Principal Software Engineer, AI Catalyst Platform team

We're looking for a Principal Software Engineer to join our AI Catalyst Platform team as a key enabler for rapid AI prototyping and operational efficiency. This role focuses on providing technical and operational support to the AI Catalyst team, which explores upstream AI initiatives and drives innovation across the organization. You'll help accelerate the development of AI prototypes by ensuring seamless platform integration, CI/CD pipelines, and other critical infrastructure to enable high-speed experimentation and iteration.

• Platform Support and Optimization: Design and maintain scalable, secure, and efficient platforms to support AI Catalyst team initiatives, ensuring smooth integration of AI models and workflows.
• Infrastructure Management: Provide expertise in Kubernetes and cloud platforms (GCP, AWS, Azure) for container orchestration, scalable deployments, and real-time operations.
• Partner with the AI Catalyst team to identify bottlenecks, remove blockers, and optimize workflows for faster delivery of AI prototypes.
• Technical Leadership: Lead the implementation of critical systems (APIs, orchestration, observability, deployment) to ensure speed, reliability, and maintainability.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with engineering, product, and design teams to align technical priorities and drive impactful AI initiatives.
• Mentorship: Guide and mentor engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, and rapid execution.
• Demonstrate proficiency in Kubernetes for container orchestration and scalable deployments.
• Mentor senior engineers and contribute to a culture of technical excellence, velocity, and pragmatic decision-making.
• Proactively utilize AI-assisted development tools for code generation and intelligent suggestions to accelerate development cycles and enhance code quality.
• Explore and experiment with emerging AI technologies relevant to software development, proactively identifying opportunities to incorporate new AI capabilities into existing workflows and tooling.

• 10+ years of software engineering experience
• Strong background in Python and experience with C, C++, Go or Rust
• Proficiency in RHEL or other Linux distributions
• Strong communication skills to articulate technical tradeoffs and bring clarity to ambiguous situations
• Passion for AI innovation and enabling AI initiatives that drive real-world impact
• Ability to move fast without compromising quality, thriving in environments with rapid iteration and high ownership
• Proven ability to deliver successful Proofs of Concept or initiatives and rapidly prototype ideas

• Experience with cloud platforms such as GCP, AWS, or Azure
• Experience with building and packaging Python projects, package managers (dnf, pip), and build systems (cmake, meson)
• Experience working with upstream projects and Open Source communities
• Experience in early-stage product incubation or 0→1 product delivery
• Contributions to internal AI platforms, model evaluation frameworks, or observability for AI systems

This is a rare opportunity to help shape how our company brings AI innovation to life—bridging research and real-world usage at a moment when speed, safety, and product quality matter most. If you're energized by rapid iteration, high autonomy, and making AI tangible for millions, we'd love to talk.

• Previous experience with hardware acceleration (e.g., CUDA or ROCm)
• Knowledge of AI frameworks such as PyTorch and/or TensorFlow
• Familiarity with containerization and orchestration
• Understanding of Open Source development models
• Experience with test-based development and agile/scrum methodologies

Red Hat is an equal opportunity workplace and an affirmative action employer. We review applications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, veteran status, genetic information, disability, marital status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Red Hat maintains an inclusive environment and provides reasonable accommodations to job applicants. If you need assistance completing our online job application, email application-