Principal AI Software Engineer (m/f/x) — Industrial AI

appliedAI Initiative

ÜBER UNS The appliedAI Initiative elevates Europe’s industry to become shapers in the age of AI, creating a future that we desire to live in. Through our ecosystem of strong partners, comprehensive programs, services and solutions we advance companies holistically on their AI journey. With our uniquely diverse, interdisciplinary, and driven team, we build on deep technical expertise while specializing on applicability of the solutions. We share a mindset of collaboration and openness with our ecosystem of leading companies and tech players. Our common goal is to strengthen the European landscape, jointly creating unique knowledge for applying trustworthy AI. We believe that AI Agents will be the dominant topic for AI in the near future and that appliedAI with its partner ecosystem will impact how this technology is being used in industry and beyond in Europe. DEINE AUFGABEN You build the systems other engineers learn from. At appliedAI, we help Europe’s leading companies turn ambitious AI and digitalization strategies into production-grade software - and you take end-to-end ownership of that delivery for our most complex client engagements, while setting the engineering standard that elevates the entire Engineering team. Whether your depth comes from AI/ML systems, large-scale digitalization programs, or solution architecture for complex enterprise environments, you thrive on turning ambiguity into scalable, well-governed systems. Your tasks will include: * Architecting and implementing production-grade software and AI solutions for enterprise clients - spanning classical ML, GenAI applications, validated RAG, and agentic systems, alongside the broader digital and software architecture around them - with attention to security, scalability, hybrid/cloud deployments, and operational maturity * Defining and championing engineering excellence across the team: code quality, design reviews, evaluation harnesses, observability, security, and MLOps standards * Leading technical delivery from target architecture through production hardening and client handover, working closely with engagement leads on scope and value * Building reusable engineering accelerators - templates, libraries, and evaluation frameworks - that multiply the impact of the wider Engineering team * Mentoring mid-level and senior engineers, facilitating technical guilds, and driving a culture of shared knowledge and continuous improvement DEIN PROFIL * 10+ years of software engineering experience, including a strong track record at principal or lead level - as an AI/ML engineer, software architect, digitalization lead, or solution architect - with meaningful exposure to AI/ML systems in production or a demonstrated ability to grow quickly into that depth * Deep engineering foundation across distributed systems, APIs, data pipelines, cloud-native architecture (Azure, AWS, or GCP), containers, CI/CD, and MLOps * Strong command of Python and solid exposure to the modern AI stack - LangChain/LangGraph, vector stores, evaluation frameworks, or platforms such as Azure AI Foundry - or a proven ability to master this stack rapidly given your engineering depth * A demonstrable track record leading complex, end-to-end technical delivery in client-facing settings, at enterprise scale * Pragmatic and code-first in your approach; opinionated about quality, evaluation, security, and operational maturity * Fluent in both English and German DEINE VORTEILE * A highly qualified and motivated team of ~90 people is on a journey to change the rapidly evolving European AI Landscape * Experience the best of both worlds with our hybrid work model: You can choose to work from our vibrant offices - either at the IPAI in Heilbronn or the House of Communication in Munich - while also enjoying the flexibility to work remotely a few days each week * Opportunity to shape a variety of projects and the development of new, original content based on the latest developments in AI and its adoption in businesses * An atmosphere that encourages to think and experiment in new ways with software, hardware, and processes * A highly visible initiative that helps you build a large and