Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. DrFirst, Inc. is a Healthcare IT company focused on intelligent medication management, helping providers and patients achieve better health. They are seeking a Principal AI Engineer to architect and build production AI automation systems, working closely with department leaders to enhance workflows and deliver measurable business impact.
Responsibilities
- You own the technical implementation of department sprints. Example: an HR sprint delivered resume screening (40-candidate PDF extraction with table-of-contents parsing and fuzzy name matching), OKR coaching (Leapsome API integration with performance rating analytics), performance ratings (calibration detection across 328 employees), and milestone email automation in 4 weeks
- Architecture and Implementation: Design and build Python/FastAPI backends connecting to enterprise APIs (HRIS, ERP, CRM, finance systems, project management)
- Frontend Development: Build Next.js/React frontends with Okta SSO, role-based access control, and audit trails
- Multi-Agent Systems: Design agent coordination systems, skill discovery hubs, agent registries, and workflow orchestration
- Enterprise Integration: Navigate Zscaler proxies, VPNs, SSL certificates, Kubernetes pod networking, DynamoDB, and AWS Bedrock
- Testing and Quality: Write Playwright end-to-end tests before production deploy and maintain a 1000+ test suite with visual regression baselines
- Deployment: Ship via GitLab CI/CD to AWS EKS (Kubernetes, ArgoCD, Helm, Secrets Manager) and diagnose pod restarts and liveness probe issues
- Async and Performance: Debug event loop blocking, convert synchronous I/O to async, and optimize CPU-bound operations
- Security: Partner with the CISO on PII/PHI de-identification, least privilege, and per-user OAuth2
- Production Support: Debug authentication flows, token expiration, API rate limits, and health check failures
- Guide 2-3 engineers through code reviews and pairing. Teach department leaders how to use AI tools effectively. Translate technical decisions for non-technical executives. No direct reports and no performance reviews. Pure servant leadership
- Technical Mentorship: Code reviews, pairing sessions, and unblocking complex integrations
- Non-Technical Teaching: Run discovery sessions with department VPs, teach Finance/HR/Legal leaders how to prompt AI tools, and build interfaces non-technical users can modify
- Stakeholder Translation: Explain security trade-offs to executives and translate “OAuth2 delegation” into “everyone sees only their own data.”
- Remove Blockers: Clear obstacles for team members, escalate infrastructure issues, and coordinate across departments
- Knowledge Sharing: Document patterns so others can self-serve and write playbooks department heads can follow without engineering help
- Morning sync with the VP of AI Automation on build queue, blockers, and technical decisions
- Direct coordination with 15+ stakeholders across departments
- Discovery sessions with department leaders to map workflows
- Hands-on coding: backend services, frontend components, and integration tests
- Security reviews with the CISO
- Ship multiple times per day and debug production issues
- Code reviews for 2-3 team members
Skills
- 8+ years building production systems end-to-end (backend, frontend, integrations, infrastructure)
- Staff/Principal Engineer or Tech Lead experience, owning technical decisions on production systems
- Shipped SaaS products with OAuth2, multi-tenancy, audit trails, and enterprise compliance
- Deep AI/ML experience: production systems using LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, AWS Bedrock) and agent frameworks
- Production Python: FastAPI, Pydantic, httpx, pytest (1000+ test suite experience)
- Production TypeScript/React: Next.js App Router, server components, Okta/NextAuth SSO, Playwright testing
- AWS and Kubernetes: EKS operations, GitLab CI/CD, ArgoCD, Helm, Secrets Manager
- Enterprise security patterns: Zscaler proxies, SSL certificates, Kubernetes networking, JWKS verification
- Healthcare or regulated industry experience (HIPAA, SOC 2, or similar frameworks)
- Strong communication skills: run discovery sessions with non-technical stakeholders, explain security trade-offs to executives, and write architecture docs department leaders can follow
- Servant leadership mindset: remove blockers for others, teach through questions not directives, and make stakeholders successful first
- Thrives in organized chaos: 15 stakeholders, 6 systems, 3 sprints in flight
- Bias toward shipping: 'good enough to get feedback' beats 'perfect in 3 months.'
- Highly collaborative: challenges ideas constructively and welcomes being challenged
- Led small teams (2-5 people) through technical mentorship or tech lead roles
- US-based (US Central time zone preferred; Poland also considered)
- Built agentic systems: agent coordination, scheduled routines, and feedback loops
- MCP (Model Context Protocol) experience: custom connectors for enterprise systems
- Active contributor to AI/ML communities (papers, open source, conference talks)
- Teaching through code: strong code review skills, pairing experience, and documentation focus
- Experience teaching non-technical users through workshops, training sessions, and business-user documentation
Benefits
- Eligible for Company Performance-based Bonus Program, based on individual and company performance
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 401K eligible after 3 months of employment, with 50% company match up to first 5% of salary contributed to the plan with a 3-year vesting schedule
- HSA for eligible employees enrolled in the HDHP, with a generous company contribution up to $500 for individual coverage and $1000 for family coverage per year
- 100% company paid short and long-term disability, AD&D, and group life insurance
- Accrued annual paid time off (PTO) of 18 days for the first 3 years of service, increasing thereafter and 7 paid holiday days
- Employee Assistance Program
- Continuing Education funds up to $1500 annually for eligible programs after 1 year of service
- Voluntary benefits including FSA, Hospital indemnity, Accident and Critical Illness insurances
- DrFirst is committed to being a Remote-First company, creating a dynamic and flexible workplace where everyone can thrive, no matter where they log in from.
Company Overview
Company H1B Sponsorship