Principle Engineer | AI-Augmented Engineering Systems

SUMMARY:
What if you could influence how software is built across an entire organisation without managing people, attending endless meetings, or moving away from hands-on engineering?
My client is looking for a Principal Engineer to lead the evolution of AI-assisted software development within a large-scale technology environment. This is a rare opportunity for a highly experienced engineer to shape developer experience, define technical standards, build internal platforms, and drive the adoption of AI across multiple engineering teams.
You'll work at the intersection of software architecture, AI engineering, platform development, and developer tooling, solving complex problems that directly impact the way engineers deliver software at scale.
This role is ideal for someone who loves building, experimenting, influencing technical direction, and creating systems that make other developers more effective.

POSITION INFO:
Job Description: As a Principal Engineer, you will operate as one of the organisation's most senior individual contributors, helping define the future of software engineering through AI-enabled development practices and platforms. Responsibilities include: Designing and building AI-powered engineering platforms, tools, frameworks, and developer workflows Creating scalable solutions that enable safe, secure, and effective AI-assisted software development Driving AI adoption across engineering teams through technical leadership, proof of concepts, and best-practice guidance Establishing engineering standards relating to AI governance, security, code quality, and software delivery Building developer tooling, automation frameworks, guardrails, and internal engineering capabilities Evaluating emerging technologies, AI platforms, and engineering tools to support strategic objectives Developing metrics, telemetry, and measurement frameworks to improve engineering effectiveness Building prototypes and technical proofs of concept that reduce risk and accelerate innovation Collaborating with senior technical stakeholders across engineering, product, and delivery teams Mentoring senior engineers and contributing to architectural decision-making through influence rather than authority This is a hands-on technical leadership role with no direct people management responsibilities, offering significant influence over engineering practices, architecture, developer experience, and AI adoption across a large technology organisation. Skills & Experience: Minimum 10+ years of software engineering experience in senior, staff, principal, or equivalent engineering roles Deep expertise in at least two of the following technologies: Java .NET React Flutter Strong understanding of cloud-native architecture and distributed systems Experience with AWS, microservices, API design, event-driven architecture, and CI\/CD practices Hands-on experience building developer platforms, engineering tooling, internal frameworks, or AI-driven systems Experience working with Large Language Models (LLMs), prompt engineering, AI agents, retrieval systems, evaluation frameworks, and AI governance Strong software architecture and systems design capabilities Ability to solve ambiguous, large-scale technical challenges Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills Ability to drive technical change through influence and expertise Experience in complex, high-scale technology environments would be advantageous Qualification: Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Engineering, or a related field Connect with us on and Register your CV to create a profile or to view all our Jobs in Information Technology. One of the best Developer Recruitment Agencies in Cape Town. Let us assist you with your IT careers. For Further C# Developer jobs, C++ Developer jobs, Java Developer jobs, .Net Developer careers, Angular Developer and Full stack developer jobs.