high-level network of start-ups, partners, and tech companies * A flexible development budget that’s yours to shape - invest it in training, certifications, conferences, or new challenges, however you want to grow * Sports membership with Wellpass to access thousands of sports facilities all over Germany (and beyond), as well as online courses * JobRad: Lease a bike for a cheaper rate via JobRad and we cover the bike insurance on top * Sabbatical option: You can take a sabbatical of up to 3 months after min. 3 years of employment - because sometimes 30 vacation days are not enough to explore the beauty of this world * PME Familienservice: A 24/7 support for a successful work & life in any life situation. Benefit from free support in areas like life coaching, child care and many other options * Mobility budget: Every month we contribute to your individual mobility usage with public transport or shared mobility offers within the app Moovster * Workation: Work from anywhere in the EU/EWR area for up to 3 months per year - combining working at a nice place and spending your leisure time in the evening like vacation KONTAKT Lucas Fernandes - Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist appliedAI Initiative GmbH, August-Everding-Str. 25, 81671 München

SFEIR

En tant qu’AI Software Engineer, ta mission dépasse le cadre du développement traditionnel. Tu conçois et déploies des applications robustes, scalables et intelligentes, tout en intégrant l’IA au cœur de ta propre méthodologie de delivery. Bienvenue dans l’ère du Sfeirian 10x. Tes Responsabilités : Build & Architecture : Concevoir et développer des backends ultra-performants en Python et FastAPI. Prompt Engineering & LLMOps : Maîtriser et exploiter le plein potentiel des modèles d'Anthropic (Claude). Tu connais leurs spécificités et tu sais structurer des prompts complexes pour maximiser la pertinence des réponses Intégration & RAG : Mettre en place des architectures RAG avancées et connecter les LLMs aux bases de données et API d'entreprise. Best Practices & Clean Code : Garantir la maintenabilité, la sécurité et la performance du code produit, qu'il soit écrit par toi ou suggéré par une IA. Le Mindset "Développeur Augmenté" Tu as au moins 4 ans d'expérience en Software Engineering et tu as franchi un cap : tu as compris que l'IA est ton meilleur copilote pour passer au niveau supérieur. Hard Skills incontournables : Maîtrise avancée de Python et du framework FastAPI. Expérience concrète avec l'API d'Anthropic et l'écosystème d'agents/frameworks (LangChain, LlamaIndex, ou CrewAI). Culture DevOps / Cloud. Mindset & Best Practices : L'esprit 10x : Tu cherches constamment à automatiser les tâches à faible valeur ajoutée pour te concentrer sur l'architecture et la résolution de problèmes complexes. Obsession des Best Practices : Tu sais que l'IA peut halluciner ou générer de la dette technique. Ton rôle est d'appliquer une rigueur absolue pour encadrer la puissance des LLMs. Pourquoi rejoindre SFEIR ? Ton évolution : Chaque Sfeirian est accompagné(e) par un Engineering Manager. Tu évolues vers des rôles de Staff Engineer, Principal Engineer ou Engineering Manager. SFEIR Institute & C4E : Formation continue et certifications (Claude Code, Dev Augmenté, Google Cloud). Le rayonnement : Participation aux événements Google Cloud et accès à une communauté interne ultra-active avec plus de 50 événements annuels. Le programme AI Champions : Rejoins notre cercle d'Ambassadeurs pour propulser ton expertise et ton impact interne/externe. Ton Pack Sfeirian Équipement au choix : MacBook Pro ou Dell Precision. Rémunération & Primes : Prime Vacances (10% de la valeur des congés pris) + Prime de participation. Flexibilité : Télétravail en mode hybride, 5 semaines de congés + 12 RTT/an. Avantages au quotidien : Carte ticket restaurant (11€/jour) + Mutuelle et prévoyance. Mobilité : Prise en charge de l'abonnement Navigo ou remboursement à hauteur de 70% pour un vélo électrique. CSE & Engagement : Participation sports / culture / loisirs, chèques-cadeaux, activités (ski, golf, futsal...) + Teamstarter (SFEIR verse 10€ par mois sur ta cagnotte personnelle pour financer des projets associatifs ou solidaires).   Prêt(e) à devenir un(e) Sfeirian 10x ?

