Principal AI Software Engineer

Location: Linda-a-Velha, Lisbon, pt

Company Description

Do you want to join a company with a century-old tradition of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit that pushes the boundaries of the smart lighting industry?

A company that requires employees to expand their expertise not only to light urban environments but also to provide services for engaging and interactive public spaces. With a rich heritage in engineering, environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable lighting has always been part of our DNA. With connectivity becoming increasingly vital, as Experts in Lightability™, we propose lighting infrastructures that will play a key role in building Smart Cities.

We are a family-owned multinational company of Belgian origin, headquartered in Brussels, and we are present in more than 70 countries across 5 continents.

Do you accept the challenge? Let's illuminate the future together!

Job Description

About the Role

We are looking for a Senior / Principal Engineer to join the Cognitive Sensing team at Hyperion, working on AI‑driven sensing and decision systems for Smart Cities and IoT platforms.

This role sits at the intersection of IoT, edge computing, classical AI/ML, and Generative AI. You will design and build systems that combine sensor data, machine intelligence, and contextual knowledge, including the use of Large Language Models (LLMs) and Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) to enhance observability, diagnostics, and decision‑making.

The role is primarily hands‑on and technical, with the opportunity to take on technical leadership responsibilities depending on experience, interest, and team needs.

What You Will Do

AI, GenAI & Cognitive Systems

• Design, implement, and evolve AI‑enabled sensing systems from edge to cloud.
• Build and integrate AI/ML models into production environments.
• Design and implement Generative AI solutions, including:
  • LLM‑based services
  • Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines
  • Vector databases and semantic search
• Work closely with data scientists and engineers on evaluation, monitoring, and drift detection.

Software Development (Full‑Stack)

• Design, develop, and maintain production‑grade software services and applications:
  • Front‑end: Angular, TypeScript
  • Back‑end: .NET (C#), Python
• Build robust REST APIs / microservices and integrate with internal and external systems.
• Apply strong engineering practices: clean architecture, testing, code reviews, documentation.

Data & Storage (SQL + NoSQL)

• Design data models and persistence strategies for IoT telemetry, configuration, and AI outputs.
• Work with relational and NoSQL databases, such as:
  • SQL: SQL Server, PostgreSQL (or similar)
  • NoSQL: MongoDB (or similar)
• Optimize queries, indexing, and performance for high‑volume and time‑series‑like workloads (telemetry/event data).

Cloud & DevOps (Azure / CI-CD / Containers)

• Contribute to cloud‑native and hybrid deployments, preferably in Azure.
• Build, maintain, or improve CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps (or similar tooling)
• Containerize services with Docker and deploy/operate workloads in Kubernetes clusters (cloud or on‑prem)
• Improve operational excellence: logging, monitoring, reliability, and cost awareness (FinOps mindset).

Collaboration & Technical Influence

• Collaborate with Product, Data, and Business stakeholders to align technical solutions with product goals.
• Communicate complex technical and AI concepts clearly to different audiences.
• Identify technical risks and contribute to mitigation strategies.

Optional: Technical Leadership (Depending on Profile)

• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to other engineers.
• Contribute to architectural decisions and technical standards.
• Participate in hiring and technical interviews (if interested).

Note: Prior experience as a Tech Lead is not required. Candidates with strong technical expertise who want to grow into a leadership role are encouraged to apply.

Qualifications

Required Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in software engineering or systems development.
• Strong software engineering skills with at least one of: .NET (C#), Python, Angular/TypeScript.
• Experience designing and shipping APIs / distributed services.
• Solid understanding of Generative AI and LLM‑based architectures, including:
  • Prompt engineering and evaluation
  • Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG)
  • Vector databases and embeddings
• Experience with databases (relational + NoSQL), such as SQL Server / PostgreSQL and MongoDB
• Experience with Docker and CI/CD; familiarity with Azure DevOps is a strong advantage
• Exposure to Kubernetes deployment/operations is a strong advantage
• Fluent English (required).

Nice to Have

• Experience operating LLMs in production (cloud or hybrid).
• Knowledge of MLOps / LLMOps practices.
• Event‑driven systems and streaming (Kafka, RabbitMQ, Azure Event Hub)
• IoT protocols (MQTT, AMQP, CoAP, WebSockets)
• Background in Smart Cities / Lighting / industrial IoT.

Additional Information

Salary: Remuneration package (along with meal allowance + health insurance)