ServiceNow

Principal Machine Learning Engineer

ServiceNow • $216K — $378K *
San Diego, CA 92154In-Person
Enterprise Technology
11 - 15 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 15+ years of software engineering experience, including 5+ years at a principal or director-equivalent level.
  • Expertise in agentic AI, LLM-based systems, multi-agent orchestration, and AI governance.
  • Experience in architecting enterprise-scale cloud platforms and distributed systems.
  • Proven ability to transform engineering processes, ideally with AI-assisted tools.
  • Strong judgment in complex technical domains involving architecture and business value.
  • Hands-on coding experience with a focus on rapid prototyping and demonstration.
  • Excellent communication skills for conveying technical strategies to executive audiences.

Responsibilities

  • Define the multi-year technical architecture for the AI Control Tower portfolio and related governance.
  • Establish a developer experience that incorporates safety and measurability for agents.
  • Set standards for operational excellence in autonomous agents, including reliability and incident response.
  • Act as a technical multiplier, facilitating cross-domain choices in AI engineering and infrastructure.
  • Leverage Customer Zero insights to improve AI Control Tower products.
  • Prototype new multi-agent orchestration patterns and publish architectures for reuse.
  • Mentor engineers, enhance hiring standards, and foster AI fluency within the team.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health plans including flexible spending accounts.
  • 401(k) Plan with company match.
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP).
  • Flexible time away policy.
  • Family leave programs.
Full Job Description
Job Description

Overview
Enterprise AI is ServiceNow's horizontal capability team, building the operating model, technical foundation, and Customer Zero motion for AI governance at enterprise scale, including AI Control Tower, the AI agent orchestrator, and the AI agent fabric on the ServiceNow AI platform.

As Principal Engineer, Agentic AI Systems, you will serve as the senior-most technical multiplier for the Enterprise AI organization, setting architecture and technical direction for one of ServiceNow's biggest engineering opportunities: making an enterprise-scale workforce of AI agents governable, secure, observable, and worth trusting.

What You'll Do
  • Define the multi-year technical architecture for the AI Control Tower portfolio, agent governance, orchestration, lifecycle management, interoperability, observability, evaluation, and AI security, as one coherent platform.
  • Establish an AI-forward developer experience that embeds agents into planning, coding, testing, review, deployment, and operations, with the standards and guardrails to make it safe and measurable.
  • Define operational excellence for autonomous and semi-autonomous agents, including reliability, incident response, rollback, kill-switch, and auditability standards.
  • Act as the technical multiplier across AI engineering, data and ML, infrastructure, product, DevOps, security, and GRC, brokering cross-domain choices and resolving design conflicts on technical merit.
  • Turn ServiceNow's own Customer Zero experience into structured product feedback for AI Control Tower and related platform capabilities.
  • Prototype and incubate new patterns in multi-agent orchestration, agent evaluation, and AI governance automation, and publish reference architectures that accelerate reuse.
  • Mentor principal and senior engineers, raise hiring standards, and build the AI fluency that makes this team a model for AI-ready engineering.


Qualifications

To be successful in this role you have:

  • 15+ years of software engineering experience, including 5+ years operating at a principal, senior staff, or director-equivalent scope, setting technical strategy across multi-team organizations without relying on direct reporting authority.
  • Deep, current, hands-on expertise in agentic AI and LLM-based systems, multi-agent orchestration, RAG, evaluation frameworks, LLMOps/MLOps, AI observability, and AI governance and security.
  • Experience architecting enterprise-scale cloud platforms, distributed systems, developer platforms, data platforms, or DevOps/CI-CD automation.
  • A demonstrated track record of transforming how engineering organizations build, test, and ship software, ideally with AI-assisted or agentic coding tools.
  • Strong judgment in ambiguous technical domains where architecture, product, security, operations, and business value intersect.
  • Builder credibility: you still write code, prototype fast, and lead by demonstration.
  • Executive communication skills, with the ability to frame technical strategy and trade-offs for VP, C-level, customer, pundits, and partner audiences.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience with ServiceNow or a comparable enterprise workflow platform (ITSM, CMDB, GRC).
  • Experience with MCP, A2A, tool-calling architectures, or LLM/AI gateways.
  • Visible technical guidance through publications, talks, patents, or open-source contributions.

