Company Overview
With 80,000 customers across 150 countries, UKG is the largest U.S.-based private software company in the world. And we're only getting started. Ready to bring your bold ideas and collaborative mindset to an organization that still has so much more to build and achieve? Read on.
At UKG, you get more than just a job. You get to work with purpose. Our team of U Krewers are on a mission to inspire every organization to become a great place to work through our award-winning HR technology built for all.
Here, we know that you're more than your work. That's why our benefits help you thrive personally and professionally, from wellness programs and tuition reimbursement to U Choose - a customizable expense reimbursement program that can be used for more than 200+ needs that best suit you and your family, from student loan repayment, to childcare, to pet insurance. Our inclusive culture, active and engaged employee resource groups, and caring leaders value every voice and support you in doing the best work of your career. If you're passionate about our purpose - people -then we can't wait to support whatever gives you purpose. We're united by purpose, inspired by you.
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At UKG, we are at the forefront of AI and generative AI innovation, transforming the HR/HCM industry with advanced AI-driven solutions that deliver exceptional user experiences. We are looking for a highly skilled and experienced Principal Engineer to join our team and contribute to the development of next-generation AI/GenAI solutions. This role offers an opportunity to work on impactful, high-scale SaaS products that serve enterprises and users globally.
Role Overview:
As a Principal Software Engineer, you will be a key technical leader responsible for shaping the design and development of scalable, reliable, and innovative AI/GenAI solutions. You will lead high-priority projects, set technical direction for teams, and ensure alignment with organizational goals. This role demands a high degree of technical expertise, strategic thinking, and the ability to collaborate effectively across diverse teams while mentoring and elevating others to meet a very high technical bar.
Key Responsibilities:
- Strategic Technical Leadership:
- Define and drive the technical vision and roadmap for AI/GenAI systems, aligning with company objectives and future growth.
- Provide architectural leadership for complex, large-scale AI systems, ensuring scalability, performance, and maintainability.
- Act as a thought leader in AI technologies, influencing cross-functional technical decisions and long-term strategies.
- Advanced AI Product Development:
- Lead the development of state-of-the-art generative AI solutions, leveraging advanced techniques such as transformer models, diffusion models, and multi-modal architectures.
- Drive innovation by exploring and integrating emerging AI technologies and best practices.
- Mentorship & Team Growth:
- Mentor senior and junior engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and technical excellence.
- Elevate the team's capabilities through coaching, training, and providing guidance on best practices and complex problem-solving.
- End-to-End Ownership:
- Take full ownership of high-impact projects, from ideation and design to implementation, deployment, and monitoring in production.
- Ensure the successful delivery of projects with a focus on quality, timelines, and alignment with organizational goals.
- Collaboration & Influence:
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product managers, data scientists, and engineering leadership, to deliver cohesive and impactful solutions.
- Act as a trusted advisor to stakeholders, clearly articulating technical decisions and their business impact.
- Operational Excellence:
- Champion best practices for software development, CI/CD, and DevOps, ensuring robust and reliable systems.
- Monitor and improve the health of deployed services, conducting root cause analyses and driving preventive measures for long-term reliability.
- Innovation & Continuous Improvement:
- Advocate for and lead the adoption of new tools, frameworks, and methodologies to enhance team productivity and product capabilities.
- Stay at the forefront of AI/GenAI research, driving thought leadership and contributing to the AI community through publications or speaking engagements.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Educational Background: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field; Ph.D. is preferred but not required.
- Experience: 10+ years of professional software development experience, including 5+ years in AI/ML or GenAI. Proven track record of designing and deploying scalable, production-grade AI solutions.
- Technical Expertise:
- Deep expertise in Python and frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, FastAPI, and LangChain.
- Advanced knowledge of AI/ML algorithms, generative models, and LLMs.
- Proficiency with cloud platforms (e.g., GCP, AWS, Azure) and modern DevOps practices.
- Strong understanding of distributed systems, microservices architecture, and database systems (SQL/NoSQL).
- Leadership Skills: Demonstrated ability to lead complex technical initiatives, influence cross-functional teams, and mentor engineers at all levels.
- Problem-Solving Skills: Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with a proven ability to navigate ambiguity and deliver impactful solutions.
- Collaboration: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and inspire both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications:
- AI/ML Expertise: Experience with multi-modal models, reinforcement learning, and responsible AI principles.
- Cloud & Infrastructure: Advanced knowledge of GCP technologies such as VertexAI, BigQuery, GKE, and DataFlow.
- Thought Leadership: Contributions to the AI/ML community through publications, open-source projects, or speaking engagements.
- Agile Experience: Familiarity with agile methodologies and working in a DevOps model.
Where we're going
UKG is on the cusp of something truly special. Worldwide, we already hold the #1 market share position for workforce management and the #2 position for human capital management. Tens of millions of frontline workers start and end their days with our software, with billions of shifts managed annually through UKG solutions today. Yet it's our AI-powered product portfolio designed to support customers of all sizes, industries, and geographies that will propel us into an even brighter tomorrow!
Equal Opportunity Employer
Ultimate Kronos Group is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive work environment. All qualified applicants will receive considerations for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, veteran status, and any other legally protected status under federal, state, or local anti-discrimination laws.
View The EEO Know Your Rights poster and its supplement.
View the Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision
UKG participates in E-Verify. View the E-Verify posters here.
Disability Accommodation
For individuals with disabilities that need additional assistance at any point in the application and interview process, please email UKGCareers@ukg.com.
The pay range for this position is $199,122.50 to $234,830.00, however, base pay offered may vary depending on skills, experience, job-related knowledge and location. This position is also eligible for a short-term incentive and a long-term incentive as part of total compensation. Information about UKG's comprehensive benefits can be reviewed on our careers site at https://www.ukg.com/careers