What you will do
- Own end-to-end technical architecture for high-impact AI platform initiatives from design through production
- Lead a cross-functional pod of highly talented engineers, interacting with product, infra, and platform organizations
- Build scalable agent infrastructure that automates repetitive, high-frequency workflows across Rippling's product surface
- Design systems that are observable, self-correcting, and capable of improving over time with minimal human intervention
- Develop harness and platform capabilities that encode business logic and institutional knowledge into reliable, automated workflows
- Partner closely with Product to ensure AI-powered surfaces are trustworthy, controllable, and intuitive for end users and admins
- Mentor engineers across the org, establish best practices for AI platform development, and raise the technical bar broadly
- Track the frontier, translate model capability improvements into architectural decisions and move quickly when new approaches unlock better outcomes
What you will need
- 8+ years of software engineering experience with a proven track record of technical leadership and org-wide impact
- Deep expertise in platform and distributed systems engineering — you've built reliable, observable, large-scale systems
- Strong hands-on coding skills, you are an active contributor in the codebase alongside your leadership responsibilities
- Experience leading complex, cross-functional technical initiatives and driving alignment across multiple teams
- Strong product instincts, you translate ambiguous problems into durable platform capabilities and partner effectively with product teams
- Clear, precise communication to diverse audiences, both written and verbal
- Comfort with ambiguity and high velocity, the roadmap evolves as the technology evolves
Recent hands-on experience building AI agents is a plus
Compensation
Competitive salary + benefits + equity. US-based salary ranges aligned by location (SF/NY/Seattle tiers apply).