Software Architect, Applied AI

The Software Architect, Applied AI role at Autodesk involves building cloud-native AI agents to enhance Product Data Management (PDM) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) workflows. This hands-on position requires designing core platform patterns and writing production-ready code. The ideal candidate is an ambitious, curious, and practical builder with experience shipping scalable, Cloud-Native AI Applications, including GenAI or traditional Machine Learning applications, with a focus on reliability, quality, and impact.

Must Have

• Architect and build scalable, secure cloud-native services and Agentic AI workflows that run in production
• Own the GenAI/ML architecture for production agentic systems: tool-use, orchestration, state/memory, routing, and multi-step workflows
• Define model strategy across prompting, retrieval (RAG), and fine-tuning
• Standardize tool/context integrations across internal systems using MCP-based patterns
• Establish evaluation + observability standards (regression tests, monitoring, feedback loops)
• Set technical direction via reference architectures, best practices, and hands-on technical guidance across teams
• Partner closely with Product, Security/Privacy, and Engineering leaders to deliver high-impact features

Good to Have

• Deep experience designing AI evaluation pipelines and production release strategies for AI Applications
• Experience with AWS/Azure/GCP and modern platform practices (containers, Kubernetes, CI/CD, observability)
• Experience in PLM/PDM, manufacturing, CAD, or enterprise workflow software
• Open-source contributions, publications, or talks related to distributed systems, ML or GenAI systems

Perks & Benefits

• Competitive compensation package
• Annual cash bonuses
• Stock grants
• Comprehensive benefits package
• Cultivating a culture of belonging where everyone can thrive
• Meaningful work that helps build a better world

Position Overview

If you love building real systems that real customers use—and you get genuinely excited about LLMs, RAG, MCP, and agentic architectures—this role is for you.

The Applied AI team in Autodesk's Data and Process Management (DPM) organization ships Cloud-Native AI agents that make our Product Data Management (PDM) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) workflows smarter and easier. This is a hands-on architecture role where you'll design core platform patterns and also write code that lands in production. We're looking for a modern builder: Ambitious, Curious, and Practical—someone who has already shipped scalable, Cloud-Native AI Applications to production and wants to level up further. You might have expertise in GenAI Applications, or you might have shipped traditional Machine Learning applications (recommendations, forecasting, anomaly detection) at scale and are ready to go all-in on agentic architectures. Either way, you build for reliability, quality, and impact.

Responsibilities

• Architect and build scalable, secure cloud-native services and Agentic AI workflows that run in production
• Own the GenAI/ML architecture for production agentic systems: tool-use, orchestration, state/memory, routing, and multi-step workflows
• Define model strategy across prompting, retrieval (RAG), and fine-tuning—making tradeoffs using measurable quality, latency, safety, and cost
• Standardize tool/context integrations across internal systems using MCP-based patterns (or equivalent approaches), enabling teams to ship faster on a shared foundation
• Establish evaluation + observability standards (regression tests, monitoring, feedback loops)
• Set technical direction via reference architectures, best practices, and hands-on technical guidance across teams
• Partner closely with Product, Security/Privacy, and Engineering leaders to deliver high-impact features

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Data Science, or equivalent practical experience
• 8+ years building cloud-native software in production (distributed systems, APIs, data-intensive services, reliability and operations)
• 4+ years delivering AI/ML-powered system in production
• Traditional ML cloud applications (training pipelines, deployment, monitoring, iteration)
• LLM-based systems (RAG, MCP, Agent workflows, fine-tuned models)
• Experience with MCP or similar standardized patterns for connecting models to tools and context
• Experience with deploying and maintaining AI Applications in production reliably, monitoring performance, and improving over time
• Proficiency in Python/TypeScript/Java with strong engineering fundamentals (testing, code quality, performance, security)
• Strong communication skills: you can explain tradeoffs clearly and influence decisions without relying on authority

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep experience designing AI evaluation pipelines and production release strategies for AI Applications
• Experience with AWS/Azure/GCP and modern platform practices (containers, Kubernetes, CI/CD, observability)
• Experience in PLM/PDM, manufacturing, CAD, or enterprise workflow software
• Open-source contributions, publications, or talks related to distributed systems, ML or GenAI systems

Learn More

About Autodesk

Welcome to Autodesk! Amazing things are created every day with our software – from the greenest buildings and cleanest cars to the smartest factories and biggest hit movies. We help innovators turn their ideas into reality, transforming not only how things are made, but what can be made.

We take great pride in our culture here at Autodesk – it’s at the core of everything we do. Our culture guides the way we work and treat each other, informs how we connect with customers and partners, and defines how we show up in the world.

When you’re an Autodesker, you can do meaningful work that helps build a better world designed and made for all. Ready to shape the world and your future? Join us!

Salary transparency

Salary is one part of Autodesk’s competitive compensation package. For Canada-BC based roles, we expect a starting base salary between $161,300 and $236,500. Offers are based on the candidate’s experience and geographic location, and may exceed this range. In addition to base salaries, our compensation package may include annual cash bonuses, commissions for sales roles, stock grants, and a comprehensive benefits package.

Diversity & Belonging

We take pride in cultivating a culture of belonging where everyone can thrive. Learn more here: https://www.autodesk.com/company/diversity-and-belonging

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