Principal Engineer

About this role:

Wells Fargo is seeking a Principal Engineer to drive the design, development, and implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled applications aligned to employee-facing lines of business in Enterprise Functions Technology (EFT). The EFT AI team will focus on building intelligent, efficient, and user-centric tools to accelerate the work of users in Finance, Human Resources, Risk, Audit, Legal, Public Affairs, Diverse Segments and EFT Platform Technology. In addition to hands-on development, this role will play a key part in evolving the AI operating model for both horizontal (cross product/platform) and vertical support (product specific). As a key technical contributor, you will collaborate with cross-functional teams to align solutions with the mission of transforming the Wells Fargo employee experience.

This role will be a key contributor to shaping AI infrastructure, governance, and automation frameworks, working closely with cross-functional partners in technology, product management, and operations.  The horizontal focus of this role will support AI platform scalability, reliability and AI governance, ensuring alignment across EFT, while the vertical focus will support specific applications and their integration within business domains.

The successful candidate will have a deep expertise in AI engineering, cloud-based AI deployment, and AI model lifecycle management, along with experience in architecting AI solutions that align with responsible principles and enterprise business objectives.  This is a unique opportunity to lead AI engineering efforts while shaping the AI operating model.

In this role, you will:

• Design, develop and optimize Gen AI applications using agentic frameworks and tools
• Accelerate end to end solution delivery timelines by developing automated data, prompting and evaluation pipelines
• Streamline the enablement of AI solutions by building solution blueprints, re-usable patterns and identifying process improvements
• Lead AI engineering efforts that drive the design, development, scalability, and evolution of AI-powered products, ensuring AI adoption.
• Research and guide engineering efforts to solve complex engineering challenges and balance accuracy, latency and cost
• Evolve the AI operating model, ensuring seamless integration of AI solutions into business domains while providing horizontal AI governance and infrastructure support.
• Develop automated AI model monitoring frameworks, enabling continuous model updates, explainability, and performance tracking.
• Develop and scale AI platforms leveraging Large Language Model (LLM) services, real time analytics, AI automation, and intelligent decision-making.
• Act as an advisor and collaborate with leadership to integrate AI into existing enterprise systems and cloud platforms to implement innovative and significant business solutions.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration to define AI roadmaps, infrastructure strategies, and product enhancements, ensuring AI capabilities align with business AI strategies.
• Lead the strategy and resolution of highly complex and unique challenges requiring in-depth evaluation across multiple areas or the enterprise, delivering solutions that require vision, creativity, innovation, and advanced analytical and thinking.
• Maintain knowledge of industry best practices and new technologies and recommend innovations that enhance operations or provide a competitive advantage to the organization.
• Strategically engage with all levels of professionals and managers across the enterprise and serve as an expert advisor to leadership.
• Responsible for meticulous governance to address the unique risks posed by GenAI.

Required Qualifications:

• 7+ years of Engineering experience, or equivalent demonstrated through one or a combination of the following: work experience, training, military experience, education
• 7+ years of engineering experience building and supporting large scale customer facing products using modern technologies
• 3+ years building and delivering products using AI technologies.

Desired Qualifications:

• Strong expertise in AI model development and deployment with a strong background in LLMs, generative AI, and AI-engineering.
• Deep experience with generative AI models, including model prompting, tuning, and safety best practices.
• Expertise in solution architecture and applying modular design techniques to agentic workflows
• Solid grasp of data and error analysis, identifying issues and patterns throughout the AI pipeline
• Strong expertise in test or eval driven development, ensuring robust and scalable AI software.
• Experience in backend application software development, with ability to quickly adapt to C#, and Python code bases.
• Strong understanding of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), knowledge graphs and agentic workflows.
• Deep knowledge of AI infrastructure, Generative AI Operations, and enterprise-scale AI adoption strategies.
• Familiarity with enterprise-scale software systems and their integration within large organizations.
• Passion for building AI solutions that deliver a seamless, end-user-focused experience.
• Experience in enterprise AI model lifecycle management, AI compliance, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Strong understanding of human centered AI design for workplace applications.
• Excellent collaboration, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Job Expectations:

• Lead projects, teams, and serve as a peer mentor.
• Be Humble: You're smart yet always interested in learning from others
• Work Transparently: You always deal in an honest, direct, and transparent way.
• Take Ownership: You embrace responsibility and find joy in having the answers
• Learn More: You regularly self-educate and improve your skill set.
• Show Gratitude: You show appreciation and respect to those you work with.

Posting End Date:

*Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.

We Value Equal Opportunity

Wells Fargo is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Employees support our focus on building strong customer relationships balanced with a strong risk mitigating and compliance-driven culture which firmly establishes those disciplines as critical to the success of our customers and company. They are accountable for execution of all applicable risk programs (Credit, Market, Financial Crimes, Operational, Regulatory Compliance), which includes effectively following and adhering to applicable Wells Fargo policies and procedures, appropriately fulfilling risk and compliance obligations, timely and effective escalation and remediation of issues, and making sound risk decisions. There is emphasis on proactive monitoring, governance, risk identification and escalation, as well as making sound risk decisions commensurate with the business unit’s risk appetite and all risk and compliance program requirements.

Candidates applying to job openings posted in Canada: Applications for employment are encouraged from all qualified candidates, including women, persons with disabilities, aboriginal peoples and visible minorities. Accommodation for applicants with disabilities is available upon request in connection with the recruitment process.

Applicants with Disabilities

To request a medical accommodation during the application or interview process, visit Disability Inclusion at Wells Fargo.

Drug and Alcohol Policy

Wells Fargo maintains a drug free workplace.  Please see our Drug and Alcohol Policy to learn more.

Wells Fargo Recruitment and Hiring Requirements:

a. Third-Party recordings are prohibited unless authorized by Wells Fargo.

b. Wells Fargo requires you to directly represent your own experiences during the recruiting and hiring process.