Senior Lead Software Development Engineer, AI-Enabled Data Platform

At Avalara, we build cloud-based software that helps businesses manage sales tax and other transaction tax compliance. As a Senior Lead Software Development Engineer, you will lead the architecture and delivery of Avalara’s AI-enabled data platform, creating trusted semantic models, scalable pipelines, AI-driven data quality frameworks, and production-grade large language model workflows. This is a senior individual contributor role in a player-coach model, with hands-on work across Snowflake, Snowflake Cortex, dbt, SQL, Python, Airflow, AWS, and AI-native data pipeline design. You will turn complex analytics and AI outcomes into clear insights that influence strategy, improve customer-facing products, and support enterprise decision-making. You will be reporting to Senior Manager, Software Engineering.
This is a #LI-Remote role.

• →Lead architecture and hands-on delivery of AI-enabled data platform capabilities that support customer products and internal decision-making.
• →Design and maintain scalable data pipelines and shared semantic data models using SQL, Python, dbt, Snowflake, Airflow, and AWS.
• →Build AI-assisted data quality frameworks in dbt, including rule generation, anomaly detection, and automated documentation.
• →Develop and deploy large language model solutions, including Retrieval-Augmented Generation pipelines and agentic workflows, using Snowflake Cortex and enterprise data.
• →Architect pipelines that integrate Snowflake Cortex models, vector search, and modern orchestration to automate analytics and improve customer and internal product experiences.
• →Partner with engineering, product, and business stakeholders to define key performance indicators, curate shared semantic views, and support governed data use.
• →Lead architecture reviews, write production code, mentor engineers, and improve the quality of technical decisions across the platform.
• →Translate complex analytics, AI outputs, trade-offs, and risks into clear recommendations for leaders and cross-functional partners.
• →Apply practical judgment when selecting, testing, and monitoring AI solutions for accuracy, governance, cost, reliability, and measurable business impact.
• →Share AI implementation patterns and responsible AI practices across teams to help raise Avalara’s engineering and AI maturity.

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of enterprise experience delivering large-scale cloud data solutions.
• Expert-level SQL and Python experience building scalable pipelines, semantic models, automation frameworks, and AI-assisted data quality systems.
• Hands-on experience with Snowflake, dbt, Airflow, AWS, Snowflake Cortex, and AI model integration.
• Experience building and deploying large language model systems, including Retrieval-Augmented Generation pipelines, prompt engineering, and foundation model fine-tuning using enterprise data.
• Proven ability to define enterprise metrics, build shared semantic layers, mentor engineers, influence cross-functional partners, and explain technical insights to executive audiences.

AI is embedded in our workflows, decision-making, and products.  Success here requires embracing AI as an essential capability.

• You’ll bring experience using AI and AI-related technologies, ready to thrive here.

• You’ll apply AI every day to business challenges - improving efficiency, contributing solutions, and driving results for your team, our company, and our customers.

• You’ll grow with AI by staying curious about new trends and best practices, and by sharing what you learn so others can benefit too.

Total Rewards 

In addition to a great compensation package, paid time off, and paid parental leave, many Avalara employees are eligible for bonuses. 

Health & Wellness 
Benefits vary by location but generally include private medical, life, and disability insurance. 

Inclusive culture and diversity 
Avalara strongly supports diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is committed to integrating them into our business practices and our organizational culture. We also have a total of 8 employee-run resource groups, each with senior leadership and exec sponsorship. 

We’re defining the relationship between tax and tech.

We’ve already built an industry-leading cloud compliance platform, processing over 54 billion customer API calls and over 6.6 million tax returns a year. Our growth is real - we're a billion dollar business - and we’re not slowing down until we’ve achieved our mission - to be part of every transaction in the world.

We’re bright, innovative, and disruptive, like the orange we love to wear. It captures our quirky spirit and optimistic mindset. It shows off the culture we’ve designed, that empowers our people to win. We’ve been different from day one. Join us, and your career will be too.

Supporting diversity and inclusion is a cornerstone of our company — we don’t want people to fit into our culture, but to enrich it. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, gender, national orientation, disability, sexual orientation, US Veteran status, or any other factor protected by law. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.