Staff Software Engineer

TrulyHired; Hoboken (NJ); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual incentive program

Job summary

Pearson Learning Studio is seeking a Principal Engineer to define the technical vision and architecture for Guided Study. You will lead architectural decisions across frontend, backend, and AI components, mentoring senior engineers and driving AI-powered learning experiences.

This role demands hands-on leadership in agentic AI, LLM integration, RAG pipelines, and scalable web systems. You will collaborate with Product, Data Science, UX, and Content teams in a hybrid Hoboken office.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in design, architecture, and development of web applications.
• Experience designing scalable, distributed systems and strong problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated experience with agentic AI, LLMs, and prompt engineering.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the architecture for scalable, high-performance web applications for Guided Study experiences.
• Lead system design discussions across frontend, backend, and AI components.
• Architect and implement AI-powered workflows using agentic AI frameworks and LLM-based systems.
• Design and optimize data pipelines and backend services using Java, Python, and SQL.

Skills

Agentic AI systems

LLM

Prompt Engineering

Retrieval-Augmented Generation

ReactJS

Java

Python

SQL

Distributed systems

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Vector databases

Embedding pipelines

Job description

Staff Software Engineer Full Description

Overview

Pearson Learning Studio is seeking a Principal Engineer to lead the technical vision and architecture for our Guided Study platform. This role is designed for a deeply technical leader who thrives at the intersection of modern web architecture and emerging AI technologies, particularly agentic AI systems. You will serve as a hands‑on technical authority, driving architectural decisions, mentoring senior engineers, and shaping next‑generation AI‑powered learning experiences.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Architecture

• Define and drive the architecture for scalable, high‑performance web applications supporting Guided Study experiences.
• Lead system design discussions and make strategic technology decisions across frontend, backend, and AI components.
• Architect and implement AI‑powered workflows using agentic AI frameworks and LLM‑based systems.
• Design and optimize data pipelines and backend services using Java, Python, and SQL.
• Ensure best practices in scalability, observability, performance, and security.

AI & Intelligent Systems Development

• Develop and integrate at least one Large Language Model (LLM) into production workflows.
• Design and implement Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines.
• Apply advanced prompt engineering techniques to improve learning personalization and response quality.
• Evaluate emerging AI technologies and define roadmap integration strategies.

Full‑Stack Engineering

• Lead frontend architecture using ReactJS.
• Develop backend systems using Java and Python.
• Design and optimize relational databases and complex SQL queries.
• Ensure clean API design and seamless frontend‑backend integration.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Product, Data Science, UX, and Content teams to deliver intelligent learning features.
• Mentor senior engineers and influence engineering standards across the organization.
• Contribute to technical strategy and long‑term platform evolution.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in design, architecture, and development of web applications.
• Strong hands‑on experience in:
• Agentic AI systems
• At least one Large Language Model (LLM)
• Prompt Engineering
• Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG)
• Full‑stack development expertise in:
• ReactJS
• Java
• Python
• SQL
• Demonstrated experience designing scalable, distributed systems.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and system‑thinking capabilities.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Proven ability to work effectively in cross‑functional teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience deploying AI systems in production environments.
• Familiarity with vector databases and embedding pipelines.
• Experience with cloud‑native architectures (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Experience in EdTech or learning platforms.

This is a hybrid work setup, where the candidate will be required to work three days onsite at our Hoboken office.

Applications will be accepted through April 24. This window may be extended depending on business needs.

Compensation at Pearson is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific location. As required by the California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York State, New York City, Vermont, Washington State, and Washington DC laws, the pay range for this position is as follows: The full‑time salary range for this role is between $150,000 – $180,000. This position is eligible to participate in an annual incentive program.

Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E‑Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing [e-mail].

Job: Engineering

Job Family: TECHNOLOGY