# Principal Architect

**Company**: Scale
**Location**: Washington, DC
**Work arrangement**: onsite
**Experience**: senior
**Job type**: full-time
**Salary**: $257,000-$321,000 USD
**Category**: Engineering
**Industry**: Technology

**Apply**: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/scaleai/jobs/4599202005
**Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_1be1fd1e-8f3

## Description

We are seeking a Principal Architect to drive the design, development, and deployment of our agentic AI products in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. In this role, you will lead a team of 50+ engineers, providing both strategic and technical guidance. You’ll be responsible for high-impact architectural decisions, cross-company collaboration, and executive level engagements.

Key Responsibilities: Lead and mentor a high-performing engineering team of 50+, fostering a culture of technical excellence and ownership. Guide your team through complex challenges involving LLMs, AI agents, and large-scale distributed systems. Represent Scale AI in high-stakes negotiations and strategic discussions with senior external partners, demonstrating strong technical competence and credibility. 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. Foster a culture of speed, unity of purpose, resilience, and teamwork.

Requirements: 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

Success Metrics: Within 6 months: Successful demonstration of agentic AI’s mission value in high-stakes customer demonstrations Establish Scale AI as the preferred agentic AI partner for the PEO Establish high velocity, agile engineering cadence both internally and with our industry partners

Within 12–18 months: Secure follow-on contract award with expanded scope for Scale Position Scale AI as the global AI leader in this mission area Establish developed solutions as Scale product offerings to deliver on future contracts

Compensation packages at Scale for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position, determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, interview performance, and relevant education or training.

## Skills

### Required
- software engineering
- technical leadership
- AI/ML technologies
- LLMs
- AI agents
- Kubernetes
- cloud infrastructure
- Python
- JavaScript/TypeScript