Principal Software Engineer (AI/ML Architect-Engineer)

Why UKG:

At UKG, the work you do matters. The code you ship, the decisions you make, and the care you show a customer all add up to real impact. Today, tens of millions of workers start and end their days with our workforce operating platform. Helping people get paid, grow in their careers, and shape the future of their industries. That’s what we do.

We never stop learning. We never stop challenging the norm. We push for better, and we celebrate the wins along the way. Here, you’ll get flexibility that’s real, benefits you can count on, and a team that succeeds together. Because at UKG, your work matters—and so do you.



About the Role:
We are searching for an exceptionally skilled and visionary Principle Software Engineer with deep expertise in building, deploying, and scaling generative AI applications. As a key individual contributor at the Principal level, you will drive the architecture, strategy, and development of groundbreaking AI technologies that support our long-term mission.

The Principle Software Engineer, AI/ML will lead the technical vision, strategy, and architectural direction for our GenAI initiatives. As a recognized thought leader, you will help guide the company to stay at the forefront of AI innovation, continuously integrating the latest advancements in generative AI into our products and processes. This role demands a blend of technical depth, visionary thinking, and the ability to influence and elevate company-wide AI practices. You will play a pivotal role in shaping a transformative journey, empowering our organization to harness GenAI in profound ways across all products.

Responsibilities:
• Architectural Vision & Strategy: Define and drive the generative AI architecture strategy, ensuring UKG remains at the leading edge of AI innovation. Develop and communicate a cohesive architectural vision that aligns with business goals, enabling the seamless integration of GenAI capabilities across our product suite.
• Technical Leadership: Serve as the primary technical visionary for generative AI, providing hands-on guidance in advanced methods (e.g., transformer models, diffusion models, GANs) and setting technical standards that ensure scalability, security, and efficiency.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with executive leadership, product management, data science, and engineering teams to establish and prioritize GenAI initiatives. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment on requirements and objectives, driving the infusion of AI capabilities across products.
• Innovation & Research: Conduct hands-on, advanced research in generative AI, staying current with emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices. Lead the exploration and implementation of state-of-the-art GenAI techniques to enhance product value and drive a competitive edge.
• Mentorship & Culture Building: Mentor and influence senior engineering leaders, fostering a culture of AI excellence, thought leadership, and continuous innovation. Champion best practices in AI/ML development, MLOps, CI/CD processes, and quality assurance to ensure high standards across the organization.
• Community Engagement: Act as an ambassador for generative AI internally and externally, representing UKG in the AI community through publications, speaking engagements, and industry forums.
• Scalable Solutions: Oversee the deployment of large-scale AI models, ensuring they are optimized for performance, cost, and resource efficiency in production environments. Establish guidelines for high-quality, production-ready AI/ML systems that can scale with business needs.
• Governance & Standards: Define and enforce development methodologies, CI/CD standards, and architectural guidelines for AI solutions. Maintain documentation of architectural decisions and technical roadmaps, ensuring a sustainable foundation for future AI-driven capabilities.

Qualifications:
• Educational Background: MS or PhD in Computer Science, AI, Machine Learning, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• Experience: 12+ years in software development and AI, with at least 5 years of hands-on experience in generative AI, NLP, or related fields. Proven expertise in architecting and deploying large-scale AI/ML systems in production environments.
• Technical Proficiency: Expert-level skills in programming languages (e.g., Python, Java) and AI frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch). Strong understanding of cloud platforms (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure) and MLOps practices for large-scale model training and deployment.
• AI Methodologies: In-depth knowledge of generative AI methodologies, including transformer models, diffusion models, GANs, large language models, and multi-modal architectures. Familiarity with NLP and machine l