Principal AI Software Developer

Pyramid Systems, Inc.•,

9d•$166,091 - $210,000

About The Position

The Senior Principal Software Engineer/Developer will serve as a lead enterprise architect and AI engineering authority, responsible for defining and delivering large-scale, mission-critical AI-enabled systems for HUD and the AIR platform. This role goes beyond hands-on development to include enterprise-wide technical strategy, cross-program architecture leadership, executive-level stakeholder engagement, and AI governance and innovation leadership in federal environments.

Requirements

US Citizenship is required
Bachelor's or master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field
12–15+ years of software engineering experience, including 6–8+ years in AI-enabled systems (LLMs, generative AI, applied ML in production)
Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-scale architecture and multi-team delivery efforts
Expert-level proficiency in Python and modern backend frameworks and Full-stack architectures and modern front-end technologies
Deep experience in Cloud-native platforms (Azure, AWS, GCP) at scale and Multi-environment deployments in FedRAMP-authorized environments
Extensive experience with AI/ML platforms (OpenAI, Bedrock, Vertex AI, etc.) and Advanced AI architectures (RAG, orchestration, agents)
Proven track record of leading large modernization programs (COBOL-to-modern stack transformation) and delivering mission-critical federal systems
Deep knowledge of NIST AI RMF and federal AI governance frameworks and secure software development in federal environments
Strong experience with Microservices, APIs, distributed systems design and DevSecOps and platform engineering leadership
Prior experience serving as Lead Architect, Chief Engineer, or Technical Director on federal programs
Active clearance (Public Trust, Secret, or higher strongly preferred)

Nice To Haves

Prior HUD or federal civilian agency leadership experience
Experience contributing to organizational AI strategy or product platforms (e.g., AIR-like platforms)

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary technical authority across multiple programs, defining AI and application architecture strategy at the enterprise level
Establish long-term modernization roadmaps for federal systems, aligning AI adoption with mission outcomes and compliance requirements
Act as a trusted advisor to senior federal stakeholders (SES-level and above) on AI strategy, system modernization, and technology risk
Drive technical decision-making across portfolios, ensuring scalability, interoperability, and long-term sustainability
Own end-to-end enterprise architecture across multiple interconnected systems, platforms, and programs
Lead design of complex, distributed AI-enabled architectures, including multi-cloud and hybrid environments
Define and enforce architecture standards, reference architectures, and reusable frameworks across teams
Lead development of advanced AI solutions, including RAG systems at scale, agentic workflows and orchestration frameworks, and AI-driven automation across mission workflows
Establish AI engineering best practices and standards across the organization
Evaluate and lead adoption of emerging AI technologies, guiding pilots into production-ready capabilities
Drive innovation initiatives tied to AIR platform growth and differentiation
Oversee multiple concurrent development efforts, ensuring alignment with architecture, security, and delivery goals
Provide technical leadership across integrated product teams, including architects, engineers, and DevSecOps specialists
Ensure delivery of high-availability, production-grade systems supporting federal missions
Serve as a subject matter expert in federal AI policy and governance, including NIST AI RMF, OMB M-24-10, and EO 14110
Establish and oversee organization-wide responsible AI frameworks, including model evaluation and validation, bias mitigation strategies, and explainability and auditability
Ensure full compliance across programs with FISMA, FedRAMP, NIST 800-53, privacy, accessibility (Section 508), and security mandates
Lead large-scale legacy modernization initiatives, including enterprise COBOL-to-Python transformations, migration to cloud-native, and microservices-based architectures
Define repeatable modernization frameworks and accelerators
Oversee implementation of enterprise-grade DevSecOps pipelines and platform engineering practices
Drive adoption of, advanced CI/CD automation, Zero-trust architectures, and secure supply chain practices (SBOM, scanning, policy enforcement)
Mentor senior engineers, architects, and technical leads
Build and scale high-performing engineering teams
Lead technical hiring, workforce planning, and capability development
Play a key leadership role in proposals, captures, and recompetes
Serve as technical lead in client presentations, demos, and strategy sessions
Contribute to thought leadership (whitepapers, architecture frameworks, innovation roadmaps)