For positions in this location, we offer a base pay of $216,100 - $378,200, plus equity (when applicable), variable/incentive compensation and benefits. Sales positions generally offer a competitive On Target Earnings (OTE) incentive compensation structure. Please note that the base pay shown is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies, and work location. We also offer health plans, including flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) Plan with company match, ESPP, matching donations, a flexible time away plan and family leave programs. Compensation is based on the geographic location in which the role is located and is subject to change based on work location.

Additional Information

Work Personas

We approach our distributed world of work with flexibility and trust. Work personas (flexible, remote, or required in office) are categories that are assigned to ServiceNow employees depending on the nature of their work and their assigned work location. Learn more here. To determine eligibility for a work persona, ServiceNow may confirm the distance between your primary residence and the closest ServiceNow office using a third-party service.

About ServiceNow

ServiceNow provides cloud-based solutions that define, structure, manage, and automate services for enterprise operations in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and other countries. The company offers service management solutions, including incident, problem, change, request, and cost management as well as service catalogs; and IT, HR, facilities, and field service management solutions. It also provides IT operations management solutions covering service mapping, delivery, and assurance solutions; business management solutions such as financial management, project portfolio suite, vendor performance management, and performance analytics as well as governance, risk, and compliance; and application development services.

ServiceNow Careers

Join the dynamic team at ServiceNow, a global leader in digital workflow solutions, where innovation and leadership converge to shape the future of work. At ServiceNow, we offer more than just job opportunities; we provide a platform for professional growth and a chance to be part of a culture that values diversity, creativity, and continuous learning.

Work You’ll Do

Embark on a career journey with ServiceNow and contribute to the world’s leading enterprises' digital transformation. Our team is at the forefront of developing cutting-edge technologies that improve how people work. With ServiceNow, you will use your skills to impact businesses and industries profoundly, driving efficiency and innovation.

Join Our Market-Leading Team

ServiceNow is not just another technology company. We are a team that thrives on diversity and leadership, fostering an inclusive environment that promotes growth and development. Our commitment to diversity training ensures that every team member can achieve their potential.

Innovative Work

ServiceNow is home to more than 10,000 dedicated professionals who lead the charge in digital workflows and enterprise solutions. As part of our team, you will engage in projects that merge technology with practical applications, creating revolutionary products that advance how services are delivered and managed.

Career Development

At ServiceNow, your career trajectory is filled with boundless opportunities. We support your growth with robust training programs, leadership development courses, and access to global challenges. Whether you are looking for an internship, full-time position, or leadership role, ServiceNow equips you with the tools to excel.

Be Part of a Great Team

Working at ServiceNow means being part of a community that values teamwork and innovation. Our collaborative environment encourages networking and sharing ideas, making our workplace vibrant and dynamic. The benefits of joining ServiceNow extend beyond comprehensive health and wellness; they include fostering professional connections and friendships that last a lifetime.

Explore Job Opportunities and Internships

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a recent graduate, ServiceNow offers a range of employment options to suit your career goals. From internships that provide real-world experience to full-time positions that challenge you to leverage your expertise, we are committed to hiring the best talent.

Stay Connected

Join Our Team Search open positions that match your skills and interests. At ServiceNow, we look for passionate, curious, and solution-driven team players. Explore the possibilities that await you at a company that is committed to your professional success.

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ServiceNow Careers

Empowering professionals to achieve more, ServiceNow is where careers are future-proofed, and ambitions are realized. Join us in our journey of growth and innovation.
Learn more about ServiceNow
Size
16,881 employees
Market Cap
$76.5 billion
Industry
Information Technology
Net Income
$118.5 million
Founded
2004
5 Year Trend
+33.5%
Revenue
$4.5 billion
NASDAQ
NOW
* Ladders Estimates

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