Principal Software Engineer (AI)

Location: Seattle, WA, USA

Salary: USD 160,000–250,000 per year plus equity, with potential performance-based bonuses.

Company

Gradial is a marketing operations platform that uses AI to help marketers and creatives move from idea to execution by orchestrating martech stacks, workflows, and people.

What you will do

• Define the technical architecture for generative AI systems that convert natural language into intelligent, multi-step workflows.
• Lead the design, implementation, and scaling of LLM agents for real-time inference, dynamic prompting, memory management, and tool orchestration.
• Set engineering standards and influence system design with a focus on performance, reliability, testing, observability, and deployment.
• Design learning systems that use customer feedback, usage data, and brand preferences to evolve over time.
• Collaborate with product and design leaders on interfaces and features that adapt to user intent.
• Mentor senior engineers and own complex technical and product problem spaces end to end.

Requirements

• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience, including leadership of complex technical initiatives.
• Deep expertise in distributed systems, algorithms, and scalable software design.
• Experience architecting and shipping systems in fast-moving, high-ambiguity environments.
• Hands-on experience with LLM integration, generative AI frameworks, or AI-native applications.
• Strong communication and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Background in computer science, mathematics, physics, or systems engineering.

Nice to have

• Experience building or scaling production AI agent architectures.
• Early-stage startup experience with ownership of strategy and execution.
• Interest in combining sophisticated technical systems with intuitive user experiences.

Culture & Benefits

• Performance-based annual bonus and meaningful equity awards.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including dependent coverage.
• Fertility and family-planning support.
• 401(k) retirement plan, unlimited PTO, and paid sick leave.
• Seattle office with a gym, sauna, bike parking, and free lunch three days per week.
• Fast-paced, low-bureaucracy environment focused on ownership, learning, and impact.