Principal Platform Architect

Location: Kitchener, ON, Hybrid, 3 days on-site per week
Language: Strong written and spoken English communication skills
Employment Type: Permanent, Full-Time
Compensation: $140,000-$180,000 base salary, plus 10% bonus, with potential flexibility

About the Opportunity

Join a global industrial technology organization as a Principal Platform Architect, helping build a new Physical AI platform and robotics engineering capability from the ground up. Youll work at the intersection of AI, robotics, industrial systems and large-scale data, creating the platform foundations that turn intelligent software into real-world actions.

As a senior technical leader on an initial team of approximately 14 technical professionals, youll partner closely with the Team Lead, AI/ML and robotics specialists, software engineers and DevOps professionals. This is a fast-moving environment where youll bring a production mindset to emerging technology, helping the team move from early concepts and pilots to scalable industrial applications.

Whats In It for You

Youll have the opportunity to shape the architecture, technical roadmap and engineering practices of a new strategic initiative rather than inherit an established platform. Youll gain exposure to cutting-edge Physical AI, robotics, edge computing and AI/ML technologies while mentoring a growing technical team and collaborating with global research, product and engineering groups.

Your Responsibilities

• You’ll define end-to-end platform architecture spanning data ingestion, APIs, metadata, workflow execution, connectors and deployment foundations.
• You’ll design scalable data contracts, service boundaries, event-driven services and integration patterns for robot, vision and edge systems.
• You’ll architect platforms capable of managing terabyte-scale physical data, including validation, governance and dataset versioning.
• You’ll create technical roadmaps and guide cloud, storage, security, observability and production-hardening decisions.
• You’ll design distributed and edge-ready solutions that account for geographically dispersed and resource-constrained environments.
• You’ll mentor engineers and guide build-versus-partner decisions to keep delivery focused and efficient.

Skills and Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in software architecture, platform engineering, backend systems or large-scale distributed applications.
• Strong end-to-end platform architecture experience, including cloud-native systems, APIs, event-driven design, security and scalable data platforms.
• Strong cloud expertise, preferably AWS, plus scripting experience such as Python.
• Experience with AI/ML platforms, MLOps, model evaluation, industrial systems or production AI applications.
• Experience with distributed edge applications, DevOps and production product delivery.
• Robotics experience, ROS/ROS2, industrial protocols, workflow engines and real-time integration are strong assets.
• Strong collaboration, technical mentorship and communication skills, with the ability to turn ambiguity into practical architecture.

Note from the Hiring Manager

Were looking for someone who can bring a production mindset to a brand-new space. Youll help us make smart architectural decisions, mentor the team and build a platform that can grow with where Physical AI is going.

We appreciate the time and effort all applicants invest in their submissions. Please note that only candidates shortlisted for this role will be contacted directly. However, your profile will remain under consideration for future opportunities that align with your experience and career goals.All qualified applicants will receive fair consideration for employment. We welcome individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities including those who identify as women, members of racialized groups, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. If you require an accommodation, please review our accessibility policy and reach out to our accessibility officer with any questions. Our human recruiters review all applications and always make the final hiring decision. On occasion, we also use AI-assisted tools to help review applications.