Neo4j

About Neo4j: Neo4j is the graph intelligence platform that transforms data into knowledge to power the next generation of intelligent applications and AI systems. It includes enterprise-ready knowledge graphs for accurate, explainable, and governed AI; the most comprehensive, trusted, and easy-to-deploy graph capabilities across any environment and data source; and an unmatched ecosystem trusted by 84 of the Fortune 100 and supported by the world’s largest graph community. Intelligence that works. Results that matter. Built to work everywhere and integrate with everything across every cloud for dynamic, personalized, and autonomous AI systems. We deliver quicker results, contextual knowledge, and solutions that impact customers and employees across the business. Our Vision:  At Neo4j, we have always strived to help the world make sense of data.   As business, society and knowledge become increasingly connected, our technology promotes innovation by helping organizations to find and understand data relationships. We created, drive and lead the graph database category, and we’re disrupting how organizations leverage their data to innovate and stay competitive.   ROLE OVERVIEW: The Director is an executive leader responsible for the strategic health and financial performance of the EMEA Services organisation, delivering high-quality professional services that drive customer success with Neo4j. Reporting to the Global VP of Professional Services, you will oversee a multi-layered organisation, providing direction to hands-on Sub-Regional Managers who oversee the day-to-day regional delivery and technical execution of projects and regional staff (Consulting Engineers and Engagement Managers).   Your mission is to build the "Graph Consulting Engine" of the future. You will focus on high-level resource strategy, regional margin optimisation, and fostering a culture of excellence across EMEA. You are managing the business unit that ensures our enterprise customers successfully transition to a relationship-first data paradigm on the cutting edge of Generative AI.   This role balances team leadership, cross-departmental alliance building and strategic customer relationship management to ensure exceptional outcomes and customer satisfaction. Working closely with sales teams and cross-functional stakeholders, the Director plays a pivotal role in the company's growth through service excellence and customer success.   KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:   Organizational Leadership & Strategy: * Direct and mentor a team of Sub-Regional Managers, ensuring consistent delivery standards across the hemisphere. * Define the long-term regional roadmap for services, aligning headcount growth with Services bookings forecasts and emerging graph use cases (e.g., Knowledge Graphs for GenAI, COEs, etc.). * Drive regional "Service Productisation," working with Regional Managers to turn bespoke service engagements into repeatable, scalable service packages.   * Partner with Product and Engineering to turn bespoke graph solutions into repeatable, scalable service offerings. Financial & Operational Governance: * Total P&L accountability for the  EMEA region, including revenue attainment, gross margin targets, and organisational utilisation. * Regional Revenue Attainment: Achieve or exceed quarterly and annual Professional Services revenue targets for EMEA * Gross Margin %: Maintain regional delivery margins by balancing internal headcount costs against billable rates and third-party partner usage. * Services Attach Rate: Increase the percentage of software deals that include a strategic services component (Discovery, Architecture, or Implementation). * Govern regional capacity planning to ensure Sub-Regional Managers have the headcount and skills (e.g., Cypher, Data Modelling, Agentic Frameworks) to meet demand. * Billable Utilisation (Regional Average): Maintain an optimal blended utilisation rate across all sub-regions, ensuring the team is productive without risking burnout. * Backlog Conversion Velocity: Monitor the speed at which "Sold" services are converted into "Recognised Revenue" by ensuring Sub-Regional Managers kick off projects promptly. * Forecasting Accuracy: Maintain high precision in 90-day revenue and resource forecasting to inform global hiring and capacity decisions. * Customer & Platform Impact: * Time-to-Value (TTV): Shorten the window between contract signature and the customer’s first successful "Graph Query" or production use case. * Customer Satisfaction (CSAT/NPS): Achieve target scores for post-engagement surveys, ensuring high-quality delivery across all sub-regional teams. * Renewal & Expansion Rate: Collaborate with Sales/Account Teams to ensure services-led accounts show higher platform retention and expansion into new graph use cases. * Organizational Scaling & Talent: * Leadership Development: Success in coaching and promoting high-potential individual contributors into management or "Principal Consultant" tracks. * Partner Leverage Ratio: Increase the percentage of delivery hours handled by certified Graph Partners to allow internal teams to focus on the most complex, high-margin advisory work. * Employee Retention & Engagement: Maintain low voluntary