Gradial

Principal Software Engineer

Seattle, WA · Principal

Sponsorship not specified$160k-$250kDetected 6 days ago

Distributed SystemsAlgorithmsLLMsLeadershipCommunicationProblem Solving

About the role

As a foundational technical leader, you'll push the boundaries of how LLMs can power real-world workflows and reimagine the intersection of language, software, and creativity.
This is a rare opportunity to set the blueprint for a fast-evolving product in a high-agency, low-ego environment committed to solving hard problems from first principles.
Mentor senior engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, rapid iteration, and ownership.

You'll work closely with engineering, product, and design leaders to shape not just features, but the technical backbone and strategic direction of the company.
Define and drive the technical architecture for systems that convert natural language into intelligent, multi-step workflows using generative AI.
Lead the design, implementation, and scaling of LLM agents for real-time inference, dynamic prompting, memory management, and tool orchestration.
Set engineering standards and influence system design across the stack, with a focus on performance, reliability, and long-term extensibility.
Collaborate deeply with product and design leaders to rethink how interfaces and features dynamically adapt to user intent.
Own critical, ambiguous problem spaces from end to end, advocating for technical and product innovation.
A front-row seat to building category-defining AI infrastructure
Have an innate drive for being 1% better than the day before, building towards greatness.
Thrive in fast-paced, hyper-growth environments where building better > maintaining status quo.

8+ years of professional software engineering experience, including significant leadership of complex technical initiatives.
Proven track record architecting and shipping systems in fast-moving, high-ambiguity environments.
Hands-on experience with LLM integration, generative AI frameworks, or building AI-native applications.
Strong communication and cross-functional leadership skills, with the ability to influence technical and non-technical audiences.

Prior experience in early-stage startups where you owned both strategy and execution.
Passion for designing systems that blend technical sophistication with elegant, intuitive user experiences.
Final compensation will be determined based on factors such as experience, skills, and qualifications.

The salary range for this position is $160,000 - $250,000 annually.
Final compensation will be determined based on factors such as experience, skills, and qualifications.
In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for performance-based bonuses and equity awards.
Competitive salary and meaningful equity

This listing is sourced directly from Gradial's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.