Principal, Software Engineer - GenAi
Walmart · Sunnyvale, CA · 4 days ago
On-siteEngineering$143k–$286k/yrFull-time
About the Team
Focusing on customer, associate and business needs, this team works with Walmart International, which includes more than 5,200 retail units, operating in 23 countries such as Canada, Central America, Chile, China, India, Mexico and South Africa to name a few.
About You
- You live for code that matters. You thrive on JavaScript, Node.js, and GraphQL, embracing JS's quirks while crafting clean, functional, shippable magic. But now, you're excited to layer GenAI on top—building intelligent frontends and services that feel alive.
- You obsess over great UX powered by AI. You don't just code pixels; you design experiences where AI anticipates, delights, and empowers users—blending creativity, empathy, and technical precision.
- You're a relentless learner. You dive into emerging tech (LLMs, agents, RAG, evaluation frameworks) and turn research into production reality—whether it's frontend orchestration, backend integrations, or full-stack AI flows.
- You master balance at scale. Performance on unpredictable networks, A/B tests with AI variants, safety/quality guardrails, rapid ecosystem shifts—you juggle it all while shipping fast and fearlessly.
- You amplify others. You mentor, build shared AI tooling, contribute to open-source when it makes sense, and help teams level up in the GenAI era.
Things You Will Do
- Define and drive technical strategy for GenAI-powered experiences—architect scalable frontend/backend solutions that integrate LLMs intelligently, with rock-solid code quality, performance, security, and observability.
- Lead development of AI-infused features—craft React UIs with intelligent components, manage state in dynamic AI contexts (Redux + React Query), and build efficient GraphQL APIs that serve as the nervous system for LLM-powered services.
- Ship and optimize GenAI/LLM features at massive scale—design APIs and service architectures that seamlessly integrate AI/ML components, handle token costs/latency/safety, and deliver measurable delight to millions.
- Refactor and evolve codebases—make them modular, maintainable, and ready for the next wave of AI innovation.
- Collaborate cross-functionally—with product, design, UX, backend, and AI research teams—to create cohesive, magical customer experiences.
- Build internal AI best practices—create reusable tooling, evaluation frameworks, coding standards, and documentation that accelerate the entire org.
- Mentor and influence—lead code reviews, guide engineers, drive initiatives for developer productivity, and shape technical direction through influence, not just authority.
- Push boundaries—experiment with emerging GenAI techniques, contribute insights internally (and externally when possible), and own large-scale projects that impact global e-commerce daily.
What You'll Bring
- 12+ years of software engineering experience building and shipping large-scale, production systems.
- Proven track record shipping distributed systems in Java (or equivalent high-scale languages).
- Hands-on experience shipping GenAI or LLM-powered features/services as part of larger production systems.
- Strong experience designing APIs and service architectures that integrate with AI/ML components.
- Deep expertise in modern JavaScript ecosystems (React, Node.js, GraphQL) and performance optimization, testing, CI/CD.
- Demonstrated ability to influence technical direction without direct authority—through expertise, collaboration, and vision.
Preferred Qualifications
- Expertise with GenAI tools/patterns (e.g., RAG, agents, prompt orchestration, evaluation pipelines).
- Experience operationalizing LLM evaluation frameworks—including offline benchmarks, automated + human review loops, production monitoring for quality, safety, and business impact (nice to have, but highly valued).
- Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS/GCP/Azure), containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), and micro-frontends/mono-repos (Nx).
- Track record in Agile environments with excellent communication skills.
Benefits
- Health benefits include medical, vision and dental coverage.
- Financial benefits include 401(k), stock purchase and company-paid life insurance.
- Paid time off benefits include PTO (including sick leave), parental leave, family care leave, bereavement, jury duty, and voting.
- Other benefits include short-term and long-term disability, company discounts, Military Leave Pay, adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, and more.
- You will also receive PTO and/or PPTO that can be used for vacation, sick leave, holidays, or other purposes. The amount you receive depends on your job classification and length of employment. It will meet or exceed the requirements of paid sick leave laws, where applicable.
- Live Better U is a Walmart-paid education benefit program for full-time and part-time associates in Walmart and Sam's Club facilities. Programs range from high school completion to bachelor's degrees, including English Language Learning and short-form certificates. Tuition, books, and fees are completely paid for by Walmart.
Pay
The annual salary range for this position is $143,000.00 - $286,000.00. Additional compensation includes annual or quarterly performance bonuses. Additional compensation for certain positions may also include stock.
Minimum Qualifications
- Option 1: Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 5 years' experience in software engineering or related area.
- Option 2: 7 years' experience in software engineering or related area.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 3 years' experience in software engineering or related area.
- We value candidates with a background in creating inclusive digital experiences, demonstrating knowledge in implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standards, assistive technologies, and integrating digital accessibility seamlessly. The ideal candidate would have knowledge of accessibility best practices and join us as we continue to create accessible products and services following Walmart's accessibility standards and guidelines for supporting an inclusive culture.