About the Role
As a Principal AI Engineer, you will be the technical lead for an embedded Innovation Squad, owning technical execution from discovery through to production. You will assess and harden existing AI prototypes, deliver new ones, and establish the agentic AI patterns, orchestration, tool use, memory, and retrieval that other squads reuse. You are the senior source of expertise on AI architecture, integration, and delivery. You will work directly with internal stakeholders and end users in the host function, finalising requirements, making the architectural calls, and codifying validated solutions into reusable patterns, reference implementations, and starter kits. You may also provide sizing, infrastructure, and budget recommendations, and you will mentor and elevate the engineers around you.
Responsibilities
- Own technical execution from discovery to production; build, assess, and harden prototypes and proofs of concept, and deliver new ones.
- Design and govern reusable agentic AI patterns (orchestration, tool use, memory, retrieval).
- Ensure delivery meets architecture, security and data-governance standards; recommend infrastructure, hosting and data residency.
- Codify validated solutions into patterns, reference implementations, and starter kits so they can be picked up and scaled across other functions.
- Provide design input, finalise requirements, and work directly with internal stakeholders and end users in the host function.
- Write specifications, fix complex bugs, and design complex data models.
- Act as the primary technical contact for external resources and the squad's go-to on coding and AI.
- Establish baselines and report measurable outcomes for every initiative.
- Maintain visibility of in-flight AI pilots within the function to prevent duplication and surface candidates for reuse.
- Ensure alignment with enterprise non-negotiables: security, compliance and central technology infrastructure standards.
- Continuously evaluate emerging technologies and mentor and elevate team members.
- Take on related responsibilities as the squad's needs evolve.
Requirements
- 10+ years in software engineering, with hands-on AI system design, build or integration, and a track record of taking AI prototypes to production in enterprise environments.
- BS in Engineering, Computer Science or equivalent; advanced degree preferred.
- LLM orchestration, prompt engineering, context-window management and production guardrails; MCP, tool-augmented agents and RAG at enterprise scale.
- Integrating AI into enterprise systems via APIs and data pipelines, with strong security, data governance and residency practices.
- AWS, Azure or GCP, including managed AI/ML services.
- Agile, CI/CD, modern SDLC and TDD.
- Modelling across relational, columnar and vector stores, grounded in sound architectural principles.
- Thrives in ambiguity, framing the problem, extracting defined spec, and prioritises shipping validated outcomes over perfect solutions, moving pilots to production at pace.
- Python, Java, TypeScript/JavaScript, SQL and relevant AI SDKs.
- Plans and sequences work, manages scope, dependencies and priorities, removes blockers, and drives delivery to keep innovation moving.
- Presents concisely to senior management, host-function stakeholders and cross-functional teams, and builds buy-in and drives technical decisions across.
- Budget-aware; partners with internal and external resources, including managed services and staff augmentation.
- Establishes baselines and instruments solutions to track productivity, cost and quality outcomes from pilot through scale.
Skills
- AI system design
- AI system build
- AI system integration
- LLM orchestration
- Prompt engineering
- Context-window management
- Production guardrails
- MCP
- Tool-augmented agents
- RAG at enterprise scale
- Enterprise integration
- API integration
- Data pipeline integration
- Security practices
- Data governance practices
- AWS
- Azure
- GCP
- Managed AI/ML services
- Agile
- CI/CD
- Modern SDLC
- TDD
- Relational data modelling
- Columnar data modelling
- Vector store modelling
- Architectural principles
- Problem framing
- Specification extraction
- Outcome prioritization
- Python
- Java
- TypeScript
- JavaScript
- SQL
- AI SDKs
- Work planning
- Scope management
- Dependency management
- Priority management
- Blocker removal
- Delivery driving
- Concise presentation
- Stakeholder management
- Cross-functional team collaboration
- Buy-in building
- Technical decision driving
- Budget awareness
- Partnership
- Managed services
- Staff augmentation
- Baseline establishment
- Solution instrumentation
- Productivity tracking
- Cost tracking
- Quality tracking
Location
- USA
Work Type
- Full-time
Experience Level
- Principal
- 10+ years
Education Level
- BS in Engineering
- BS in Computer Science
- Advanced degree preferred
Benefits
- Comprehensive Pension Plan
- Generous vacation entitlement
- Option for sabbatical leave
- Maternity leave
- Paternity leave
- Adoption leave
- Family Care leave
- Personal Choice budget
- Internal communities and networks
- Various employee discounts
- Recruitment introduction reward
- Employee Assistance Program (global)
- Wellbeing initiatives
- Shared parental leave
- Study assistance
- Sabbaticals
- Flexible working hours
About the Company
- A global leader in information and analytics, we help researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society.
- Building on our publishing heritage, we combine quality information and vast data sets with analytics to support visionary science and research, health education, and interactive learning, as well as exceptional healthcare and clinical practice.
- At Elsevier, your work contributes to the world’s grand challenges and a more sustainable future.
- We harness innovative technologies to support science and healthcare to partner for a better world.
- RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers, enabling them to make better decisions, get better results and be more productive.
- Our purpose is to benefit society by developing products that help researchers advance scientific knowledge; doctors and nurses improve the lives of patients; lawyers promote the rule of law and achieve justice and fair results for their clients; businesses and governments prevent fraud; consumers access financial services and get fair prices on insurance; and customers learn about markets and complete transactions.
- Our purpose guides our actions beyond the products that we develop. It defines us as a company.
- Every day across RELX our employees are inspired to undertake initiatives that make unique contributions to society and the communities in which we operate.
Equal Opportunity
- We are committed to providing a fair and accessible hiring process. If you have a disability or other need that requires accommodation or adjustment, please let us know by completing our Applicant Request Support Form or please contact 1-855-833-5120.
- Criminals may pose as recruiters asking for money or personal information. We never request money or banking details from job applicants. Learn more about spotting and avoiding scams here.
- Please read our Candidate Privacy Policy.
- We are an equal opportunity employer: qualified applicants are considered for and treated during employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship status, disability status, protected veteran status, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.
- USA Job Seekers: EEO Know Your Rights.
