Principal Software Engineer- MLE

Walmart•Bentonville, AR

12d•$95,000 - $165,000

About The Position

Position Summary... What you'll do... As a Principal Machine Learning Engineer, you will lead the design, development, and deployment of advanced machine learning solutions to drive business impact. You will architect scalable ML systems, mentor engineering teams, and collaborate cross-functionally to deliver high-quality, production-grade AI applications. Your expertise will help shape the technical direction of our ML initiatives, ensuring best practices in reliability, performance, and governance.

Requirements

Expert-level proficiency in programming languages such as Python or Java, with a strong track record of delivering production-grade ML solutions.
Proven experience designing, developing, and operationalizing ML systems in a cloud environment.
Deep understanding of machine learning principles, model families (e.g., tree-based, deep learning), and practical challenges (e.g., data quality, bias, drift).
Experience with containerization (Docker), orchestration (Kubernetes), and workflow management (Airflow or similar).
Strong working knowledge of SQL and modern data engineering practices.
Proficient in version control (Git) and agile software development.
8+ years of industry experience in machine learning engineering or related fields, with demonstrated leadership in complex projects.
Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
Passion for innovation, MLOps, and scalable AI systems.
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.
7 years’ experience in software engineering or related area.

Responsibilities

Design, develop, and deploy end-to-end machine learning systems, including data ingestion, feature engineering, model training, deployment, and monitoring.
Architect and implement scalable ML pipelines and infrastructure, leveraging modern cloud platforms (e.g., GCP, AWS, Azure) and orchestration tools (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker, Airflow).
Build and maintain robust API-based services and distributed systems for ML applications.
Collaborate with data scientists, software engineers, product managers, and DevOps teams to streamline model development, deployment, and lifecycle management.
Ensure best practices in software engineering, including API design, automated testing, CI/CD, and observability for ML-driven systems.
Drive innovation in MLOps, cloud-native technologies, and scalable AI infrastructure.
Mentor and guide junior engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous learning.
Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

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.
For information about PTO, see https://one.walmart.com/notices .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.
For information about benefits and eligibility, see One.Walmart .
The annual salary range for this position is $95,000.00 - $165,000.00 Additional compensation includes annual or quarterly performance bonuses.
Additional compensation for certain positions may also include : - Regional Pay Zone (RPZ) (based on location) - Stock