Principal AI Engineer
DrFirst, Inc.4 months ago
Remote, United StatesStaff+
Base Salary
$175k - $200k/yr
Responsibilities
- Own the technical implementation and architecture of production AI automation systems from discovery through deployment.
- Build Python/FastAPI backend services integrating HRIS, ERP, CRM, finance, and project management systems.
- Develop Next.js/React frontends with Okta SSO, role-based access control, and audit trails.
- Design multi-agent coordination systems, skill discovery hubs, agent registries, and workflow orchestration.
- Implement enterprise integrations involving OAuth2, Zscaler proxies, VPNs, SSL certificates, Kubernetes networking, DynamoDB, and AWS Bedrock.
- Write and maintain Playwright end-to-end tests and a 1000+ test suite with visual regression baselines.
- Deploy through GitLab CI/CD to AWS EKS using Kubernetes, ArgoCD, Helm, and Secrets Manager.
- Debug asynchronous performance issues, authentication flows, token expiration, API rate limits, pod failures, and health checks.
- Partner with the CISO on PII/PHI de-identification, least privilege, per-user OAuth2, and security reviews.
- Mentor 2–3 engineers through code reviews and pairing, remove blockers, document patterns, and teach non-technical leaders to use AI tools.
- Coordinate discovery sessions and delivery across 15+ stakeholders, six systems, and multiple concurrent sprints.
Requirements
- At least 8 years of experience building production systems end-to-end across backend, frontend, integrations, and infrastructure.
- Staff or Principal Engineer or Tech Lead experience with ownership of technical decisions on production systems.
- Experience shipping SaaS products with OAuth2, multi-tenancy, audit trails, and enterprise compliance.
- Deep experience building production systems with LLM APIs including OpenAI, Anthropic, or AWS Bedrock and agent frameworks.
- Production Python experience with FastAPI, Pydantic, httpx, and pytest, including large test suites.
- Production TypeScript/React experience with Next.js App Router, server components, Okta or NextAuth SSO, and Playwright.
- Experience operating AWS EKS and Kubernetes with GitLab CI/CD, ArgoCD, Helm, and Secrets Manager.
- Experience with enterprise security patterns including Zscaler proxies, SSL certificates, Kubernetes networking, and JWKS verification.
- Healthcare or regulated-industry experience involving HIPAA, SOC 2, or similar frameworks.
- Strong communication, architecture documentation, stakeholder discovery, executive translation, mentoring, and servant-leadership skills.
- Daily hands-on use of AI coding assistants such as Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf, or Cline is required.
- Preferred qualifications include leading small teams, building agentic systems and MCP connectors, contributing to AI/ML communities, and teaching non-technical users.
- US-based candidates are preferred in the US Central time zone; Poland is also considered.
Benefits
- Base salary of $175,000–$200,000, plus eligibility for a company performance-based bonus program.
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance; HSA contributions for eligible HDHP participants; and voluntary FSA, hospital indemnity, accident, and critical illness benefits.
- 401(k) eligibility after three months with a 50% company match on the first 5% contributed and a three-year vesting schedule.
- Company-paid short- and long-term disability, AD&D, and group life insurance.
- 18 days of accrued PTO during the first three years, increasing thereafter, plus seven paid holidays.
- Employee Assistance Program and up to $1,500 annually for eligible continuing education after one year of service.
- Remote-first work arrangement with occasional travel of less than 5–10% of the time; the role is primarily desk-based.
Tech Stack
Amazon DynamoDBAWSFastAPIGitLab CI/CDHelmJavaScriptKubernetesNext.jsPostgreSQLpytestPythonReactTailwind CSSTypeScript
Categories
About DrFirst, Inc.
DrFirst builds medication management and e-prescribing software and data services for hospitals, health systems, EHR vendors, pharmacies, and clinicians, including Rcopia and MedHx, with tools for price transparency and controlled-substance eRx. Privately held and founded in 2000, it is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Its platform is integrated with 270 EHRs and used by 420,000 prescribers, 71,000 pharmacies, and over 2,000 U.S. hospitals, supporting care for about 100 million patients annually.