Senior Principal Applied AI-Software Engineer

City of Shakopee, MN; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) and profit-sharing plan

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Tuition reimbursement

Flexible time off

Job summary

City of Shakopee, MN is seeking a Senior Principal Applied AI-Software Engineer to drive the development of innovative AI solutions. This role focuses on creating impactful AI software for scientific and engineering workflows. Ideal candidates possess 10+ years in software development and extensive experience with AI-based tools.

The successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment, adept at navigating challenges and communicating clearly across teams. Responsibilities include prototyping AI technologies and championing software best practices.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional software development experience.
• 5+ years of technical leadership with high-stakes architectural decisions.
• Deep hands-on experience with AI coding agents like GitHub Copilot.
• Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Identify and prototype emerging technologies.
• Tackle critical technical challenges swiftly.
• Rapidly prototype AI-enabled features.
• Champion AI-native software development practices.

Skills

AI coding agents

Technical leadership

Exceptional communication

Software development

Education

Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, Engineering, or related field

Tools

C/C++

Go

.NET

Python

TypeScript

React

Job description

We are seeking a hands‑on Senior Principal Applied AI‑Software Engineer who excels at building compelling test and measurement solutions in AI software—turning ambiguous ideas into reality.

You will directly impact Nigel, our AI‑native platform for Test & Measurement, as well as the core services that give Nigel its capabilities. Nigel is used by scientists and engineers to conduct experiments, design products, and validate mission‑critical systems.

This role is ideal for a seasoned technologist who wants to shape how AI fundamentally reshapes scientific and engineering workflows.

IN THIS ROLE, YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES WILL:

• Identify and prototype emerging technologies and evaluate where they deliver clear value to our customers
• Tackle the most critical technical challenges at any given time
• Flexibly and directly contribute across the stack as needed, using the latest AI tools
• Rapidly prototype AI‑enabled features, iterating from concept → demo → product
• Champion and evangelize AI‑native software development, CI/CD, DevOps, observability, and IaC
• Partner across teams to turn working concepts into production‑ready systems
• Align teams and leadership around new technical directions

WHO YOU ARE:

You are a high‑ownership self‑starter who thrives in ambiguity, driving complex problems toward working solutions with speed and excellence with an experienced, fast‑paced team. You are intellectually curious and excited to learn and adapt quickly. You are unafraid of challenges and run toward them. You are a clear communicator who can articulate intent, assumptions, tradeoffs, and next steps in writing and in person. You think in tight iteration loops, using any tool available or necessary to debug, validate, and deliver. You work effectively with AI as a core part of AI‑native development—steering it, recognizing incorrect outputs, and course‑correcting quickly.

FOR THIS ROLE, YOU WILL NEED:

• Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, Engineering, or related field
• 10+ years of professional software development experience commensurate with the level of this role
• 5+ years of technical leadership making high‑stakes architectural decisions commensurate with the level of this role
• Deep hands‑on experience with AI coding agents (e.g. GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Codex, Antigravity, Cursor)
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence technical strategy across teams and levels
• Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship now and in the future.
• Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship now and in the future
  • Individuals with temporary visas such as E, F‑1 (including those with OPT or CPT), H‑1, H‑2, L‑1, B, J or TN, or who need sponsorship for work authorization now or in the future, are not eligible for hire.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS THAT SET YOU APART:

• Experience with a variety of programming languages (e.g. C/C++, Go, .NET, Python)
• Frontend experience (e.g. TypeScript, Next.js, React)
• Experience integrating AI into systems and workflows (e.g. prompt/context engineering, RAG, fine tuning, agentic harnesses, tool use, MCP servers, etc.)
• Experience in test & measurement, maker communities, or engineering domains beyond software

OUR CULTURE & COMMITMENT TO YOU

We recognize that for our organization to support a diverse workforce, we must focus on employee wellbeing. We know that to do your best work, you must have flexible, competitive benefit plans to meet you and your family’s physical, mental, financial, and social needs. We provide a market‑leading 401(k) and profit‑sharing plan, a variety of medical insurance plans, with dental and vision coverage, family formation benefits in addition to paid parental leave (maternal and paternal), Employee Assistance Program, tuition reimbursement, employee resource groups, recognition, and much more. Our culture prioritizes work‑life balance and offers flexible time off plans, inclusive of vacation, holiday, and sick leave. Our goal is to offer a strong benefits foundation while allowing employees the flexibility to choose options that best suit their needs.

At Emerson, we are committed to fostering a culture where every employee is valued and respected for their unique experiences and perspectives. We believe a diverse and inclusive work environment contributes to the rich exchange of ideas and diversity of thoughts, that inspires innovation and brings the best solutions to our customers.

Learn more about our Culture & Values and about Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Emerson. Our training programs and initiatives focus on end‑to‑end development, from onboarding through senior leadership. We provide a wide range of development opportunities, including face‑to‑face and virtual training, mentorship and coaching, project management, and on‑the‑job training.