Founding Lead Engineer / Principal Systems Architect

Job Description

• This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Founding Lead Engineer / Principal Systems Architect based in the United States. This is a foundational engineering role responsible for designing and building a next-generation evidence-governed AI and data platform from the ground up. The work sits at the intersection of distributed systems, data architecture, and applied AI in high-trust, regulated environments such as healthcare integrity and compliance-heavy domains. You will operate at both strategic and hands-on levels, translating abstract system concepts into production-grade software, scalable infrastructure, and validated workflows. The role demands deep technical ownership, from data modeling and service design to model integration and secure deployment. You will collaborate closely with a concept architect to shape system architecture in real time and rapidly turn ideas into working prototypes. This is a high-impact, founding-level opportunity to define core technical foundations that will scale across multiple regulated industries. The environment is fast-moving, ambiguous, and deeply engineering-driven, with strong emphasis on correctness, auditability, and security.
• Accountabilities: Translate high-level system concepts into concrete architectures, including service maps, APIs, schemas, and implementation roadmaps. Design and build backend systems in Python, including APIs, data pipelines, orchestration layers, and distributed services. Develop identity resolution, entity linking, evidence management, and audit-ready data systems. Architect relational, graph, and retrieval-based data layers supporting complex, high-integrity workflows. Implement LLM integration layers including model routing, structured outputs, evaluation, and validation systems. Build deterministic, auditable workflows for regulated-domain decisioning and reporting. Create prototypes for internal review systems, visualization tools, and human-in-the-loop workflows. Lead infrastructure design using Kubernetes, CI/CD, observability, and secure deployment practices. Establish engineering standards for testing, documentation, validation, and system reliability. Build benchmarking, regression testing, and data quality validation frameworks. Requirements: 8–12+ years of software engineering experience or equivalent exceptional technical background. Expert-level Python development experience in production environments. Strong background in backend systems, distributed architectures, and API design. Experience with relational databases (ideally PostgreSQL) and complex data modeling. Familiarity with graph systems, entity resolution, or knowledge graph design. Hands-on experience integrating LLMs or building AI-driven systems with structured outputs. Strong DevOps and infrastructure experience (Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, secure deployments). Experience with data validation, audit logging, RBAC, and secure system design principles. Ability to translate ambiguous system concepts into scalable technical solutions. Strong communication skills and comfort working closely with non-engineering stakeholders. Experience in regulated industries (healthcare, finance, government, cybersecurity) is highly valued. Benefits: Competitive compensation aligned with seniority and experience. Equity or founding-team participation opportunities for exceptional candidates. Fully remote or hybrid flexibility depending on preference. Comprehensive medical coverage options with strong employer contribution. Self-managed PTO with minimum encouraged time off for work-life balance. Opportunity to work on high-impact, mission-critical AI systems in regulated domains. Direct influence over core system architecture and technical direction from day one. Exposure to advanced AI, distributed systems, and infrastructure challenges at scale.
• How Jobgether works: We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team. We appreciate your interest and wish you the best! Why Apply Through Jobgether? Data Privacy Notice: By submitting your application, you acknowledge that Jobgether will process your personal data to evaluate your candidacy and share relevant information with the hiring employer. This processing is based on legitimate interest and pre-contractual measures under applicable data protection laws (including GDPR). You may exercise your rights (access, rectification, erasure, objection) at any time. #LI-CL1
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