Applied AI Senior Principal Developer

We are hiring a senior technical leader to architect, build and operationalize high-impact applied AI and ML systems across Autodesk products with a focus on the Fusion Industry Cloud (FIC). The Senior Principal Engineer will be the technical owner for complex ML initiatives, including integration points with FIC products. This role will partner closely with Product, Engineering and the Applied AI manager to turn ML investments into reliable, production-grade capabilities and measurable product outcomes. The role requires deep system-level thinking, hands-on engineering and the ability to influence across teams and the organization.

Autodesk is a global leader in 3D design, engineering, and entertainment software, empowering innovators everywhere to imagine, design, and make a better world. Our software is used by professionals and hobbyists alike, across industries from architecture and manufacturing to media and entertainment. We are committed to diversity, flexibility, and continuous learning, offering a collaborative environment where you can grow your skills and make a real impact.

You will lead the design and delivery of foundational applied AI capabilities that directly impact product experience and customer outcomes. This role offers the opportunity to solve hard engineering problems, shape technical strategy across product lines and help scale a world-class Applied AI practice within a collaborative and mission-driven company.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and delivery of large-scale applied AI systems that are production-ready, reliable and maintainable
• Own system architecture, component design and critical technical decisions for agent integration, agent stores and production observability of agent performance
• Evaluate, prototype and operationalize advanced model approaches, including LLM integrations, retrieval-augmented generation, hybrid model architectures and agentic components
• Define and enforce standards for agent and model governance, responsible AI, bias detection, explainability and data privacy
• Mentor and technically coach Applied AI engineers; lead architecture reviews, code reviews and cross-team design sessions
• Collaborate with product and UX partners to translate product goals into technical requirements, success metrics and experiment strategies
• Represent technical designs and trade-offs to leadership, support hiring and interviews, and help define the Applied AI roadmap in partnership with the manager

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, ML engineering or related fields, with a proven track record delivering production ML systems at scale
• Strong C++ and TypeScript experience for integration points with desktop and web products
• Experience mentoring senior engineers and contributing to hiring and technical culture
• Experience integrating and evaluating third-party models and LLMs, including prompt engineering, RAG patterns and safety controls
• Proven ability to design low-latency systems and integrate ML into C++ desktop stacks or front-end platforms for real-time inference
• Strong systems thinking, software architecture skills and the ability to reason about performance, reliability, security and cost trade-offs
• Excellent communication skills and ability to influence product, engineering and business stakeholders as a senior technical contributor
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related field, or equivalent experience. Advanced degree preferred, * Domain knowledge in AEC, design or manufacturing
• Solid cloud platform experience, preferably AWS, and familiarity with containerization and orchestration such as Docker and Kubernetes
• Hands-on experience with responsible AI tooling, bias testing frameworks and explainability platforms, * A technical builder who sets high engineering standards and raises the bar with clear judgement and mentorship
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, collaborative and matrixed environment, and able to influence without direct reporting authority
• Demonstrates One ORBIT values by being optimistic, relentless about outcomes, brave in taking smart risks, ingenious in problem solving and trusted in delivery and communication

Salary is one part of Autodesk’s competitive compensation package. For Canada based roles, we expect a starting base salary between $188,000 and $275,000. Offers are based on the candidate’s experience and geographic location, and may exceed this range. In addition to base salaries, our compensation package may include annual cash bonuses, commissions for sales roles, stock grants, and a comprehensive benefits package.

Diversity & Belonging We take pride in cultivating a culture of belonging where everyone can thrive. Learn more here: https://www.autodesk.com/company/diversity-and-belonging

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