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Principal AI Platform Engineer - Onsite

00071107721

*Please note, this role is not able to offer visa transfer or sponsorship now or in the future*

About Us:

Cognizant is one of the world's leading professional services companies, transforming clients' business, operating, and technology models for the digital era. Our unique industry-based, consultative approach helps clients envision, build, and run more innovative and efficient businesses. Headquartered in the U.S., Cognizant, a member of the NASDAQ-100, is ranked 195 on the Fortune 500 and is consistently listed among the most admired companies in the world. Learn how Cognizant helps clients lead with digital at www.cognizant.com.

About Cognizant’s IoT Practice:

Intelligent, IoT-enabled products will soon result in the proliferation of data and disrupt virtually all industries. To be successful, both large and small companies must leverage IoT capabilities by designing modern products that fundamentally connect people with processes. Within Cognizant IOT, we engineer industry-aligned, IoT-enabled products that merge industry needs with human drivers. Our intelligent products will revolutionize experiences and result in exciting, transformative outcomes. Without human-centered thinking, connected products are just standalone things—but with it, our modern connected products facilitate a unified way of life enjoyed by all.

Principal AI Platform Engineer

Applied AI | Cloud Platforms | Industrial Software | Multicloud Engineering
Level: Principal / Senior Individual Contributor
Focus: Hands-on Engineering & Technical Leadership

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Principal AI Platform Engineer to design and deliver enterprise-scale AI and cloud platform solutions. This is a highly hands-on technical leadership role combining Applied AI, Generative AI, cloud-native engineering, distributed systems, Azure/AWS, and industrial software.

You will work closely with Product, R&D, Architecture, Cloud Operations, and customer-facing teams to build secure, scalable, reusable, and production-ready solutions.

Key Responsibilities

  • Design and build AI-enabled services, APIs, connectors, libraries, automation, and reusable platform components.
  • Develop production AI solutions using LLMs, Generative AI, RAG, AI agents, orchestration, vector search, grounding, evaluation, safety, monitoring, and cost optimization.
  • Architect cloud-native solutions using C#, .NET, ASP.NET Core, REST APIs, microservices, containers, Kubernetes, serverless, and event-driven architectures.
  • Engineer enterprise platforms across Microsoft Azure and AWS, including identity, data, messaging, API management, observability, Infrastructure as Code, and CI/CD.
  • Design and execute cloud migrations and Azure-to-AWS migration strategies, including networking, data movement, portability, resilience, cutover, and rollback.
  • Troubleshoot complex production issues involving performance, scalability, reliability, latency, security, and compliance.
  • Build solutions involving industrial/OT data, time-series data, historians, SCADA, MES, ERP/EAM, digital twins, and edge-to-cloud integration.
  • Use AI-assisted engineering for code modernization, refactoring, migration, performance analysis, testing, and developer productivity.
  • Provide technical leadership, influence architecture decisions, mentor engineers, and establish strong engineering practices.

Required Experience

  • Typically 10–15 years of relevant software engineering, AI, cloud/platform engineering, distributed systems, or industrial software experience.
  • Strong hands-on expertise in Applied AI and Generative AI, including production implementation of LLMs, RAG, agents, vector search, evaluation, grounding, safety, monitoring, latency, and cost management.
  • Strong backend engineering experience with C#, .NET, ASP.NET Core, APIs, microservices, containers, and Kubernetes.
  • Advanced hands-on experience across Azure and AWS, including compute, Kubernetes/containers, serverless, databases, storage, messaging, identity, secrets management, API management, monitoring, CI/CD, and Infrastructure as Code.
  • Experience with multicloud architecture and cloud migration, preferably including Azure-to-AWS migrations.
  • Understanding of industrial environments such as SCADA/OT, historians, MES, time-series data, ERP/EAM, digital twins, and edge/cloud integration.
  • Strong understanding of secure software engineering, testing, observability, deployment, scalability, performance, release readiness, and production support.
  • Ability to provide technical leadership and influence engineering teams without requiring direct people-management responsibility.

Highly Desirable

  • Experience designing and operating agentic AI systems that automate SDLC activities such as requirements analysis, coding, code review, testing, dependency upgrades, and release preparation.
  • Experience integrating AI agents with source control, CI/CD, and engineering tools, including human approval gates, scoped permissions, auditability, and security controls.
  • Experience deploying AI solutions in regulated, high-availability, industrial, or mission-critical environments.

