Principal AI & Software Engineer - Agentic Enterprise Systems
ExoTerra
Principal AI & Software Engineer – Agentic Enterprise Systems
Job details
Pay
- $165,000 - $210,000 a year
Job type
- Full-time
BenefitsPulled from the full job description
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Full job description
Company Overview
ExoTerra is a world leader in solar electric propulsion systems and space exploration satellites. The company develops Hall Thrusters, propulsion modules, microsatellites, and launch vehicle upper stages. We have been awarded multiple propulsion module and satellite contracts.
This role exists to design, build, and own AI-enabled, mission-critical enterprise systems that power advanced engineering, manufacturing execution, testing, and full product lifecycle management. You will lead the creation of agentic platforms, execution environments, and core services that compress engineering and manufacturing cycles while maintaining correctness, traceability, validation, and operational reliability.
This is a builder-leader role for someone who:
- Develops custom enterprise IT solutions
- Uses AI as leverage, not novelty
- Solves today’s tactical productivity bottlenecks
- Establishes long-term architectural direction
- Pushes the organization toward highly automated (“dark factory”) operating models, responsibly and intentionally
Key Responsibilities
- Architect and own AI-enabled enterprise platforms, including:
– Integration layers with engineering, manufacturing, and testing tools
– Frontend, backend, and distributed services
- Define and maintain architecture patterns, frameworks, and reference implementations.
- Drive spec-driven development with clear requirements, interfaces, and system boundaries.
- Apply and enforce SOLID, DRY, composable, and testable design principles.
- Design multi-agent systems that support manufacturing workflows end-to-end.
- Build secure execution environments where agents can autonomously:
– Access internal tools and datasets
– Generate and justify design decisions
- Implement memory, context, and provenance systems (e.g., RAG, vector stores, decision logs).
- Use AI tools (Claude, Gemini, etc.) to accelerate:
– Requirements definition
– Design exploration
– Implementation, refactoring, and testing
- Establish guardrails so AI increases velocity without compromising safety, security, or IP.
- Develop and support software where correctness, reliability, traceability, and uptime are mandatory.
- Design systems that support:
– Configuration control
– Audits and regulatory expectations
- Build for observability, failure isolation, and operational recovery.
- Support systems over their full product and operational lifecycle.
- Lead technical roadmap definition for enterprise and agentic platforms.
- Mentor and review the work of senior and early-career engineers.
- Translate domain-expert workflows (engineering, manufacturing, test) into scalable system capabilities.
- Balance near-term execution with long-term architectural coherence.
- Influence how AI is used across the organization—not as a tool experiment, but as infrastructure.
- Enterprise systems are simpler, faster to change, and more reliable.
- AI is embedded into development and operations in a repeatable, governed way.
- Engineering and manufacturing cycles are measurably compressed.
- Architecture is intentional, documented, and actively used.
- The organization is materially closer to a high-automation, low-friction operating model.
- Deep experience building real, complex, production systems.
- Proven delivery of mission-critical or safety-/quality-sensitive software.
- Strong background in:
– Backend services and integration platforms
– High-throughput or high-reliability environments
- Hands-on experience with:
– AI-first development workflows
- Ability to operate across:
– Strategic architecture and system design
Education: Formal degrees are not required. Demonstrated capability, judgment, and delivery matter more than credentials.
Export Control / Compliance Requirements
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
Compensation & Benefits
Competitive salary range: $165,000–$210,000 (dependent on experience and qualifications)
ExoTerra offers a comprehensive total compensation package, including competitive salary, a discretionary annual bonus plan, paid time off (PTO), a comprehensive health benefits package, and various other benefits. When you join our team, you’re not just an employee; you become part of a dynamic community dedicated to innovation and excellence.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
ExoTerra is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.
