Principal Full Stack AI Engineer

Job Description

Position Summary

Vertex is seeking an   AI Full-Stack   Engineer to create the next generation of AI -powered applications and   agents that deliver practical value across internal and user-facing experiences.   This role will own solutions end to end, from user experience and application services to agent orchestration, data access, platform integration, deployment, and production operations.

The ideal candidate   combines   strong   full-stack software   engineering   fundamentals with hands-on experience building AI-enabled products.   This individual will use a forward deployed engineering mindset to work closely with stakeholders, rapidly iterate on real-world use cases, connect   applications and   agents to   enterprise   systems, and continuously improve quality through measurement and feedback.   The AI Full-Stack   Engineer will   help shape   how   secure, reliable, and scalable AI solutions   are adopted across Vertex.

Key Responsibilities

Design,   build , and productionize   full-stack   AI   applications,   agents ,   and multi-step workflows for internal and user-facing use cases

Apply a forward deployed engineering approach by working closely with end users, product teams, and business stakeholders to solve real workflow problems quickly and effectively

Build agents that can reason across steps, invoke tools, call APIs, retrieve information, and take actions within defined enterprise guardrails

Own end-to-end solution delivery across user interfaces, application services, APIs, data access, agent orchestration, and integrations with internal platforms, third-party applications, and business-critical systems

Develop reusable agent patterns, components, prompts, tools, and orchestration logic that can be scaled across use cases

Rapidly iterate on agent behavior based on usage data, qualitative feedback, evaluation results, and operational metrics

Improve agent quality through testing, experimentation, benchmarking, and structured measurement of outcomes

Partner with platform, integration, data, security, and product teams to ensure agents are secure, reliable, maintainable, and aligned with enterprise architecture

Help define best practices for agent design, tool use, fallback behavior, escalation paths, and human-in-the-loop workflows

Support   the complete software lifecycle, including architecture, development, integration,   deployment, monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimization in production environments

Contribute to observability practices for agent execution, including logging, tracing, performance tracking, and issue analysis

Ensure solutions are designed with security, compliance, and responsible AI principles in mind

Stay current on emerging patterns, frameworks, and technologies in generative AI and agentic systems, and translate them into practical applications for Vertex

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science , Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, or a related technical field; equivalent practical experience may be considered

Experience in   full-stack   software engineering, AI engineering, machine learning engineering, or intelligent application development

Hands-on experience building   and operating production   applications powered by large language models, AI workflows, or agentic systems

Experience   designing and delivering end-to-end   applications   across front-end, back-end,   APIs, data   stores , and enterprise systems

Demonstrated experience using AI-assisted software development and autonomous coding agents to design, generate, test, review, debug, optimize, and refactor code across complex enterprise systems.

Deep understanding of AI-native software engineering practices and experience   establishing   standards, governance, and best practices for the responsible use of AI coding assistants and software engineering agents across engineering teams

Demonstrated ability to move from prototype to production while balancing speed, quality, and operational rigor

Experience working directly with users or stakeholders to iteratively refine technical solutions based on real-world needs

Strong problem-solving and   systems -thinking skills

Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work effectively across technical and non-technical teams

Technical Skills Required

Full-stack application development across modern front-end and back-end technologies

Large language model application development

Agentic workflow design and orchestration

Prompt engineering and prompt iteration

Tool use and API integration for AI agents

Multi-step workflow automation

Rapid prototyping and   productionization

Evaluation, testing, and quality measurement for AI systems

Application logging, monitoring, and observability

API design, service development, data modeling, and application architecture

Distributed systems and service integration

Secure software development practices

Enterprise application integration

Cloud-based application development

Version control, CI/CD, and deployment practices

Preferred Skills

Experience using a forward deployed engineering or similar embedded delivery model

Experience building internal copilots, assistants, or task-oriented AI agents

Familiarity with orchestration frameworks, agent runtimes, tool-calling architectures, and retrieval patterns

Experience integrating with enterprise collaboration tools, workflow systems, document platforms, or knowledge repositories

Familiarity with evaluation frameworks for AI quality,   groundedness , task completion, and reliability

Experience designing human-in-the-loop workflows and safe failure or escalation mechanisms

Exposure to AI observability, tracing, and operational analytics

Experience in regulated industries such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, or life sciences

#LI-Hybrid

At Vertex, we embrace continuous learning and encourage employees to stay informed on advances in AI, technology, automation, and industry trends. We seek talent who bring an external perspective, demonstrate curiosity and sound judgment, and thoughtfully adopt new capabilities that improve decision-making, drive innovation, increase efficiency, and help deliver better outcomes for patients.

Pay Range:

$166,640 - $250,000

Disclosure Statement:

The range provided is based on what we believe is a reasonable estimate for the base salary pay range for this job at the time of posting. This role is eligible for an annual bonus and annual equity awards. Some roles may also be eligible for overtime pay, in accordance with federal and state requirements. Actual base salary pay will be based on a number of factors, including skills, competencies, experience, and other job-related factors permitted by law.

At Vertex, our Total Rewards offerings also include inclusive market-leading benefits to meet our employees wherever they are in their career, financial, family and wellbeing journey while providing flexibility and resources to support their growth and aspirations.  From medical, dental and vision benefits to generous paid time off (including a week-long company shutdown in the Summer and the Winter), educational assistance programs including student loan repayment, a generous commuting subsidy, matching charitable donations, 401(k) and so much more.

Flex Designation:

Hybrid-Eligible Or On-Site Eligible

Flex Eligibility Status:

In this Hybrid-Eligible role, you can choose to be designated as:

1.    Hybrid: work remotely up to two days per week; or select

2.    On-Site: work five days per week on-site with ad hoc flexibility.

Note: The Flex status for this position is subject to Vertex’s Policy on Flex @ Vertex Program and may be changed at any time.

#LI-Hybrid

Company Information

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation.

Vertex is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.

Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at ApplicationAssistance@vrtx.com