New

Principal Engineer, AI

Harman
life insurance, sick time, long term disability, tuition reimbursement, remote work
United States, Michigan, Novi
Nov 12, 2026
Description & Requirements A Career at HARMAN Automotive We're a global, multi-disciplinary team putting the innovative power of technology to work and transforming tomorrow. At HARMAN Automotive, we give you the keys to fast-track your career - engineering audio systems and integrated technology platforms that augment the driving experience, combining ingenuity, in-depth research, and a spirit of collaboration with design and engineering excellence. About the Role As a Principal AI Engineer, you'll serve as the technical leader for end-to-end AI solution design, implementation, and operationalization across HARMAN's BI, AI, and Data ecosystem. This isn't a role about building experiments in isolation - you'll be turning AI capabilities into complete, scalable, production-ready business applications that people actually use. You'll define how AI is applied at scale, lead the development of prebuilt AI integrations, custom AI/ML solutions, and user-facing web applications, while setting enterprise standards for software engineering, MLOps, model governance, and lifecycle management. Working on a modern data platform (Databricks), your solutions will be deeply integrated into business workflows and delivered through intuitive interfaces, APIs, and real-world applications. What You'll Be Part Of You'll join a forward-thinking BI, AI & Data team at the heart of HARMAN's digital transformation. You'll collaborate with Data Engineers, Platform Engineers, and business stakeholders across the organization - aligning AI initiatives with enterprise strategy and ensuring AI outcomes are trusted, traceable, and impactful. This is a high-visibility role where your architectural decisions set the standard for how AI is built and governed across the entire organization. You'll mentor engineers, engage stakeholders, and bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI research and meaningful business outcomes. How You'll Make An Impact AI Strategy & Technical Leadership Define and champion best practices for AI solution design, deployment, and lifecycle management Identify high-value AI use cases and lead their technical execution from concept to production Establish enterprise standards for model development, validation, deployment, and monitoring AI Solution Architecture & Development Design architectural patterns for batch vs. real-time inference, feature engineering pipelines, and model reuse across use cases Standardize implementation of core AI frameworks - forecasting, classification, anomaly detection, and NLP/document intelligence Own end-to-end delivery of AI-enabled web applications, from UX and front-end development to backend services, APIs, and ongoing production support Build modern, responsive interfaces for conversational AI, analytics dashboards, human review, approvals, and workflow interaction Establish reusable full-stack patterns using React (or equivalent), TypeScript/JavaScript, Python/FastAPI, and REST or GraphQL APIs MLOps, CI/CD & Lifecycle Management Define and enforce MLOps standards using MLflow - experiment tracking, model versioning, registry, and promotion workflows (Dev QA Prod) Co-design CI/CD pipelines with Platform Engineering for automated model testing, validation gates, and environment consistency Establish robust deployment patterns including batch scoring pipelines, scheduled retraining jobs, and model serving endpoints Testing, Validation & Trust Build testing frameworks covering model performance validation, data validation, schema enforcement, and backtesting Drive adoption of explainability techniques (SHAP, feature importance) and business-level validation Establish standards for drift detection, monitoring, and alerting Security, Governance & Responsible AI Define model governance standards - approval workflows, version control, rollback strategies, and auditability via MLflow and logging Ensure traceability from raw data through features to model outputs Drive responsible AI practices including bias detection and mitigation, transparency, and explainability Cross-Functional Leadership & Innovation Mentor AI Engineers and guide broader team development Align AI initiatives with Data Engineering, BI, and Platform strategies Translate complex AI solutions into clear business value and champion adoption across the organization Continuously assess emerging AI tools, frameworks, and capabilities to evolve HARMAN's AI platform What Makes You A Strong Fit Expert-level Python and deep hands-on experience with ML/AI frameworks Strong experience building and deploying production web applications - both front-end and backend Proficiency with modern web technologies: React (or equivalent), TypeScript/JavaScript, HTML/CSS, and component-based UI development Experience developing backend services and APIs using Python frameworks such as FastAPI or Flask, with REST or GraphQL integration Experience delivering complete AI-enabled products including authentication, enterprise data integration, human-in-the-loop workflows, testing, deployment, and production support Ability to translate AI outputs into clear, usable interfaces for business users - not just models, notebooks, or API endpoints Strong hands-on experience with MLflow (tracking, registry, lifecycle management) Deep experience building and deploying production-grade AI/ML systems on Databricks Strong experience with MLOps, CI/CD pipelines, and model lifecycle governance Expertise standardizing AI patterns across forecasting, NLP, anomaly detection, and classification Strong understanding of data pipelines, feature engineering, model monitoring, drift detection, and explainability (e.g., SHAP) Proven ability to define technical standards and lead technical direction across teams 7+ years of experience in software engineering, data engineering, AI/ML engineering, or related fields 3+ years designing and deploying production AI/ML systems at enterprise scale Experience leading technical strategy and architecture across multiple teams or business domains Experience designing and deploying Generative AI solutions using LLMs Experience