Job Description

Position Summary:

We are seeking a highly skilled and visionary Principal Engineer, AI Authoring to join our AI Authoring Platform team. Reporting to the Director of AI Authoring Platform, you will lead the design, development, and optimization of Vertex’s AI-driven content generation engine. This role is pivotal in shaping the technical architecture of our platform, ensuring the performance, accuracy, and scalability of our LLM-powered authoring tools. You will tackle complex engineering challenges, including automated document workflows and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)-based architectures, to support the creation of high-quality, compliant, and efficient regulatory documents.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Design and maintain the end-to-end technical architecture for AI-assisted document generation, focusing on modular LLM integration, prompt engineering, and retrieval pipelines, while partnering closely with the AI Architect to ensure alignment with enterprise standards and scalability.
• Build and optimize sophisticated Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems that accurately pull from vast clinical and regulatory data sources to assist in document creation.
• Engineer the data connectors and transformations required to feed structured and unstructured data into AI models for automated document population.
• Develop and implement automated testing and validation frameworks to ensure AI-authored outputs meet the strict safety and compliance standards of the Life Sciences industry.
• Rapidly prototype new AI authoring features, such as automated summarization or cross-document consistency checks, to determine technical viability before full-scale development.
• Serve as the final escalation point for complex technical blockers, from debugging model hallucinations to optimizing cloud infrastructure for high-compute AI workloads.

Knowledge and Skills

• Proven experience in designing and implementing AI-driven platforms, particularly those leveraging LLMs and RAG architectures.
• Expertise in prompt engineering, retrieval pipelines, and modular AI system design.
• Strong background in engineering data workflows, including structured and unstructured data integration.
• Experience with automated testing and validation frameworks, particularly in regulated industries.
• Proficiency in cloud infrastructure optimization for AI workloads.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills, with the ability to address complex technical challenges.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams
• Familiarity with the Life Sciences industry and its compliance requirements (preferred).
• Experience with automated document workflows and AI-based content generation (preferred).

Education and Experience

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering, with a focus on AI, machine learning, or technical platform development.
• Proven track record of leading the design and implementation of AI-driven systems, including LLM-based platforms and RAG architectures.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, or a related technical field.
• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, or GCP) and distributed computing systems.
• Demonstrated expertise in building and deploying production-grade AI/ML systems in complex, data-intensive environments.
• Experience working in regulated industries, such as Life Sciences, is a strong plus.

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Pay Range:

$166,640 - $250,000

Flex Designation:

Hybrid-Eligible Or On-Site Eligible

Flex Eligibility Status:

In this Hybrid-Eligible role, you can choose to be designated as: 
1.    Hybrid: work remotely up to two days per week; or select
2.    On-Site: work five days per week on-site with ad hoc flexibility.

Note: The Flex status for this position is subject to Vertex’s Policy on Flex @ Vertex Program and may be changed at any time. 

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