Principal Machine Learning Engineer Jobs in California

We help the world run better
At SAP, we keep it simple: you bring your best to us, and we'll bring out the best in you. We're builders touching over 20 industries and 80% of global commerce, and we need your unique talents to help shape what's next. The work is challenging - but it matters. You'll find a place where you can be yourself, prioritize your wellbeing, and truly belong. What's in it for you? Constant learning, skill growth, great benefits, and a team that wants you to grow and succeed.
What you`ll do:
Summary:
At SAP, we amplify the strength of AI technology, fusing it with our robust industry-focused data and profound process knowledge. Our vision is to infuse every SAP application with sophisticated AI capabilities, revolutionizing the way businesses operate. Large Language Models (LLMs) hold immense potential to change the way we work and develop products. They are reshaping the landscape of Machine Learning across various domains. Our goal is to combine the power of LLMs with Knowledge Graphs for business AI problems in SAP applications.
We are building a nimble and versatile engineering team to empower our Data Scientists within the AI Foundations and Research team. This team will be responsible for developing cutting-edge tools, providing development resources for proof-of-concept projects, and collaborating on groundbreaking Gen AI initiatives. Our ultimate objective is to expedite the development and implementation of innovative Gen AI features throughout SAP. Join us in this exciting journey of revolutionizing the future of AI!
As a Machine Learning Engineer Expert you will be responsible for guiding the team, providing direction and designs and support while also being a hands on developer.
The Role:
• Work closely with SAP data scientists to understand their projects and their needs.
• Create high level requirements and designs.
• Define and implement architectural / coding best practices and participate in software design and code reviews with the development team consisting of frontend-, backend-, full-stack, Dev-Ops and ML engineers.
• Guide developers while giving them space to learn and grow
• Support the product team with technical feasibility analysis, solution proposals, and ballpark effort estimations.
• Support customer workshops and engagements with holistic architecture and solution integration expertise
• Communicate with central architecture teams inside SAP for software design and integration tasks
• Stay on top of technology trends and actively participate in the SAP Expert community to share knowledge.
What you bring:
Required:
• Bachelor, Master or Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or other relevant disciplines.
• Proven experience in designing, developing, deploying, and testing multi-tenant business applications in the cloud with a focus on backend infrastructure.
• Experience in developing data-driven microservices, APIs, CI/CD pipelines, TDD, hands-on experience with docker containers and Kubernetes, familiar with one of the cloud providers.
• At least 8+ years of professional experience as developer.
• Proven ability to work in an agile environment using SCRUM methodology
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in cross-cultural teams.
Preferred:
• Experience in designing, developing, deploying, and testing multi-tenant business applications in the cloud with a focus on backend infrastructure.
• Experience in developing data-driven microservices, APIs, CI/CD pipelines, TDD, hands-on experience with docker containers and Kubernetes, familiar with one of the cloud providers.
• Experience in data science or data engineering
• Knowledge about the SAP Business Technology Platform
• Familiarity with JSON, Git, docker, Kubernetes, AWS, GCP.
Meet your team:
• The SAP's Business AI organization is dedicated to seamlessly infusing AI into all enterprise applications, enabling customers, partners, and developers to enhance business processes and generate remarkable business value. Join our international AI team where innovation thrives, opportunities for personal development abound, and exceptional colleagues collaborate globally.
Bring out your best
SAP innovations help more than four hundred thousand customers worldwide work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively. Originally known for leadership in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, SAP has evolved to become a market leader in end-to-end business application software and related services for database, analytics, intelligent technologies, and experience management. As a cloud company with two hundred million users and more than one hundred thousand employees worldwide, we are purpose-driven and future-focused, with a highly collaborative team ethic and commitment to personal development. Whether connecting global industries, people, or platforms, we help ensure every challenge gets the solution it deserves. At SAP, you can bring out your best.
We win with inclusion
SAP's culture of inclusion, focus on health and well-being, and flexible working models help ensure that everyone - regardless of background - feels included and can run at their best. At SAP, we believe we are made stronger by the unique capabilities and qualities that each person brings to our company, and we invest in our employees to inspire confidence and help everyone realize their full potential. We ultimately believe in unleashing all talent and creating a better world.
SAP is committed to the values of Equal Employment Opportunity and provides accessibility accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you are interested in applying for employment with SAP and are in need of accommodation or special assistance to navigate our website or to complete your application, please send an e-mail with your request to Recruiting Operations Team: Careers@sap.com.
For SAP employees: Only permanent roles are eligible for the SAP Employee Referral Program, according to the eligibility rules set in the SAP Referral Policy. Specific conditions may apply for roles in Vocational Training.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, et al), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, or disability.
Compensation Range Transparency: SAP believes the value of pay transparency contributes towards an honest and supportive culture and is a significant step toward demonstrating SAP's commitment to pay equity. SAP provides the annualized compensation range inclusive of base salary and variable incentive target for the career level applicable to the posted role. The targeted combined range for this position is 247000 - 420000(USD) USD. The actual amount to be offered to the successful candidate will be within that range, dependent upon the key aspects of each case which may include education, skills, experience, scope of the role, location, etc. as determined through the selection process. Any SAP variable incentive includes a targeted dollar amount and any actual payout amount is dependent on company and personal performance. Please reference this link for a summary of SAP benefits and eligibility requirements: SAP North America Benefits.
AI Usage in the Recruitment Process
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Requisition ID: 447794 | Work Area: Software-Design and Development | Expected Travel: 0 - 10% | Career Status: Professional | Employment Type: Regular Full Time | Additional Locations: #LI-Hybrid
Requisition ID: 447794
Posted Date: May 23, 2026
Work Area: Software-Design and Development
Career Status: Professional
Employment Type: Regular Full Time
Expected Travel: 0 - 10%
Location: