Principal AI Engineer

Svitla Systems Inc. is looking for a Principal AI Engineer for a full-time position (40 hours per week) in Europe.  Our client is a middle-market private equity firm that gathers information and reports to enhance environmental and social impacts on the customer’s business.  We are seeking a visionary Principal AI Engineer to lead the development of the AI Platform. As a founding member of the AI Center of Excellence, you will lead by example to build a high-performance team. You will build sophisticated Agentic Systems and Adaptive RAG engines that conduct autonomous research to solve complex, real-world problems. You will be a key member of defining "how we do AI, setting the standards for engineering quality, security, and innovation. Overlap: 7 pm CET.Tech Stack  • Languages: Python, TypeScript. • AI Frameworks: LangChain/LangGraph, Pydantic AI, Databricks Mosaic AI. • Models: Azure OpenAI, Open Source LLMs (Llama 3, Mistral, etc.). • Infrastructure: Microsoft Foundry, Azure AI Search, Azure Container Apps, Delta Lake, Vector. Requirements: • 10+ years of experience in software engineering, with a strong focus on building data-intensive, distributed systems. • 8–10+ years of experience in ML engineering. • Strong background across classic ML, GenAI, and Agentic systems. • Significant hands-on experience deploying AI/ML solutions to production. • While deep GenAI experience is preferred, a strong traditional ML Engineering background is a big plus. • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Physics, or related fields. • Deep understanding of building production RAG systems. Knowledge of the nuances of chunking strategies, hybrid search (dense + sparse), re-ranking, and context management. • Experience in building systems where LLMs use tools, maintain state, and execute multi-step plans. Familiarity with the challenges of loops, recursion, and hallucination mitigation. • You are a software engineer first. You write clean, maintainable Python code and understand distributed systems, API design (FastAPI), and cloud architecture. • You can balance the "bleeding edge" with "boring technology" to deliver pragmatic business value. You understand the trade-offs between cost, speed, and accuracy. • Excellent communication skills in English (clear, concise, to the point). • High ownership skills with the ability to take the initiative and drive outcomes independently. • Founding member of the AI CoE, with significant influence over technology choices, frameworks, and engineering standards. • A STEM degree from a reputable university. Responsibilities: • Design and build scalable, reusable AI services (e.g., the "Adaptive RAG Engine," "Text-to-SQL Service," and "Agentic Runtime") that product teams can easily integrate. • Serve as the technical authority on Generative AI. Mentor senior engineers, conduct code reviews, and drive the adoption of engineering best practices (testing, CI/CD for AI, evaluation). • Lead the development of multi-agent systems capable of complex reasoning, planning, tool use, and self-correction (using frameworks like LangGraph or Semantic Kernel). • Load datasets and knowledge sources from external systems. • Shape and transform data to optimize it for Hybrid or Semantic Search, providing the best possible knowledge context to LLMs. • Move prototypes to production while focusing on latency, cost optimization, and reliability. Implement robust evaluation pipelines (LLM-as-a-Judge) to measure quality and prevent regression. • Implement guardrails for PII protection, hallucination detection, and prompt injection defense. • Partner with product teams to de-risk their AI roadmaps. Translate abstract business requirements into concrete architectural patterns. We offer: • US and EU projects based on advanced technologies. • Competitive compensation based on skills and experience. • Regular performance appraisals to support your growth. • Flexibility in workspace, either remote or our welcoming office. • Bonuses for article writing, public talks, and other activities. • Generous time off, including vacation, national holidays, sick leaves, and family days. • Personalized learning programs tailored to your interests and skill development. • Free tech webinars and meetups organized by Svitla. • Regular corporate online activities. • Awesome team and a friendly, supportive community!