Scale plays a critical role in powering the next generation of AI applications across the enterprise. As our customer base grows exponentially, Principal Solutions Engineers operate as senior technical leaders on the front lines—shaping how the world’s most innovative companies adopt, deploy, and scale AI with Scale.
Principal Solutions Engineers are trusted advisors to both customers and internal stakeholders, owning the most complex and high-impact opportunities. They partner closely with Sales, Product, and Engineering leadership to drive technical strategy, secure executive alignment, and deliver differentiated solutions that win and expand strategic accounts. Beyond individual deals, they influence product direction, define best practices, and elevate the capabilities of the broader Solutions Engineering organization.
You will:- Own technical strategy and execution for the company’s most complex, high-value enterprise opportunities, acting as the ultimate arbiter of the “technical win”
- Serve as a trusted advisor to executive stakeholders (CTOs, Heads of AI, Engineering leaders), guiding long-term AI/LLM adoption strategies
- Architect and lead end-to-end solution design, from discovery through pilots and productionization, across ambiguous and evolving customer requirements
- Drive cross-functional alignment across Sales, Product, and Engineering to unblock critical technical and business challenges
- Define and shape large, multi-phase Scopes of Work, translating ambiguous customer problems into scalable, production-ready solutions
- Lead high-impact customer engagements, including executive presentations, technical deep dives, and workshops
- Influence Scale’s product roadmap by synthesizing customer insights and advocating for high-leverage feature development
- Mentor and elevate other Solutions Engineers, establishing best practices across demos, pilots, and technical sales strategy
- Drive org-level initiatives that improve win rates, shorten sales cycles, and increase the scalability of the Solutions Engineering function
- Deep technical background with significant experience in customer-facing engineering roles (pre-sales, forward-deployed, or post-sales) at enterprise scale
- Proven track record of owning and closing complex, multi-stakeholder technical deals with Fortune 500 or equivalent enterprises
- Strong systems thinking and architecture experience across cloud, data, and AI/ML systems
- Hands-on experience with programming languages such as Python, Java, or similar, with the ability to prototype and validate solutions when needed
- Experience operating as a senior technical advisor to executive stakeholders, with strong presence and credibility
- Demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity, influence without authority, and drive alignment across diverse teams
- Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to translate between business, product, and technical audiences
- High degree of ownership, intellectual curiosity, and bias for action in fast-paced, ambiguous environments
- Deep experience with Generative AI / LLM applications in enterprise environments
- Background in forward-deployed engineering or building production-grade ML systems
- Experience in regulated industries such as financial services, insurance, or healthcare
Compensation packages at Scale for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position and may be inclusive of several career levels at Scale; it will be determined during the interview process based on work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, interview performance, and relevant education or training. Scale employees in eligible roles are also granted equity based compensation, subject to Board of Director approval. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process, and confirm whether the hired role will be eligible for equity grant. You'll also receive benefits including, but not limited to: comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, a learning and development stipend, and generous PTO. Additionally, this role may be eligible for additional benefits such as a commuter stipend.
PLEASE NOTE: Our policy requires a 90-day waiting period before reconsidering candidates for the same role. This allows us to ensure a fair and thorough evaluation of all applicants.
About Us:
At Scale, our mission is to develop reliable AI systems for the world's most important decisions. Our products provide the high-quality data and full-stack technologies that power the world's leading models, and help enterprises and governments build, deploy, and oversee AI applications that deliver real impact. We work closely with industry leaders like Meta, Ernst & Young, Mayo Clinic, Time Inc., the Government of Qatar, and U.S. government agencies including the Army and Air Force. We are expanding our team to accelerate the development of AI applications.
We believe that everyone should be able to bring their whole selves to work, which is why we are proud to be an inclusive and equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability status, gender identity or Veteran status.
We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation in the application or recruiting process due to a disability, please contact us at [email protected]. Please see the United States Department of Labor's Know Your Rights poster for additional information.
We comply with the United States Department of Labor's Pay Transparency provision.
PLEASE NOTE: We collect, retain and use personal data for our professional business purposes, including notifying you of job opportunities that may be of interest and sharing with our affiliates. We limit the personal data we collect to that which we believe is appropriate and necessary to manage applicants’ needs, provide our services, and comply with applicable laws. Any information we collect in connection with your application will be treated in accordance with our internal policies and programs designed to protect personal data. Please see our privacy policy for additional information.
Scale AI San Francisco, California, USA Office
San Francisco, CA, United States, 94107
Similar Jobs
What you need to know about the San Francisco Tech Scene
Key Facts About San Francisco Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 365,500; 13.9% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Google, Apple, Salesforce, Meta
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fintech, consumer technology, software
- Funding Landscape: $50.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Greylock Partners, Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins
- Research Centers and Universities: Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; University of San Francisco; Santa Clara University; Ames Research Center; Center for AI Safety; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
