Principal Engineer, Ai Engagement Lead

About the Role

Lead end-to-end AI engagements as a hands-on Principal Engineer, using GenAI to rapidly prototype and deliver production-grade applications. Own discovery, POC build, architecture, and production rollouts while coaching client and OCI teams.

Explicitly requires vibe coding skills—daily GenAI-driven development and rapid prototyping with LLMs.

Location: St. Louis, MO

Type: Full-time

Posted: Today

Category: AI/ML & Data

Company Rating: 4.2 (6 reviews)

Company Size: 51-200

Vibe Markers: 💻 Open Source, 🔥 Hot

Experience Level: Staff/Principal

Job Description

Role

Principal Engineer / AI Engagement Lead responsible for running AI-first client engagements from discovery through production. This is a hands-on architect-and-builder role that uses generative AI tools to prototype and ship business applications while ensuring production stability, testing, and security.

Key Responsibilities

• Run lightweight discovery across core business processes and underlying data (finance, HR, customer, productivity).
• Shape company-wide AI rollout plans with client executives and prioritize initial work.
• Rapidly build proofs of concept using GenAI to demonstrate value.
• Lead follow-on builds: define architecture, enforce testing and security, implement infrastructure as code, and deploy to client cloud environments.
• Unblock and coach the engagement team; serve as technical point of contact for the client sponsor.
• Capture learnings and contribute reusable accelerators for OCI engagements.

Typical Stack

• Claude, Claude Code
• Azure OpenAI
• MCP
• Python, TypeScript
• Azure, AWS
• Databricks, Snowflake

Requirements

• Extensive practical experience building with GenAI and LLMs in production (retrieval, evaluation, agents, tool use).
• Deep technical expertise in at least one area: application development, data engineering, or cloud; strong architectural capability across all three.
• Proven track record as a technical lead on multiple systems that went live and remained production-stable, ideally in regulated industries.
• Ability to read and evaluate Python and TypeScript code and to judge AI-generated outputs.
• Business fluency to run discovery and create executive-funded plans.
• Strong communication skills and experience leading engineers and mentoring without formal authority.

How You’ll Spend Your Time

• Staffed on one or two client engagements at a time.
• Scoping new work, mentoring OCI engineers, and building shared accelerators between engagements.

Tech Stack

Claude, Claude Code, Azure OpenAI, MCP, Python, TypeScript, Azure, AWS, Databricks, Snowflake

Skills

GenAI development, LLM integration, System Architecture, Application Development, Data Engineering, Cloud Architecture, DevOps / Infrastructure as Code, Testing & Quality, Security, Discovery & Requirements Gathering, Client-facing Communication, Leadership & Coaching, Project Scoping