attrition rates across EMEA Services organisation through effective culture-building and career pathing. * Risk Management: * Oversee regional risk management, acting as the final territory executive escalation point for the most complex or high-risk commercial engagements. Cross-Functional & Sales Alignment: * Partner with the EMEA  Sales VP to integrate services strategy into the "Big Deal" motion, ensuring services are positioned as a strategic accelerator, not just a line item. * Collaborate with the Partner/Alliances team to build a robust ecosystem of third-party integrators, augmenting internal capacity with certified graph partners. * Advocate for the "Voice of the Regional Customer" within the global leadership team to influence the platform’s technical roadmap. QUALIFICATIONS 10+ years of experience in Professional Services or Management Consulting within the Enterprise Software/Data space.Manager of Managers: At least 5 years of experience leading a multi-layered organisation with direct responsibility for subordinate people managers. Proven success managing a $5-10M+ P&L in a high-growth SaaS or Database environment.High-level fluency in the Graph Database landscape (NoSQL, RDF, Property Graphs) and an understanding of how graph technology solves enterprise-scale data silos.Experience navigating the complexities of regional expansion, specifically the cultural and legal nuances of operating across EMEA. Ability to design organisational structures and processes that scale beyond individual heroics.Ability to drive consensus across Sales, Customer Success, and Product teams to ensure regional goals are met.Data-driven: Proficiency in using PSA and CRM data to identify trends, forecast revenue, and justify headcount investment.Bachelor’s degree in a technical or business field; MBA highly preferred, given the heavy focus on business operations and P&L management. * Experience working with offshore and nearshore partner models * Experience creating and leveraging Salesforce/Certinia professional services booking forecasts, resource planners and utilisation reports to analyse regional business. * Experience with Gong and Tableau Reporting tools preferred.   Why Join Neo4j? Neo4j is, without question, the most popular graph intelligence platform in the world. We have customers in every industry globally, and our products are a proven product/market fit. Joining our team is an opportunity to shape the future of data and analytics. Below are just a few exciting facts about Neo4j.  * Neo4j is one of the fastest-scaling technology companies in this industry. It recently surpassed $200M in annual recurring revenue (ARR), doubling its ARR over the past three years.  * Raised the biggest funding round in database history ($325M Series F). Backed by world-class investors like Eurazeo, GV (formerly Google Ventures), and Inovia Capital, Neo4j has raised over $600M in funding and is currently valued at over $2Bn. This puts Neo4j among the most well-funded database companies in history. * 84% of the Fortune 100 and 58% of the Fortune 500 use Neo4j. Examples include Boston Scientific, BT Group, Caterpillar, Cisco, Comcast, Department for Education UK, eBay, NBC News, Novo Nordisk, Worldline, and others.  * Co-founder and CEO Emil Eifrem has built an amazing culture that prides itself on relationships, inclusiveness, innovation, and customer success. * Countless industry awards. Massive enterprises and individual developers/data scientists love Neo4j. A strong sense of community and ecosystem is built around the platform. * A recent Forrester Total Economic Impact™ Study cited Neo4j as delivering 417% ROI to customers.  Research shows that members of underrepresented communities are less likely to apply for jobs when they don’t meet all the qualifications. If this is part of the reason you hesitate to apply, we’d encourage you to reconsider and give us the opportunity to review your application. At Neo4j, we are committed to building awareness and helping to improve these issues.  One of our central objectives is to provide an inclusive, diverse, and equitable workplace for everyone to develop their potential and have a positive, career-defining experience. We look forward to receiving your application. Neo4j Values: Neo4j is a Silicon Valley company with a Swedish soul. We foster collaboration and each of us is empowered to contribute and put our innovative stamp on projects. We hire candidates who reflect the following Neo4j core values: (we)-[:VALUE]->(relationships) (we)-[:FOCUS_ON]->(userSuccess) (we)-[:THRIVE_IN]->(:Culture {type: [‘Open’, ‘Inclusive’]}) (we)-[:ASSUME]->(:Intent {direction:’Positive’}) (we)-[:WELCOME]->(:Discussions {nature: ‘IntellectuallyHonest’}) (we)-[:DELIVER_ON]->(ourCommitments)  Neo4j is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. Please read the privacy notice regarding Neo4j's recruitment process to understand how we will handle the personal data that you provide.  More information at www.neo4j.com.   ©2026 Neo4j, Inc., Neo Technology®, Neo4j®, Cypher®, Neo4j Bloom™, Neo4j Graph Data Science Library™, Neo4j® Aura™, and Neo4j® AuraDB™ are registered trademarks or a trademark of Neo4j, Inc. All other marks are owned by their respective companies.