(USA) Principal, Software Engineer - AI Evangelist

Walmart • Sunnyvale, CA

14d • $110,000 - $286,000

About The Position

Walmart Global Tech is at the forefront of AI innovation, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to redefine customer experiences. We are seeking a Principal, Software Engineer with deep expertise in Generative AI, Agentic AI, LLMs, and RAG frameworks to lead the design, development, and deployment of advanced AI systems. This role involves architecting scalable solutions, integrating agentic frameworks, and mentoring engineering teams to push the boundaries of AI-driven innovation. As part of Walmart GTP, you will be building highly scalable and reliable APIs, services and applications which will drive the next generation run time platforms. You'll independently handle high impact, critical software/systems monitoring issues, troubleshoot business and production issues. As a member of this fast-moving and highly entrepreneurial team, you'll be able to say that you work for the world's largest retailer and contribute to innovation and development to best-in-class methodologies that impacted perception and drastically changed business as we know it.

Requirements

• Overall 5+ years of experience in machine learning / software engineering, with 2+ years in Generative AI or LLMs.
• Strong experience with RAG frameworks, vector search technologies and knowledge grounding techniques.
• Expertise in Python, ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow), and libraries like Hugging Face Transformers.
• Proficiency in distributed computing, cloud platforms (GCP, Azure), and scalable architectures.
• Familiarity with disaster recovery principles and building resilient, fault-tolerant systems.
• Experience with multi-modal models (text, image, video) and advanced optimization techniques (e.g., quantization, distillation).
• Experience with Generative AI models (e.g., GPT, Gemini) and their fine-tuning.
• Contributions to open-source projects or publications in Generative AI, RAG, or agentic frameworks.
• Strong understanding of system design, non-functional requirements, and design patterns.
• Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 7 years’ experience in software engineering.
• Option 1: Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 5 years’ experience in software engineering or related area.
• Option 2: 7 years’ experience in software engineering or related area.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering and 5 years' experience in software engineering or related area.
• Master’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 3 years' experience in software engineering or related area.
• We value candidates with a background in creating inclusive digital experiences, demonstrating knowledge in implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standards, assistive technologies, and integrating digital accessibility seamlessly.
• The ideal candidate would have knowledge of accessibility best practices and join us as we continue to create accessible products and services following Walmart’s accessibility standards and guidelines for supporting an inclusive culture.

Responsibilities

• AI Model Development ; Agentic Frameworks: Design, fine-tune, and deploy Generative AI models with a focus on RAG frameworks to enhance information retrieval and generation. Develop and optimize LLM-based agents for tasks like knowledge grounding, multi-step reasoning, and decision-making. Integrate external data sources (e.g., vector databases) with LLMs to build dynamic, context-aware systems.
• Architecture ; Scalability: Architect scalable, distributed AI systems with a focus on performance, fault tolerance, and disaster recovery. Develop detailed design specifications, including modular, extensible, and functional components. Build MVPs to validate requirements and refine designs iteratively. Provide technical leadership, making design tradeoffs to balance long-term scalability with short-term execution needs
• Collaboration ; Product Integration: Partner with teams to integrate AI into platforms. Work cross-functionally to design solutions that address both functional and non-functional requirements.
• Leadership ; Mentorship: Drive technical direction for large-scale AI initiatives and mentor other engineers. Establish best practices for building and maintaining AI-driven systems. Act as a mentor, fostering technical growth within the team and contributing to a culture of continuous learning and innovation.

Benefits

• At Walmart, we offer competitive pay as well as performance-based bonus awards and other great benefits for a happier mind, body, and wallet.
• Health benefits include medical, vision and dental coverage.
• Financial benefits include 401(k), stock purchase and company-paid life insurance.
• Paid time off benefits include PTO (including sick leave), parental leave, family care leave, bereavement, jury duty, and voting.
• Other benefits include short-term and long-term disability, company discounts, Military Leave Pay, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, and more.
• You will also receive PTO and/or PPTO that can be used for vacation, sick leave, holidays, or other purposes. The amount you receive depends on your job classification and length of employment. It will meet or exceed the requirements of paid sick leave laws, where applicable.
• Live Better U is a Walmart-paid education benefit program for full-time and part-time associates in Walmart and Sam's Club facilities. Programs range from high school completion to bachelor's degrees, including English Language Learning and short-form certificates. Tuition, books, and fees are completely paid for by Walmart.
• Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to a specific plan or program terms.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees