Principal Software Engineer – AI – Legal FDE

Thomson Reuters

. Define and drive the long-term technical vision, strategy, requirements, and roadmaps for Forward Deployed Engineering .

Posted 11/9/2026full-timeUnited StatesLead💰 $158,900 - $295,100 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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

Demonstrates deep expertise in system design, distributed systems, and architecture, with a strong focus on building and deploying AI/ML applications. Proven ability to lead complex projects, set technology roadmaps, and ensure compliance with ethical AI and security standards.

Highest-signal resume keywords

AI/ML Application DevelopmentSystem Design and ArchitectureMLOps/LLMOps ImplementationPython Programming with FastAPICloud Platform Experience (AWS, Azure, GCP)

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/ML DevelopmentSystem DesignDistributed SystemsRAG ArchitecturePython ProgrammingRESTful ArchitectureInfrastructure as CodeProduction ObservabilitySecure API DevelopmentModel Context Protocol (MCP)

Soft Skills

LeadershipCommunicationInfluencing Across TeamsAttention to DetailJudgment and Autonomy

Tools & Technologies

LangChainLangGraphPydanticAIAutoGenTerraformDatadogGrafanaPrometheusOAuth 2.0GitHub Copilot

Industry Keywords

Agentic AI SystemsLegal PlatformsRegulated Industry ExperienceAI Evaluation PlatformsEvent-Driven Architectures

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

AWSAzureDistributed SystemsDockerGoogle Cloud PlatformGrafanaKubernetesOpen SourcePrometheusPythonTerraform

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Define and drive the long-term technical vision, strategy, requirements, and roadmaps for Forward Deployed Engineering
Lead selection, evaluation, and adoption of technologies, frameworks, and patterns
Identify transformational opportunities from agentic systems, MCP, A2A interoperability, and new model and orchestration patterns
Lead complex, high-risk AI initiatives from concept through production
Design and prototype scalable, secure AI systems integrated with client environments and legal technology ecosystems
Design RAG pipelines, multi-agent orchestration, event-driven backends, and agentic workflows
Build reusable AI components, frameworks, and solution templates
Set MLOps/LLMOps, Infrastructure as Code, and CI/CD standards
Identify weaknesses in existing designs and drive remedies
Set AI monitoring and observability strategy for performance, quality, latency, cost, and reliability
Own LLM evaluation, including accuracy, hallucination risk, citation quality, A/B testing, and red-teaming
Ensure solutions meet ethical AI, data protection, and enterprise security requirements
Drive operational excellence and post-launch measurement
Serve as senior technical voice in discovery for high-value engagements
Scope use cases, shape architectures, and build credibility with legal and technical executives
Present technical concepts and strategy and negotiate solutions among stakeholders
Translate legal reasoning and domain heuristics into pipeline design, evaluation criteria, and benchmarks
Feed customer and market insights into the product roadmap
Mentor and coach Staff, Senior, and Lead engineers
Indirectly lead engineers and technical experts on ambiguous problems
Review architecture and design and provide authoritative feedback
Strengthen engineering culture through knowledge sharing and AI-native practices
Partner with program and project managers on technical status, risk reporting, and large-program budgets
Represent Thomson Reuters through speaking, publications, community engagement, open source, or standards participation

Requirements

What you’ll need

12+ years of software engineering experience
Deep expertise in system design, distributed systems, and architecture
Track record of leading highly complex, high-risk projects
Experience owning technical requirements and strategy, setting technology roadmaps, and prioritizing competing features and investments
Expert-level, hands-on experience building and deploying AI/ML and LLM-powered applications in production
Deep proficiency with LangChain, LangGraph, PydanticAI, or AutoGen
Expert understanding of RAG architectures and vector databases
Hands-on experience with Model Context Protocol (MCP) and Agent-to-Agent (A2A) patterns
Expert Python, including FastAPI or equivalent
Strong experience with RESTful, async, and event-driven architectures
Experience with AWS, Azure, or GCP
Experience with Infrastructure as Code such as Terraform or CDK
Production observability experience with Datadog, Grafana, Prometheus, or similar
Experience with AI evaluation platforms such as LangSmith, Langfuse, Braintrust, or W&B
Strong background in secure API development using OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and JWT
Fluency with Claude Code, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot
Ability to influence across teams and domains, advise senior leadership, and communicate complex ideas at multiple organizational levels
Autonomy, sound judgment, comfort with ambiguity, and strong attention to detail
Recognition as a technical role model and leader
Preferred: regulated-industry experience, agentic AI systems, legal platforms, Docker/Kubernetes, MLOps/LLMOps, transformer model scaling and fine-tuning, external technical presence, vision documents, and cross-business-unit technology strategy

Benefits

Comp & perks

Flexible hybrid working environment for office-based roles
Work from anywhere for up to 8 weeks per year
Flexible vacation
Two company-wide Mental Health Days off
Headspace app access
Retirement savings
Tuition reimbursement
Employee incentive programs
Mental, physical, and financial wellbeing resources
Two paid volunteer days off annually
Pro-bono consulting project opportunities
ESG initiative opportunities
Health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance programs
Competitive 401k plan with company match
Sick and safe paid time off
Paid holidays, including two company mental health days off
Parental leave
Sabbatical leave
Optional hospital, accident, and sickness insurance
Optional life and AD&D insurance
Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts
Fitness reimbursement
Employee Assistance Program
Group Legal Identity Theft Protection benefit
529 Plan access
Commuter benefits
Adoption & Surrogacy Assistance
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Potential eligibility for an Annual Bonus based on enterprise and individual performance