AI Senior Backend lead for Internal Applications

Xylem is a Fortune 500 global water solutions company dedicated to advancing sustainable impact and empowering the people who make water work every day. As a leading water technology company with 23,000 employees operating in over 150 countries, Xylem is at the forefront of addressing the world's most critical water challenges. We invite passionate individuals to join our team, dedicated to exceeding customer expectations through innovative and sustainable solutions.

As an AI Senior Backend lead for Internal Applications, you will be responsible for leading the technical direction of our enterprise applications while remaining hands-on with code. You'll guide the team in adopting best software engineering practices, designing scalable architectures, and building reusable components that serve as foundational building blocks across the organization, with a focus on embedding AI capabilities where they provide real business value.

You’ll spend around 50–60% of your time building and prototyping, and 40–50% making architectural decisions, mentoring engineers, and guiding AI strategy. y.This role ensures our AI-driven backend solutions are not just implemented, but architected and scaled for long-term success

You will leverage modern technologies and AI/ML capabilities to optimize identity and access management (IAM) systems, build applications and dashboards for internal users, and streamline complex workflows through automation. Your expertise in enterprise-level software design patterns, coupled with a passion for mentorship and continuous learning, will be instrumental in elevating our engineering standards and delivering exceptional internal tools.

Essential Duties/Principal Responsibilities:

• Define and drive technical architecture and design patterns for backend systems, ensuring scalability, maintainability, and security.
• Establish and champion software engineering best practices, including code reviews, testing strategies, CI/CD standards, and documentation.
• Evaluate, design, and guide implementation of AI/ML components, frameworks, and workflows, ensuring they are reusable and aligned with company priorities
• Oversee the design of AI automation workflows while remaining hands-on in prototyping critical components
• Ensure backend systems integrate smoothly into CI/CD pipelines and multi-cloud infrastructure, working with DevOps teams as needed
• Mentor and coach engineering team members, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous improvement.
• Conduct thorough code reviews that serve as teaching moments, elevating code quality across the team.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing through technical design discussions, architecture review sessions, and documentation.
• Stay current with emerging technologies, especially AI/ML advancements, and evaluate their applicability to internal tooling.
• Experiment with and integrate AI/ML technologies into internal applications to drive automation and efficiency.
• Adapt quickly to changing technologies, requirements, and organizational priorities.

Qualifications: Education, Experience, Skills, Abilities, License/Certification:

• Bachelor's and/or Master's degree, preferably in CS, or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of backend engineering experience with strong proficiency in Python (required) and at least one other modern language.
• Proven experience defining and guiding the design of enterprise-level reusable components and architectures
• Ability to make architectural decisions across Azure, AWS, and GCP, collaborating with platform/DevOps teams
• Proven experience integrating corporate infrastructure with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps workflows.
• Strong understanding of API design, microservices architecture, and distributed systems.
• Solid grasp of security principles, including RBAC, authentication/authorization patterns, and secure coding practices.
• Demonstrated experience as a technical leader or tech lead, guiding teams toward architectural decisions and best practices.
• Proven track record of mentoring engineers and elevating team capabilities.
• Excellent communication skills to explain complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience guiding the design of internal tools that streamline corporate processes.
• Passion for clean code, design patterns, and software engineering best practices.
• Self-starter with intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm for learning new technologies.
• Demonstrated adaptability in fast-paced, evolving environments.

The salary range for this position is $140,000 to $185,000 plus bonus. Starting pay is dependent on multiple factors, such as skills, experience, and work location, and is not typically at the top of the range. At Xylem, we offer a competitive compensation package with a generous benefit package, including Medical, Dental, and Vision plans, 401(k) with company contribution, paid time off, paid parental leave, and tuition reimbursement.

Join the global Xylem team to be a part of innovative technology solutions transforming water usage, conservation, and re-use. Our products impact public utilities, industrial sectors, residential areas, and commercial buildings, with a commitment to providing smart metering, network technologies, and advanced analytics for water, electric, and gas utilities. Partner with us in creating a world where water challenges are met with ingenuity and dedication; where we recognize the power of inclusion and belonging in driving innovation and allowing us to compete more effectively around the world.