What Success Looks Like

You will deliver secure, production-ready AI capabilities and reusable platform solutions while improving cloud portability, developer productivity, application performance, reliability, and customer value.

This is a Principal-level technical leadership role for someone who remains deeply hands-on. It is not primarily a people-management position.

Compensation: - $120,000 to $180,000 + this position is also eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant’s applicable plans. Application will be accepted by 11/27/2026

Benefits: Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance

• Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off

• 401(k) plan and contributions

• Long-term/Short-term Disability

• Paid Parental Leave

• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

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Things to know before you apply

  • Work authorization: Cognizant will only consider applicants for this position who are legally authorized to work in Canada without requiring employer sponsorship, now or at any time in the future.
  • Accommodations: If you have a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening or submit an application, please email [email protected] with your request and contact information.
  • AI in hiring: We use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help us screen and assess applications more efficiently. Our team performs additional human review and ultimately decides who moves forward in our hiring process.
  • Open position: Unless otherwise stated, this job posting is for an open position on our team.
  • Language proficiency: We ask that all candidates have basic English proficiency for company-wide communications purposes. For roles based in Quebec, professional English proficiency is required, as you’ll deliver services to and collaborate with stakeholders outside the province who may not speak French.
  • Inclusion: Cognizant is an equal opportunity employer. Your application and candidacy will not be considered based on race, color, sex, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, provincial or local laws.

About Cognizant
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is an AI Builder and technology services provider, bridging the gap between AI investment and enterprise value by building full-stack AI solutions for our clients. Our deep industry, process and engineering expertise enables us to build an organization’s unique context into technology systems that amplify human potential, drive tangible outcomes and keep global enterprises ahead in a fast-changing world. See how at cognizant.ai or @cognizant.

Benefits that help you thrive and grow

Our benefits program is built with you in mind—so you can enjoy a fulfilling, balanced and healthy life.

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Financial wellbeing

We regularly review market data to ensure compensation reflects the value you bring. Your benefits extend beyond pay and may include financial education, a pension plan with matching contributions, etc.

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Physical and mental health

We empower you to prioritize your wellbeing through paid time off, flexible working where possible, healthcare plans, counselling, our Mental Health Allyship program and more. 

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Your career, your way

With 350,000+ roles at Cognizant, you’ll have opportunities explore new technologies, industries and locations—and build the skills you need to grow your career.

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Real-world impact

Think about the biggest brands you rely on. Chances are, they rely on us to help strengthen their business. Here, you’ll turn bold ideas into solutions that improve lives everywhere.

Your path to Cognizant

Here’s what you can expect from our hiring process. Please keep in mind that it may vary by role and location. Explore our FAQs to learn more.

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Step 1: Apply to the right opportunity

Find an open role that matches your skills and career goals and show us why you’re the person for the job. Don’t see the right opportunity? Consider joining our Talent Community.

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Step 2: Connect with your recruiter

If one of our recruiters sees a fit, they’ll set up a short intro call to learn more about you and how your experiences and skills match the role.

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Step 3: Show off your skills

If you and our team would like to continue the process, you’ll interview with our hiring team. Some roles may also require technical assessments and/or client interviews.

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Step 4: Decision time

Our team will then review each candidates’ potential to succeed in the role. This step may take some time because we want to find the right fit for both you and us—but you can count on us to keep you updated.

CAN Brigitte
Cognizant is great for those wanting to make the world a better place, as we create solutions with top technology partners to address complex problems for our clients.
Brigitte Roy Director of Strategy Alliances
CAN Rahul
I’m supported by motivational leaders who empower me to grow in my career through learning programs, industry conferences and internal job moves. I’m proud of the career progression I’m making here.
Rahul Sathe Principal Product Architect – Insurance
Can Amita
The moment I joined Cognizant, I felt like I belonged. I was heard and empowered to challenge ideas—and I still am to this day.
Dr. Amita Oppal Gill Service Line Sales Manager
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Cognizant has one of the best learning ecosystems you can ask for. From sponsored certifications to training platforms to mentorship, we have all that we need to grow.
Debashish Mishra SAP MM Developer

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