Principal, Software Engineer – Genai Initiative

Walmart · Retail · Sunnyvale, CA

Seeking a Principal Software Engineer with expertise in Generative AI, LLMs, and RAG frameworks to lead the design, development, and deployment of advanced AI systems. The role involves architecting scalable solutions, integrating agentic frameworks, and mentoring engineering teams. Responsibilities include designing, fine-tuning, and deploying GenAI models with RAG, developing LLM-based agents for reasoning and decision-making, integrating external data sources, architecting scalable AI systems, and partnering with product teams for integration. Requires 12+ years of experience, with 2+ in GenAI/LLMs, strong RAG/vector search experience, Python, ML frameworks, and cloud platforms.

What you'd actually do

  1. Design, fine-tune, and deploy Generative AI models with a focus on RAG frameworks to enhance information retrieval and generation.
  2. Develop and optimize LLM-based agents for tasks like knowledge grounding, multi-step reasoning, and decision-making.
  3. Architect scalable, distributed AI systems with a focus on performance, fault tolerance, and disaster recovery.
  4. Partner with product teams to integrate AI into customer-facing applications.
  5. Drive technical direction for large-scale AI initiatives and mentor junior engineers.

Skills

Required

  • Python
  • ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow)
  • Hugging Face Transformers
  • distributed computing
  • cloud platforms (GCP, Azure)
  • scalable architectures
  • disaster recovery principles
  • building resilient, fault-tolerant systems
  • multi-modal models (text, image, video)
  • advanced optimization techniques (e.g., quantization, distillation)
  • Generative AI models (e.g., GPT, Gemini)
  • fine-tuning
  • system design
  • non-functional requirements
  • design patterns

Nice to have

  • Contributions to open-source projects
  • publications in Generative AI, RAG, or agentic frameworks

What the JD emphasized

  • deep expertise in Generative AI
  • LLMs
  • RAG frameworks
  • architecting scalable solutions
  • integrating agentic frameworks
  • push the boundaries of AI-driven innovation
  • building highly scalable and reliable APIs, services and applications
  • drive the next generation purchase order management system
  • high impact, critical software/systems monitoring issues
  • troubleshoot business and production issues
  • worlds largest retailer
  • contribute to innovation and development to best-in-class methodologies that impacted perception and drastically changed business as we know it
  • customer, associate and business needs
  • Walmart International
  • 5,200 retail units
  • 23 countries
  • Canada
  • Central America
  • Chile
  • China
  • India
  • Mexico
  • South Africa
  • Immigration sponsorship is not available for this role
  • AI Model Development
  • Agentic Frameworks
  • fine-tune
  • deploy Generative AI models
  • RAG frameworks
  • information retrieval
  • generation
  • Develop and optimize LLM-based agents
  • knowledge grounding
  • multi-step reasoning
  • decision-making
  • Integrate external data sources
  • vector databases
  • dynamic, context-aware systems
  • Architecture
  • Scalability
  • Architect scalable, distributed AI systems
  • performance
  • fault tolerance
  • disaster recovery
  • Develop detailed design specifications
  • modular, extensible, and functional components
  • Build MVPs
  • validate requirements
  • refine designs iteratively
  • Collaboration
  • Product Integration
  • Partner with product teams
  • integrate AI into customer-facing applications
  • Work cross-functionally
  • design solutions
  • functional and non-functional requirements
  • Leadership
  • Mentorship
  • Drive technical direction
  • large-scale AI initiatives
  • mentor junior engineers
  • Establish best practices
  • building and maintaining AI-driven systems
  • Overall 12+ years of experience
  • machine learning
  • software engineering
  • 2+ years in Generative AI or LLMs
  • Strong experience with RAG frameworks
  • vector search technologies
  • knowledge grounding techniques
  • Expertise in Python
  • ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow)
  • libraries like Hugging Face Transformers
  • Proficiency in distributed computing
  • cloud platforms (GCP, Azure)
  • scalable architectures
  • Familiarity with disaster recovery principles
  • building resilient, fault-tolerant systems
  • Experience with multi-modal models (text, image, video)
  • advanced optimization techniques (e.g., quantization, distillation)
  • Experience with Generative AI models (e.g., GPT, Gemini)
  • their fine-tuning
  • Contributions to open-source projects
  • publications in Generative AI, RAG, or agentic frameworks
  • Strong understanding of system design
  • non-functional requirements
  • design patterns
  • competitive pay
  • performance-based bonus awards
  • Health benefits
  • medical, vision and dental coverage
  • Financial benefits
  • 401(k)
  • stock purchase
  • company-paid life insurance
  • Paid time off benefits
  • PTO
  • parental leave
  • family care leave
  • bereavement
  • jury duty
  • voting
  • short-term and long-term disability
  • company discounts
  • Military Leave Pay
  • adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement
  • PTO and/or PPTO
  • vacation
  • sick leave
  • holidays
  • job classification
  • length of employment
  • paid sick leave laws
  • Live Better U
  • Walmart-paid education benefit program
  • full-time and part-time associates
  • Walmart and Sam's Club facilities
  • high school completion
  • bachelor's degrees
  • English Language Learning
  • short-form certificates
  • Tuition, books, and fees are completely paid for by Walmart
  • Eligibility requirements
  • plan or program terms
  • benefits and eligibility
  • One.Walmart
  • annual salary range
  • 143,000.00
  • 286,000.00
  • Additional compensation
  • annual or quarterly performance bonuses
  • certain positions
  • Stock
  • Bachelor's degree in computer science
  • computer engineering
  • computer information systems
  • software engineering
  • related area
  • 5 years’ experience in software engineering
  • related area
  • 7 years’ experience in software engineering
  • related area
  • preferred qual

Other signals

  • Generative AI
  • LLMs
  • RAG frameworks
  • agentic frameworks
  • scalable solutions
  • information retrieval
  • multi-step reasoning
  • vector databases