Principal Architect, AI/ML

Role Description

Zencore is seeking candidates with significant experience in Google Cloud to join our Cloud Engineering team. As a Principal Architect, you will:

• Serve as Zencore’s senior-most technical authority on the practical application of advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning.
• Partner with sales and business development teams in a pre-sales capacity to scope opportunities, design solutions for proposals, and act as the senior technical voice in client pitches.
• Lead the architecture and design of sophisticated, secure, and scalable AI solutions for clients.
• Collaborate closely with Cloud & Data Architects to guarantee the design and deployment of comprehensive client solutions.
• Address the demand for private, data-sovereign AI by designing systems that meet strict GDPR and data privacy requirements.
• Architect solutions for hosting, fine-tuning, and optimizing both proprietary and open-source models on hyperscaler platforms.
• Guide clients in selecting optimal cloud-native technologies, prioritizing Google Cloud solutions.
• Mentor customers and Zencore's engineering teams on advanced topics, establishing best practices for high-performance training and efficient model serving.
• Devise the financial architecture of AI solutions by performing ROI analysis and implementing cost-optimization strategies.
• Act as an external thought leader, contributing to the Zencore brand through blog posts, conference presentations, and community engagement.
• Provide hands-on leadership and foster a culture of deep technical excellence in AI/ML.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, natural sciences, mathematics, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Extensive experience in a senior or principal architect role with a proven track record of designing and delivering complex, production-grade machine learning systems.
• Deep, hands-on architectural experience with at least one major cloud platform (GCP, AWS, or Azure).
• Direct, hands-on experience with Google Cloud (Vertex AI, GKE, TPUs) is a significant plus.
• Proven expertise in LLM optimization, including techniques for quantization, pruning, and efficient fine-tuning.
• Hands-on experience with high-performance ML frameworks (e.g., JAX, PyTorch/XLA).
• Expertise in designing and deploying agentic workflows using both code-centric and low-code paradigms.
• A strong understanding of the architectural patterns required for building secure, private, and data-sovereign AI solutions.
• Experience with LLM observability and evaluation frameworks.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills.
• A passion for mentoring and a drive for continuous learning in the fast-evolving AI landscape.

Requirements

• This is a remote role; only US-based candidates will be considered.
• No visa sponsorship is offered.

Benefits

• Fully remote work environment.
• Competitive compensation and benefits.

Company Description

Zencore is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications and analyzing resumes. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.