Lead Software Engineer, AI Labs (Product and Customer Facing)

Salesforce•Washington, DC

22d•$148,500 - $344,700

About The Position

Salesforce is building a new business unit focused on large-scale transformation through data, generative AI, and a platform for mission-critical workloads. The Lead Software Engineer will work with engineers and AI researchers to solve challenging customer problems and contribute high-quality code. The role spans the product lifecycle, from generating ideas and designing prototypes to implementing features and shipping releases, in collaboration with technical and non-technical colleagues. The engineer will embed with demanding customers and partners to understand their needs, design and implement solutions, and adapt those solutions to varied customer environments. The work may use Salesforce products, open-source technologies, or tools built by the team. The role calls for clean, effective coding, the ability to learn new languages and technologies quickly, and a focus on solutions that scale across different networks and infrastructure.

Requirements

B.S. in Computer Science with coursework in Artificial Intelligence; an M.S. is preferred.
7–12 years of industry experience in Software Engineering for the Lead level, focused on AI/ML.
Proficiency in multiple programming languages, such as Python, Go, Java, or C++.
Strong background in APIs, data modeling, and databases.
Experience with production cloud deployments such as AWS, GCP, or OCI.
Experience field-debugging full-stack deployments.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a dynamic environment.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to manage internal and external stakeholders and drive consensus across engineering and product teams.
Solid understanding of security principles and best practices.
Interest in continuous learning in AI technologies and enthusiasm for mentoring peers.
A demonstrated AI-first approach to engineering, using AI to work faster, build fluency across the stack, and contribute beyond one's core specialty.
Experience using AI tools such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Codex, or Cursor in development workflows.
High level of authorship.

Nice To Haves

Experience with open-source technologies such as Kubernetes, Envoy, Grafana, React, and Redux.
UI and graphic design sensibilities.
M.S. in Computer Science with coursework in Artificial Intelligence.

Responsibilities

Work alongside engineers to bring cutting-edge theory into customer-facing practice.
Build tools and pipelines to support machine learning and AI efforts.
Design, build, deploy, and maintain production software and AI services, including APIs, user interfaces, and agentic evaluators.
Roll out scalable cloud architectures and the software that runs on them.
Help gather end-user requirements and prepare executive presentations.
Understand challenging customer problems and devise thoughtful solutions.
Work directly with customers and partners to identify problems and implement solutions.