We’re building AI systems that don’t sit in demos; they run the business.This is a Principal-level, hands-on engineering role focused on solving the most complex, high-impact problems and turning them into reliable, production-grade systems. You will operate at the intersection of AI and distributed systems, designing and building solutions that integrate into real workflows across HR, Finance, IT, and Legal.You are accountable for both how systems are designed and how they perform in production, such as reliability, latency, cost, and failure handling.This role goes beyond execution. The systems you build and the decisions you make will influence how similar problems are approached across teams, raising the bar for how AI is applied in production.We’re looking for someone who is deeply hands-on, highly resourceful, and comfortable operating in ambiguity. You connect dots quickly, move from problem to solution without waiting for perfect direction, and take ownership of outcomes, not just code.If you care about impact, autonomy, and seeing your work run at scale in real environments, this is that role. This position will offer flexibility for hybrid work schedules to include both in-office presence and telecommute/virtual work, to be based from either Houston or Dallas, TX. Key Responsibilities<ul><li>Design and build production AI systems end-to-end, from initial concept through deployment and operation</li><li>Own the architecture and implementation of the systems you build, ensuring they are scalable, reliable, and maintainable</li><li>Translate ambiguous, high-impact problems into practical system designs and working solutions</li><li>Drive technical direction through your work, influencing how similar systems are designed and built across teams</li><li>Integrate AI capabilities (LLMs, RAG, agents) into real applications, services, and workflows</li><li>Design and implement services, APIs, and event-driven systems that connect AI with enterprise platforms</li><li>Own system behavior in production, including reliability, latency, cost, and failure handling</li><li>Establish strong observability, evaluation, and feedback loops to continuously improve system performance</li><li>Debug and resolve complex issues across data, models, infrastructure, and application layers</li><li>Raise the bar for engineering quality through hands-on development and technical leadership</li></ul>

AECOM is the world&rsquo;s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle &ndash; from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $14.4 billion in fiscal year 2023. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Principal AI Engineer

We’re building AI systems that don’t sit in demos; they run the business.This is a Principal-level, hands-on engineering role focused on solving the most complex, high-impact problems and turning them into reliable, production-grade systems. You will operate at the intersection of AI and distributed systems, designing and building solutions that integrate into real workflows across HR, Finance, IT, and Legal.You are accountable for both how systems are designed and how they perform in production, such as reliability, latency, cost, and failure handling.This role goes beyond execution. The systems you build and the decisions you make will influence how similar problems are approached across teams, raising the bar for how AI is applied in production.We’re looking for someone who is deeply hands-on, highly resourceful, and comfortable operating in ambiguity. You connect dots quickly, move from problem to solution without waiting for perfect direction, and take ownership of outcomes, not just code.If you care about impact, autonomy, and seeing your work run at scale in real environments, this is that role. This position will offer flexibility for hybrid work schedules to include both in-office presence and telecommute/virtual work, to be based from either Houston or Dallas, TX. Key Responsibilities<ul><li>Design and build production AI systems end-to-end, from initial concept through deployment and operation</li><li>Own the architecture and implementation of the systems you build, ensuring they are scalable, reliable, and maintainable</li><li>Translate ambiguous, high-impact problems into practical system designs and working solutions</li><li>Drive technical direction through your work, influencing how similar systems are designed and built across teams</li><li>Integrate AI capabilities (LLMs, RAG, agents) into real applications, services, and workflows</li><li>Design and implement services, APIs, and event-driven systems that connect AI with enterprise platforms</li><li>Own system behavior in production, including reliability, latency, cost, and failure handling</li><li>Establish strong observability, evaluation, and feedback loops to continuously improve system performance</li><li>Debug and resolve complex issues across data, models, infrastructure, and application layers</li><li>Raise the bar for engineering quality through hands-on development and technical leadership</li></ul>

Principal AI Engineer

About the Job

About the Company

AECOM

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