AI Principal Engineer

Believe Resourcing; Durbanville; Hybrid; ZAR 300 000 - 400 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading compliance technology firm in Durbanville is seeking an experienced AI Principal Engineer to lead the design and deployment of advanced AI solutions. The role involves optimizing AI models, mentoring talent, and ensuring responsible AI practices. Candidates should have 10–15 years of experience and strong proficiency in Python. This position offers competitive compensation and a flexible hybrid working model.

Qualifications

• 10–15 years of experience building enterprise-scale systems.
• Proven track record in developing and deploying LLM applications.
• Strong experience with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and embeddings.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of LLM-based application components.
• Optimise AI and ML models for performance, scalability, and cost efficiency.
• Mentor engineering teams, promoting excellence and innovation.

Skills

Python

Responsible AI practices

Problem-solving

Mentoring

Communication

Tools

Git

Vector search

Relational databases

Non-relational databases

Job description

Location: Durbanville
Salary: Competitive, based on experience
Hybrid: Flexible hybrid working model

About the Company

Our client is a global leader in compliance technology, helping financial services firms manage complex regulatory requirements through an innovative, unified platform. With a worldwide presence and a strong track record of growth, they’re at the forefront of driving ethical and transparent financial operations.

Why Join Them

You’ll join a rapidly expanding international business that’s transforming compliance through cutting-edge AI and data-driven solutions. This is an opportunity to lead at the frontier of AI innovation, influence strategic direction, and make a measurable impact on the integrity of global financial systems.

About the Role

Our client is seeking an accomplished AI Principal Engineer to lead the design, development, and optimisation of advanced AI and machine learning solutions. You will play a pivotal role in shaping the company’s AI strategy, with a strong focus on building and deploying Large Language Model (LLM) applications at scale.

This is a highly influential position where you’ll set the technical direction, collaborate across teams, and mentor fellow engineers while championing responsible and ethical AI practices across the organisation.

Requirements and Responsibilities

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of LLM-based application components, primarily using Python.
• Optimise AI and ML models for performance, scalability, and cost efficiency.
• Build and maintain robust data pipelines and backend systems supporting AI workflows.
• Define and guide the technical roadmap for AI initiatives in line with business objectives.
• Mentor engineering teams, promoting excellence and innovation.
• Collaborate with product, compliance, and business stakeholders to deliver impactful AI solutions.
• Uphold responsible AI principles, ensuring compliance, explainability, and ethics.
• Evaluate and recommend emerging AI technologies and frameworks.
• Conduct code reviews and troubleshoot production systems for reliability and performance.

Requirements

• 10–15 years of experience building enterprise-scale systems.
• Proven track record in developing and deploying LLM applications.
• Strong experience with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), vector search, and embeddings.
• Advanced proficiency in Python and clean coding practices.
• Solid understanding of relational and non-relational databases, including data optimisation.
• Skilled in Git and modern version control workflows.
• Demonstrable experience in responsible AI frameworks.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and mentoring abilities.
• Experience in leading high-performing AI engineering teams.