Principal Software Engineer, AI

Salary: $156000 - 259000 per year Requirements: We require a bachelors degree in computer science, computer engineering, or a closely related technical discipline. We need at least 10 years of programming experience in a relevant language, with hands-on use of modern front-end frameworks such as React, Vue, or Angular and several backend technologies, with Python preferred and Java, Node.js, or Go also valued. We expect a demonstrated history of designing and delivering production systems that incorporate LLMs or AI services at scale. We look for experience with vector databases such as Milvus, Pinecone, Weaviate, or pgvector, along with advanced embedding optimization in production environments. We require expertise with multiple LLM providers and AI orchestration frameworks such as LangChain, LlamaIndex, or custom-built frameworks. We need extensive experience leading technical teams, coordinating across functions, and mentoring engineers. We expect expert-level experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, GCP, or Azure, as well as advanced containerization, including EKS. We require willingness to work from our offices in Niskayuna, NY or Cambridge, MA. For candidates based in Cambridge, MA, we require a three-month hybrid onboarding residency at our Advanced Research Center in Niskayuna, NY. Preferred qualifications include 13 years of full software development lifecycle experience, including architecture, technical leadership, and large-scale optimization. Preferred qualifications also include deep experience with enterprise RAG architectures, semantic search tuning, and conversation memory at very large scale. Preferred qualifications include multi-modal AI integration, model fine-tuning, and deployment of custom AI models. Preferred qualifications include AI observability, cost optimization, and performance monitoring at enterprise scale. Preferred qualifications include cross-organizational influence and technical roadmap development. Responsibilities: We define the AI architecture and technical direction across multiple products. We lead cross-functional initiatives with product and data science partners. We design RAG solutions and agent workflows, and we refine LLM integrations for performance and reliability. We build multi-tenant, highly available systems with strong observability. We establish standards for AI cost control, monitoring, and security. We mentor teams and help raise the bar for Agile delivery, testing, documentation, and secure engineering practices. Technologies: AI AWS Angular Azure Backend Cloud GCP Java LLM Python React Security Vue NodeJS Architect Computer Vision Support More: We are Meridian Softworks, and we offer a collaborative environment focused on professional growth, autonomy, and partnership across research and product teams. This role is based in Niskayuna, NY or Cambridge, MA, and candidates in Cambridge join a required three-month hybrid onboarding residency at our Advanced Research Center in Niskayuna, NY, with travel, housing, and a living stipend provided. We also offer relocation assistance, competitive compensation with discretionary annual bonus eligibility, and a broad benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage, retirement savings with company matching and retirement contributions, tuition assistance, adoption assistance, paid parental leave, disability and life insurance, 12 paid holidays, and permissive time off. last updated 28 week of 2026