Principal AI Developer

Technical Environment

-AI Stack: Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Foundry, Azure AI Search, Microsoft Copilot Studio, Semantic Kernel, Vector Databases, RAG, Semantic Search, Agentic AI, MCP

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Design, develop, deploy, and maintain AI solutions using Python and/or .NET
• Build AI agents with Microsoft Copilot Studio or Semantic Kernel Agent Framework
• Build and optimize cloud-native applications on Azure
• Work with large-scale data in Databricks
• Partner with AI engineers and business analysts to turn ideas into production systems
• Evaluate model performance, troubleshoot issues, and improve system efficiency
• Communicate clearly with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Prototype quickly, test rigorously, and iterate often

Requirements (Education & Experience)

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• Professional experience with Python or .NET (both a strong plus)
• Strong working knowledge of cloud services (Azure preferred; AWS or GCP with willingness to learn Azure)
• Hands-on experience building RAG pipelines
• Hands-on experience building AI agents (Microsoft Copilot Studio, Semantic Kernel, or equivalent like LangGraph, AutoGen, CrewAI)
• Hands-on experience with at least two of: Azure AI Search or equivalent vector/semantic search, vector databases, semantic search, agentic AI systems
• Comfort with SQL and large-scale data platforms (Databricks a plus)
• Excellent communication and critical-thinking skills
• Background in small company/startup environment with significant ownership

Experience level requirements

• Sr. Specialist: 5-8 years relevant experience
• Lead Specialist: 8+ years relevant experience
• Principal Specialist: 10+ years relevant experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency in both Python and .NET
• Direct experience with Microsoft Copilot Studio and/or Semantic Kernel
• Hands-on Databricks experience
• Practical ML experience (model training, evaluation, deployment)
• Familiarity with Azure AI Foundry (or AWS Bedrock, Google Vertex AI) and Azure OpenAI
• Experience with MCP or similar agent-tooling standards
• Natural gas pipeline or energy industry experience a plus

Working Conditions

• Normal office environment; on-site 5 days/week during business hours
• Must be able to remain stationary 50% of the time (sitting/standing)
• Occasional overnight travel required