Principal AI Applications Engineer

* Job ID: 10558BR * Location: US (Remote), US\-Herndon\-VA * Work Setup: Remote * Job Category: Engineering * Posting Date: May 21, 2026 **About the Role** We’re building an enterprise ERP system from scratch where AI isn’t a feature—it’s the foundation. Join Deltek’s Engineering and Technology team to create the first truly AI\-native SMB ERP. Users will chat with their system instead of clicking through forms. Intelligent agents will handle routine tasks autonomously. And you’ll use AI to write better code faster. This is a greenfield project. No legacy constraints. No technical debt. Just the opportunity to reimagine what enterprise software can be when designed for AI from day one. As a principal engineer, you’ll solve the hardest technical problems, create reference implementations that set the standard, and mentor engineers in a development paradigm that’s still emerging. You’ll prove that AI\-native enterprise software isn’t just possible—it’s superior. **Key Responsibilities** * Implement the most technically challenging features of the AI\-powered ERP platform, serving as the go\-to expert for complex integration and performance challenges * Develop reference implementations and coding patterns that other engineers follow when building AI\-enhanced features * Implement sophisticated prompt engineering and LLM integration solutions, ensuring security, performance, and cost\-effectiveness * Build production\-ready ML integration code utilizing infrastructure provided by the dedicated AI/ML infrastructure team * Provide deep technical expertise on critical implementation challenges affecting multiple teams, offering solutions based on extensive hands\-on experience * Collaborate with architects to validate technical approaches through proof\-of\-concepts and prototypes * Champion code quality, comprehensive testing, security best practices, and operational excellence * Identify and resolve complex technical debt that impacts multiple teams * Serve as technical advisor to architects and engineering leadership on implementation feasibility and development best practices * Mentor and develop senior engineers, elevating implementation capabilities across the engineering organization * Drive innovation through hands\-on proof\-of\-concepts exploring novel approaches to ERP challenges **Education \& Experience** * Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Data Science, or related field * 10\+ years of professional software engineering experience with extensive hands\-on AI/ML systems implementation * Demonstrated history of technical leadership through exceptional implementation quality on large\-scale, business\-critical systems * Proven track record of solving complex implementation challenges that enabled significant business outcomes * Experience providing technical guidance and mentoring senior engineers * Deep expertise in implementing enterprise software and AI/ML integrations with produc