# Principal Architect

**Company:** [Scale AI](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/scale-ai)
**Location:** Washington, DC
**Role:** Solutions Architecture
**Salary:** $257k – $321k/yr
**Experience:** 10+ years
**Skills:** LLMs, AI Agents, Kubernetes, Python, TypeScript, AWS, GCP, Azure, Distributed Systems, AI/ML
**Posted:** 2026-02-12

> Leads a 50+ engineer team to design and deploy agentic AI products, providing technical direction on LLMs, AI agents, and distributed systems while engaging executives and stakeholders.

## Job Description

## What You’ll Do
- **Team Leadership:** Lead and mentor a high-performing engineering team of 50+, fostering a culture of technical excellence and ownership.
- **Technical Direction:** Guide your team through complex challenges involving LLMs, AI agents, and large-scale distributed systems.
- **Executive Stakeholder Engagement:** Represent Scale AI in high-stakes negotiations and strategic discussions with senior external partners, demonstrating strong technical competence and credibility.
- **Strategic Planning & Communication:** Develop and communicate a compelling vision for Scale AI’s technology applied to your program. Provide regular updates to senior leadership and key stakeholders on progress, risks, and opportunities.
- **Culture & Teamwork:** Foster a culture of speed, unity of purpose, resilience, and teamwork. Lead through uncertainty with determination and adaptability.

## What We’re Looking For
- 10+ years of software engineering experience, including 5+ years in a technical leadership or staff role.
- Deep understanding of modern AI/ML technologies, including experience working with LLMs and AI agents.
- Proficient in one or more modern programming languages (Python, JavaScript/TypeScript)
- Hands-on experience with Kubernetes and cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
- Strong product and business sense, with a track record of aligning engineering efforts with company goals.
- Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-changing environments and guide your team to do the same.
- Experience in executive level engagement with industry partners and Public Sector customers

## Similar roles

- [Principal Forward Deployed Engineer](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/1531b7d0-a213-423d-9cb5-954d86e47fdf) - Maybern - New York, NY - $230k – $260k/yr
- [Principal Partner Solutions Architect (Public Sector - Fed)](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/ada8ef23-7fa4-4893-aaa1-e2fb619fdcdf) - Datadog - Remote - $229k – $269k/yr
- [Principal Forward Deployed Engineer](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/d374734a-b257-4045-b96f-efde6e3c3023) - Spruce ID - Remote - $200k – $225k/yr
- [Principal Solutions Engineer, Central](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/e2d77057-9a45-429c-9560-e8cf1c8261b1) - Wiz - Remote - $196k – $217k/yr
- [Principal Technical Architect - AI/ML](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/dfc03d57-86ff-4fff-8cc8-51f8ebe7c35b) - Snowflake - Remote - $196k – $257k/yr

**Apply:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/062fe51f-5bdd-4038-b9a3-20f6ce2669da
**Canonical:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/062fe51f-5bdd-4038-b9a3-20f6ce2669da