloud architectures. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a forward-thinking environment that values continuous learning and innovation, making a significant impact on the future of AI solutions in a major retail setting.

Benefits

Medical, vision, and dental coverage

401(k) plan

Stock purchase options

Paid time off

Short-term and long-term disability

Company discounts

Education benefits

Adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement

Qualifications

• 5+ years in software engineering or related area, or 7 years without a degree.
• Experience in building scalable ML pipelines and services.

Responsibilities

• Develop scalable, personalized experiences using GenAI technology.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance software solutions.

Skills

Python

Machine Learning

JavaScript

API Design

Cloud Platforms (Azure, GCP)

Kubernetes

Kafka

Airflow

SQL

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related area

Master's degree in Computer Science or related area

Tools

CI/CD

MLOps

Job description

Position Summary...

What you'll do...

Who we are

Walmart is a multinational, people-led, tech-powered omnichannel retailer with over 2.2 million associates. At People.AI, we support and empower Walmart’s People function with AI and GenAI solutions to enhance productivity, seize growth opportunities, prioritize well-being, and foster a culture of belonging for Walmart associates in both the U.S. and international markets. People.AI is a full-stack Generative AI team dedicated to delivering personalized, trusted, and robust knowledge, data, and actions to users.

What we do

At People.AI, we focus on Gen AI and AI powered knowledge, data and action automation.

• We developed a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) based knowledge Q&A system for internal associates by ingesting Walmart-specific policies, the company handbook, and process guides.
• We engineered a next-generation agentic system to automate HR transactions for managers and people partners through a natural language conversational interface.
• We implemented text-to-SQL and agentic analytics capabilities to convert structured and unstructured data into actionable insights.

We are seeking an exceptional Principal Software Engineer with strong ML engineering background to join the People.AI team, focusing on driving observability, automation, and scalability for these experiences. This role will play a crucial part in enhancing system transparency, streamlining processes, and expanding capabilities to meet increased demand, ultimately improving user autonomy in accessing and utilizing knowledge, structured & unstructured data and actions.

What You'll Do

• Collaborate with Software Engineers: Work closely with other software engineers to develop innovative solutions.
• Develop Scalable and Personalized Experiences: Utilize your understanding of product requirements, GenAI technology stack, and software architecture to enhance associate experiences.
• Partner with Leaders: Collaborate with People.AI product and business leaders to ensure alignment and integration of ML solutions into existing software and systems.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work with product, science, and peer engineering teams to bring products to life.
• Manage Software Development Dependencies: Work with product, science, information security, and peer engineering teams to identify and manage dependencies effectively, ensuring streamlined development processes.
• Anticipate and Mitigate Risks: Proactively identify potential risks in the software development lifecycle and implement strategies to mitigate them, ensuring timely and successful project delivery.
• Integrate Testing and Maintenance: Implement robust testing frameworks and maintenance protocols to ensure the reliability and performance of software. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to address technical challenges and ensure sustained system functionality.
• Cloud-Based Architectures: Leverage or build cloud-based architectures, technologies, and platforms to deliver optimized ML models at scale.
• Model MLOps Best Practices: Implement CI/CD best practices, including test automation, automated deployments, model retraining, and monitoring to ensure the successful deployment and continuous operation of ML systems and pipelines.
• Stay Updated: Keep abreast of the latest state-of-the-art techniques in machine learning applications/models and foster a culture of continuous learning within the organization.

What You'll Bring

• Python Expertise: A deep understanding of Python and its principles, with the ability to apply them effectively. Python will be your primary language, with some use of JavaScript.
• Code Quality Leadership: Responsible for code reviews and setting high code quality standards for the team.
• Architectural Design Experience: Demonstrated experience in leading architecture design.
• ML Pipeline Expertise: Extensive knowledge and experience in building scalable, distributed end-to-end machine learning pipelines and services.
• Technical Proficiency: Highly skilled in the technologies we use and learn daily, including API Design, scaling applications, distributed systems, Python (ML, APIs, workflows), Cloud Platforms (Azure, GCP), Kubernetes, Kafka, Airflow, and SQL.
• Software Engineering Fundamentals: Strong foundation in software engineering/API design fundamentals, with the ability to write production code when needed.
• Intellectual Curiosity: A passion for GenAI, MLOps, and cloud technologies, and a desire to stay current with advancements in the field.

At Walmart, we offer competitive pay as well as performance-based bonus awards and other great benefits for a happier mind, body, and wallet. Health benefits include medical, vision and dental coverage. Financial benefits include 401(k), stock purchase and company-paid life insurance. Paid time off benefits include PTO (including sick leave), parental leave, family care leave, bereavement, jury duty, and voting. Other benefits include short-term and long-term disability, company discounts, Military Leave Pay, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, and more. You will also receive PTO and/or PPTO that can be used for vacation, sick leave, holidays, or other purposes. The amount you receive depends on your job classification and length of employment. It will meet or exceed the requirements of paid sick leave laws, where applicable.

For information about PTO, see https://one.walmart.com/notices.

Live Better U is a Walmart-paid education benefit program for full-time and part-time associates in Walmart and Sam's Club facilities. Programs range from high school completion to bachelor's degrees, including English Language Learning and short-form certificates. Tuition, books, and fees are completely paid for by Walmart. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to a specific plan or program terms.

For information about benefits and eligibility, see One.Walmart.

The annual salary range for this position is $110,000.00-$220,000.00. Additional compensation includes annual or quarterly performance bonuses. Additional compensation for certain positions may also include: Stock

Minimum Qualifications...

Outlined below are the required minimum qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no minimum qualifications.

Option 1: Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 5 years’ experience in software engineering or related area.
Option 2: 7 years’ experience in software engineering or related area.

Preferred Qualifications...

Outlined below are the optional preferred qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no preferred qualifications.

Master’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 3 years' experience in software engineering or related area. We value candidates with a background in creating inclusive digital experiences, demonstrating knowledge in implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standards, assistive technologies, and integrating digital accessibility seamlessly. The ideal candidate would have knowledge of accessibility best practices and join us as we continue to create accessible products and services following Walmart’s accessibility standards and guidelines for supporting an inclusive culture.

Primary Location...

2501 Se J St, Ste A, Bentonville, AR 72716-3724, United States of America