with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), vector search, embeddings, and prompt engineering Bonus Points if You Have Experience implementing Generative AI solutions using OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, or similar foundation models Experience building enterprise RAG architectures, vector databases, semantic search, and agent-based AI solutions Experience with Databricks Mosaic AI, Vector Search, Model Serving, Unity Catalog, and Lakehouse AI capabilities Experience with cloud AI services on Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud Platform Experience deploying AI workloads using Kubernetes and containerized architectures Familiarity with feature stores, online/offline feature serving, and real-time inference systems Experience implementing Responsible AI frameworks, model risk management, and regulatory compliance Experience with experimentation platforms, A/B testing, and causal inference methodologies Familiarity with deep learning frameworks including PyTorch, TensorFlow, and Hugging Face ecosystems Background in forecasting, optimization, recommendation systems, supply chain analytics, or manufacturing AI Experience contributing to enterprise-wide AI platform strategy and transformation initiatives Experience with user-centered design, accessibility, design systems, or usability testing for enterprise applications Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, or a related field Things To Know Willingness to work in a hybrid environment with occasional on-site presence (3 days per week) in Novi, MI Ability to occasionally support off-hours work to collaborate with our global team Willingness to travel as needed Successful completion of a background investigation and drug screen is required as a condition of employment What We Offer Flexible work environment, including full-time remote work globally for eligible positions Employee discounts on world-class HARMAN and Samsung products (JBL, HARMAN Kardon, AKG, and more) HARMAN University - extensive learning and development opportunities Competitive wellness benefits Tuition reimbursement "Be Brilliant" employee recognition and rewards program An inclusive and diverse work environment that fosters professional and personal growth #LI-AA1 Pay Transparency $ 125,250 - $ 183,700 Dependent on the position offered, other forms of compensation are also available, such as bonuses or commission. Pay is based on a wide range of factors, including, without limitation, skill set, experience, training, location, and business need. While the above range is a reasonable estimate of the wage range for this position, please note the disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographical differential associated with the location where the position may be filled. Benefits HARMAN is interested in the health and wellbeing of you and your family and offers a range of benefits designed to support your needs for holistic wellbeing. Benefits and perks may vary depending on the nature of your employment with HARMAN, and may include paid vacation and holidays, paid sick leave, volunteer leave, and paid bonding and care giver leave. Employees may also be eligible to participate in comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans, fertility support and adoption assistance, Health Savings and Flexible Spending Accounts, retirement savings plan with employer match, short and long term disability coverage, life insurance, and more. About HARMAN: Where Innovation Unleashes Next-Level Technology Ever since the 1920s, we've been amplifying the sense of sound. Today, that legacy endures, with integrated technology platforms that make the world smarter, safer, and more connected. Across automotive, lifestyle, and digital transformation solutions, we create innovative technologies that turn ordinary moments into extraordinary experiences. Our renowned automotive and lifestyle solutions can be found everywhere, from the music we play in our cars and homes to venues that feature today's most sought-after performers, while our digital transformation solutions serve humanity by addressing the world's ever-evolving needs and demands. Marketing our award-winning portfolio under 16 iconic brands, such as JBL, Mark Levinson, and Revel, we set ourselves apart by exceeding the highest engineering and design standards for our customers, our partners and each other. If you're ready to innovate and do work that makes a lasting impact, join our talent community today! Important Notice: Recruitment Scams Please be aware that HARMAN recruiters will always communicate with you from an '@harman.com', '@careers.harman.com' or '@harmanglobal.avature.net' email address. We will never ask for payments, banking, credit card, personal financial information or access to your LinkedIn/email account during the screening, interview, or recruitment process. If you are asked for such information or receive communication from an email address not ending in one of the above email domains about a job with HARMAN, please cease communication immediately and report the incident to us through: harmancareers@harman.com. You Belong Here HARMAN is committed to making every employee feel welcomed, valued, and empowered. No matter what role you play, we encourage you to share your ideas, voice your distinct perspective, and bring your whole self with you - all within a support-minded culture that celebrates what makes each of us unique. We also recognize that learning is a lifelong pursuit and want you to flourish. We proudly offer added opportunities for training, development, and continuing education, further empowering you to live the career you want. HARMAN is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. HARMAN strives to hire the best qualified candidates and is committed to building a workforce representative of the diverse marketplaces and communities of our global colleagues and customers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. HARMAN attracts, hires, and develops employees based on merit, qualifications and job-related performance.(www.harman.com) HARMAN is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process, please contact us at harmancareers@harman.com. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with applicable law. Apply