Senior Principal Engineer – AI Content Systems

Babbel

. Define and drive the long-term technical strategy for AI-powered content systems .

Posted 10/2/2026full-timeBerlin • GermanySeniorWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates expertise in defining and driving technical strategy for AI-powered content systems, with a strong foundation in computational linguistics and natural language processing. Proven ability to lead complex technical initiatives, establish engineering standards, and mentor engineering teams while balancing long-term vision with pragmatic execution.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Computational LinguisticsNatural Language ProcessingAI/ML Systems DesignLarge-Scale Distributed SystemsAI Governance Frameworks

ATS Keywords

Tailor your resume

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills

AI EvaluationQuality MeasurementObservabilitySecurityOperational ReliabilityTechnical StrategyArchitectural PrinciplesCoding AgentsDistributed Systems DesignAI Infrastructure

Soft Skills

Exceptional CommunicationStakeholder ManagementMentoringTechnical LeadershipProblem Solving

Tools & Technologies

AWS-Based ArchitecturesCloud-Native PlatformsRetrieval SystemsVector DatabasesAgentic Workflows

Industry Keywords

AI-Powered Content SystemsEducational Technology ProductsKnowledge SystemsAI StrategyTechnical Roadmaps

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

AWSCloudDistributed Systems

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Define and drive the long-term technical strategy for AI-powered content systems
Shape architectural direction across teams and domains, including platforms, tooling, AI infrastructure, and build-versus-buy decisions
Lead frameworks for AI evaluation, quality measurement, governance, observability, security, and operational reliability
Partner with senior Engineering, Product, Content, and Data leaders on technical roadmaps and investment decisions
Identify organisation-wide technical risks, dependencies, and opportunities
Establish engineering standards, architectural principles, and operating practices
Mentor Principal and Senior Engineers through coaching, design reviews, and technical leadership
Lead and contribute to complex technical initiatives and unblock challenging technical problems
Translate strategic requirements into technical direction, support work decomposition, guide implementation, and resolve delivery challenges
Deliver with coding agents and improve their use across the team

Requirements

What you’ll need

Strong foundation in computational linguistics, natural language processing, or applied linguistics
Proven success operating at Senior Principal Engineer level, or equivalent scope, within a technology organisation
Demonstrated ability to influence technical strategy across multiple teams, products, or business domains
Deep experience designing and operating large-scale distributed systems and platform architectures
Hands-on experience designing, building, and shipping AI/ML systems into production at scale
Strong understanding of AI evaluation, governance, observability, security, privacy, and operational risk management
Track record of leading organisation-wide technical initiatives from strategy through execution
Experience partnering with senior leadership on technical roadmaps, investment decisions, and long-term technology strategy
Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills
Ability to balance long-term technical vision with pragmatic execution in ambiguous environments
Proven experience technically leading groups of engineers through execution while remaining an active individual contributor
Coding agents are part of the daily workflow, with output checked before reliance
Advanced degree or equivalent professional depth in computational linguistics, NLP, or a related linguistic discipline is nice to have
Experience with AI-enabled content platforms, educational technology products, or knowledge systems is nice to have
Experience with retrieval systems, RAG architectures, vector databases, agentic workflows, and modern AI application patterns is nice to have
Experience establishing AI governance frameworks and operating models at scale is nice to have
Experience with AWS-based architectures and modern cloud-native platforms is nice to have
Experience helping organisations adopt AI capabilities across teams and business functions is nice to have
Deep linguistic expertise in content system design and understanding of linguistic and pedagogical principles is nice to have
Experience advising senior leadership on emerging technologies, AI strategy, and technical investments is nice to have
Public technical leadership through conferences, publications, open-source contributions, or industry engagement is nice to have

Benefits

Comp & perks

Remote and Berlin-friendly working arrangement
Inclusive and equitable company culture
Application accommodations for disabilities or special needs
Opportunity to work on AI-powered language-learning systems with organisation-wide impact
Hands-on technical leadership and professional development through coaching, design reviews, and technical leadership