Principal Engineer, Data Intelligence & Retrieval

Principal Engineer

We are seeking a Principal Engineer to lead the development of our high-scale retrieval systems & Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) construction. This role is critical in bridging the gap between massive, licensed datasets and real-time generative inference. You will be the primary architect for our RAG pipeline, focusing on the sophisticated processing, chunking, and indexing of millions of documents to power both semantic and full-text discovery.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement the end-to-end RAG construction pipeline, ensuring high-performance ingestion and transformation of diverse datasets in near real-time.
• Develop and optimize hybrid retrieval strategies that combine the precision of full-text search with the contextual depth of semantic (vector) search.
• Own the 'document-to-chunk' lifecycle. Implement advanced strategies for chunking, metadata enrichment, and quality filtering to ensure the most relevant context is fed into generative models.
• Architect systems to handle jobs across millions of documents while optimizing indices for sub-second latency and high-throughput serving.
• Recommend and implement optimizations for GPU/CPU performance, concurrency, and memory management to minimize serving costs and maximize ROI.
• Act as a technical expert and influencer, guiding the team in software design and providing superior diagnostic skills for complex distributed system issues.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in Engineering with at least 8+ years architecting large-scale distributed systems.
• Proven track record in Python and Golang or Rust for building commercial-grade software.
• Expert-level mastery in architecting and scaling high-throughput indexing pipelines using ElasticSearch, OpenSearch, or distributed vector databases. Proven ability to design sophisticated query and indexing strategies that balance semantic richness with sub-second retrieval latency.
• Deep hands-on experience optimizing large-scale search architectures for millions of documents, utilizing both traditional inverted indices and modern vector stores. Demonstrated success in implementing advanced caching and indexing optimizations to minimize generative costs while maximizing retrieval relevance.
• Expertise in both SQL and NoSQL databases (e.g., MongoDB, Clickhouse, Postgres) and big data processing tools.
• Excellent knowledge of algorithms, data structures, graph theory, and modern distributed application principles (REST API design, scaling, capacity sizing).
• MS in Computer Science or Engineering

Work Environment

Location: This position is on-site. This role is based at our Bellevue, WA office location, and employees are expected to work on-site during regular business hours.

Compensation

The compensation for this position will be competitive and commensurate with experience. The estimated salary range for this role is 220,000 - 300,000 USD.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to work at the forefront of AI technology
• Collaborative and innovative work environment
• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Professional development and growth opportunities
• Chance to make a significant impact on the company's success

Equal Employment Opportunity

• ProRata is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment decisions are made based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.

California Specific Notices

• At-Will Employment: Employment at ProrataAI is at-will. This means that either the employee or the employer may terminate employment at any time, with or without cause or prior notice.
• Salary Disclosure: In compliance with California law, salary information is provided to ensure transparency and fairness.
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): ProrataAI complies with the CCPA. Personal information collected during the recruitment process will be used for employment purposes only.

*This open position is not eligible for Company sponsorship of a visa that would require a new H-1B visa petition that is subject to the $100,000 payment requirement announced in the Presidential Proclamation titled "Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers," dated September 19, 2025 (or any extensions or modifications of the Proclamation).