Senior Principal AI Engineer, Agentic AI Platform & Control Tower Ops

Job DescriptionPosition SummaryVertex is seeking a Sr. Principal AI Engineer, Agentic AI Platform & Control Tower Ops to define and build the foundational enterprise AI platform that powers intelligent applications across the enterprise. This role will lead the design and implementation of scalable, secure, and reusable capabilities for agentic AI, with a strong focus on retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), orchestration frameworks, evaluation systems, and platform architecture.In addition to building out the core platform, this leader will own the vision for a centralized AI Control Tower / Control Plane / Gateway that enables agent monitoring, observability, policy enforcement, governance, and operational controls across AI solutions at Vertex. This is a highly strategic and hands-on role for an experienced AI engineering leader who is excited to shape enterprise AI architecture, standards, and long-term technical direction.Key ResponsibilitiesDefine the technical vision, architecture, and roadmap for Vertex’s enterprise agentic AI platformDesign and build reusable platform services that accelerate development of safe, reliable, and scalable AI-powered applicationsLead architecture and implementation for RAG pipelines, knowledge retrieval systems, prompt workflows, tool use, and agent orchestrationEstablish core frameworks for agent lifecycle management, including deployment, monitoring, observability, evaluation, and continuous improvementBuild and evolve a centralized AI Control Tower / Gateway to provide:Agent monitoring and health visibilityOperational observability and telemetryPolicy enforcement and guardrailsSecurity, governance, and compliance controlsUsage analytics, auditability, and operational reportingDevelop scalable infrastructure patterns for enterprise AI workloads, including model integration, data access, and orchestration servicesPartner closely with product, engineering, data, security, and UX teams to deliver common AI platform capabilities that support multiple use cases across VertexEstablish best practices for AI reliability, evaluation, safety, and performance measurementDrive technical standards for platform APIs, service contracts, architecture patterns, and reusable componentsEvaluate emerging technologies, frameworks, and vendors in the AI/agentic ecosystem and make strategic recommendationsMentor engineers and influence cross-functional technical teams through architectural leadership and hands-on guidanceEnsure platform solutions align with enterprise requirements for scalability, resilience, security, and maintainabilityContribute to Vertex’s long-term AI strategy by identifying opportunities to expand platform capabilities and increase enterprise adoptionRequired QualificationsAdvanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related technical field; or equivalent combination of education and experience10+ years of experience designing and building enterprise-grade AI/ML platforms and distributed systemsDeep expertise in agentic AI architectures, LLM-based applications, and platform engineeringProven experience with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems, vector search, document retrieval, and knowledge integration patternsStrong experience with AI orchestration frameworks, workflow engines, and multi-step agent execution patternsDemonstrated experience designing centralized operational platforms for monitoring, governance, observability, and controlDemonstrated experience using AI-assisted software development and autonomous coding agents to design, generate, test, review, debug, optimize, and refactor code across complex enterprise systems.Deep understanding of AI-native software engineering practices and experience establishing standards, governance, and best practices for the responsible use of AI coding assistants and software engineering agents across engineering teamsExperience defining architecture, standards, and reusable services for large-scale enterprise environmentsStrong understanding of AI system evaluation, quality measurement, and performance optimizationExperience partnering with cross-functional stakeholders and influencing technical direction across teamsExcellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skillsAbility to balance strategic architecture leadership with hands-on technical executionTechnical Skills RequiredAgentic AI platform architectureLarge Language Models (LLMs)Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)AI orchestration and workflow designAgent monitoring and observabilityAI governance, policies, and controlsControl plane / control tower / gateway architectureEvaluation frameworks for AI systemsPlatform engineering and reusable service designDistributed systems architectureAPI and service designKnowledge retrieval systemsTelemetry, logging, and operational analyticsScalability, reliability, and performance engineeringSecurity and enterprise controls for AI platformsPreferred SkillsExperience building enterprise AI platforms in regulated or highly governed environmentsFamiliarity with human-in-the-loop workflows and responsible AI practicesExperience implementing policy engines, guardrails, and audit frameworks for AI applicationsKnowledge of ML infrastructure, model serving, and production AI operationsExperience with cloud-native architectures and modern DevOps/MLOps practicesExposure to user experience considerations for AI-powered applications and intelligent systemsAbility to translate complex technical capabilities into scalable enterprise adoption strategiesExperience leading technical teams through platform transformation initiatives#LI-HYBRIDPay Range:$188,000 - $282,000Disclosure Statement:The range provided is based on what we believe is a reasonable estimate for the base salary pay range for this job at the time of posting. This role is eligible for an annual bonus and annual equity awards. Some roles may also be eligible for overtime pay, in accordance with federal and state requirements. Actual base salary pay will be based on a number of factors, including skills, competencies, experience, and other job-related factors permitted by law.At Vertex, our Total Rewards offerings also include inclusive market-leading benefits to meet our employees wherever they are in their career, financial, family and wellbeing journey while providing flexibility and resources to support their growth and aspirations. From medical, dental and vision benefits to generous paid time off (including a week-long company shutdown in the Summer and the Winter), educational assistance programs including student loan repayment, a generous commuting subsidy, matching charitable donations, 401(k) and so much more.Company InformationVertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation. Vertex is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law. Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at View email address on click.appcast.io: Boston, MAType: Full time