Principal Engineer - AI Platform

Job Summary

The Principal Engineer operates at the intersection of deep technical execution and broad organizational influence. This role will resolve complex architectural challenges, set the AI-native engineering bar, and ensure iHerb’s platform decisions compound positively over time. Reporting to the VP of Engineering, this role collaborates closely with peer Principals, Engineering Managers, and VPs across the organization.

This role owns the end-to-end technical strategy for iHerb’s AI Platform and GenAI product experiences. This encompasses the user-facing AI layer (Wellness Agent, LLM-driven recommendations, RAG over catalog and reviews, generative content) and the shared AI infrastructure (RAG pipelines, evals framework, MLOps, guardrails, observability) essential for production-grade and repeatable AI features across the engineering organization.

Job Expectations

• Define and own the AI platform architecture: retrieval infrastructure, model lifecycle, evals framework, guardrails, and GenAI product feature design.
• Lead the build of the shared AI platform layer consumed by all AI product features and reusable by internal business teams.
• Act as a hands-on contributor: build production AI systems, write proofs of concept, and validate architecture through working software.
• Set and enforce technical standards for the AI Platform team; drive architecture reviews and model quality reviews.
• Coordinate with the Personalization team to define clear boundaries between the GenAI product layer and existing ML personalization infrastructure.
• Contribute AI platform-specific patterns and lessons into iHerb’s shared AI-driven SDLC golden path.
• Drive the most challenging cross-cutting technical decisions across multiple teams and shared platform services.
• Establish and evolve iHerb’s AI-driven SDLC golden path: shared standards, Claude Code skills, guardrails, and automation patterns.
• Lead complex multi-team technical efforts by coordinating architecture reviews, aligning peer Principals and EMs, and resolving competing approaches.
• Mentor and elevate the technical bar across the engineering organization through code reviews, architecture reviews, and direct coaching of senior engineers.
• Represent engineering in cross-functional conversations with product, data science, security, and infrastructure teams.
• Feed architectural decisions into the shared knowledge base to ensure institutional knowledge compounds across the organization.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Required:

• AI-driven SDLC: Demonstrated use of AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor) to ship production systems. Ability to articulate workflow changes, quality tradeoffs, and guardrail strategies.
• Architecture at Scale: Experience designing and evolving large-scale distributed systems across multiple teams and years, including APIs, data pipelines, event-driven architectures, or high-traffic platforms.
• Cross-Org Technical Leadership: Track record of driving architectural standards, technical roadmaps, or platform initiatives spanning multiple teams or organizations.
• Engineering Quality Mindset: Strong convictions regarding code quality, observability, CI/CD, test automation, and maintaining velocity without accumulating technical debt.
• Communication and Influence: Ability to write clear architecture documents, present to technical and non-technical audiences, and build consensus without formal authority.
• Experience working in distributed teams across the US, China, and Latin America.
• Production AI Platform Experience: Experience designing and operating AI platform systems such as RAG pipelines, vector search, embedding infrastructure, or retrieval-augmented applications at scale.
• LLM Evaluation: Hands-on experience with LLM evaluation, including building eval frameworks, defining quality metrics, and iterating on model and prompt quality using data.
• MLOps Experience: Experience with model deployment, monitoring, lifecycle management, and cost governance in a production environment.
• Agentic Systems: Experience building and operating agentic systems using frameworks like LangChain, LlamaIndex, or equivalent.
• GenAI in Production: Proven experience deploying and managing Generative AI in production environments; prototype or research-only experience is insufficient.
• High degree of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Excellent organization skills and ability to multitask.

Equipment Knowledge:

• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience with Google Business Suite (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Forms) preferred.

Experience Requirements

Generally requires a minimum of 10+ years of software engineering experience, with a significant portion at a senior, staff, or principal individual contributor level.

Education Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or a related field preferred, or a combination of education and equivalent work experience.

Judgment/Reasoning Ability

Able to identify, troubleshoot, and resolve problems quickly using sound judgment, poise, and diplomacy. Ability to use judgment and reasoning skills, and determine when to escalate issues, as required, in a timely manner.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described are representative of those required to perform the essential functions of this job. Team members are regularly required to talk and hear, and frequently required to sit, walk, climb stairs, use hands and fingers, bend, stoop, and reach with hands and arms. Reaching above shoulder heights, below the waist, or lifting as required to file documents or store materials is part of the workday. Team members may occasionally lift or move office products and supplies up to 25 pounds. Proper lifting techniques are required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment

The work environment is typically moderate in noise level, hectic, fast-paced with multi-level distractions. It is a professional, yet casual work environment, potentially including office/warehouse settings. Ability to work extended hours as required.

Compensation and Benefits

Anticipated Pay Scale: $204,000—$260,000 USD

Benefits: Eligible employees (and their families) can participate in medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance programs. Enrollment in the company’s 401(k) plan is available. Employees are eligible for Time Off and Paid Sick Leave according to company policies and receive paid holidays. Specific eligibility is governed by applicable plan documents. Hired applicants may be awarded Restrict Stock Units and receive annual bonuses based on eligibility and performance criteria defined in respective plan documents and policies. Visit iHerbBenefits.com for more information.

About iHerb

iHerb’s mission is to make health and wellness accessible to all by offering the world's best-curated selection of health and wellness products at the best possible value, delivered with convenience. As the world's largest eCommerce platform for vitamins, minerals, supplements, and other wellness products, iHerb has been simplifying global access to high-quality products for over 25 years. We ship over 50,000 products from 1,800+ brands to customers in 180+ countries. Our vision is to become the #1 destination for health and wellness globally. Our team shares a passion for wellness and a drive for innovative solutions, united by five core values: Focus on the Customer, Empower Our People, Be Entrepreneurial & Pivot Quickly, Embrace Diversity & Inclusion, and Strive for Simplicity.

Equal Opportunity Employer

iHerb is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status. iHerb provides equal employment opportunities and prohibits discrimination and harassment.