Principal Software Engineer, Agentic AI
Job Requisition ID #
26WD98096Help shape how AI interacts with the future of design
We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer to join us in defining and building the agentic AI layer at Autodesk Forma Design. You will define how Forma's domain agents - analysis, generation, contextual data, authoring - are exposed to Autodesk Assistant, Autodesk's AI platform, and any third-party orchestrator that speaks MCP. One intelligence layer, multiple surfaces, built once.
As a Principal Engineer, you'll set technical direction for our agentic capabilities across the organisation. You'll define how we expose Forma's domain agents to AI orchestrators, how we evolve our public APIs and MCP tooling, and how teams across Forma adopt consistent, composable patterns for AI integration. You communicate complex ideas clearly and bring others along, helping teams make better decisions and move faster.
Your work will make it possible for architects, planners, and developers to unlock smarter, AI-assisted workflows, while ensuring the platform they rely on is secure, scalable, and built for the long term.
About us
We're on a mission to help design better cities.
With 90% of future population growth expected in urban areas, and construction responsible for around 40% of global CO₂ emissions, the AEC industry must evolve. Our cloud-based Autodesk Forma platform helps users evaluate design choices based on environmental impact, living quality (sun, daylight, noise), and project feasibility. We started as Spacemaker in Norway and became part of Autodesk in 2020.
Learn more about Autodesk Forma here.
How we work
We work in small, autonomous teams with a high degree of trust and ownership. We strongly believe in servant leadership and team accountability. In each team, software engineers work closely together with product managers and designers. To learn more about our way of working, read through our tech and product core beliefs.
The platform opportunity
Forma is building one intelligence layer that surfaces through two interaction paradigms:
Embedded AI - the product surfaces the right action in the design flow, no prompt needed
Orchestrated AI - Autodesk Assistant, Autodesk's AI platform, and third-party agents like Claude or Copilot invoking Forma's domain agents as MCP tools.
The principle is build once, works everywhere: a Forma squad that exposes its capability as an MCP gets embedded AI, in-product assistant, cross-product orchestration, and third-party agent access simultaneously - no rebuild per surface.
Concretely, three moves define the work ahead:
1. Stand up Forma as a first-class AI domain. Establish the contribution model, patterns, and exemplars that enable every squad across Forma's Tools and Apps to expose their own capabilities as MCP tools. The universal motion: every Forma Design squad ships MCPs for what they own.
2. Ship the first wave. Compass, Contextual Data, and Analysis become agent-callable from any orchestrator. Contextual Data is already live in Autodesk Assistant - the pattern is proven. Compass and Analysis are next, making Forma's domain agents available wherever an orchestrator is doing the work.
3. Take authoring agentic. Building Design's authoring engine becomes the first Forma app whose creation and modification capabilities can be driven by an agent via MCP - not just read, but acted on. This is the pattern that extends to every authoring app from there.
Responsibilities
As a Principal Software Engineer, you will use your technical expertise and strategic thinking to drive progress across team boundaries. You'll combine hands-on engineering with broad technical influence.
In this role, you will:
Define and evolve the technical architecture for Forma's agentic AI platform, including MCP tooling, public APIs, SDK capabilities, and the integration patterns teams use to expose Forma's domain agents to AI orchestrators
Serve as Forma Design's technical lead into Autodesk's AI platform team - converging domain-agent patterns between Forma's squads and the platform
Enable every Forma Design squad to ship their own MCPs - set patterns, build exemplars, unblock teams - so exposing capabilities to AI agents becomes a universal motion across the org, not work owned by a single team
Drive the strategic direction for how Forma participates in the broader AI ecosystem, ensuring our platform is agent-agnostic, composable, and built for long-term extensibility
Navigate and resolve hard trade-offs in authentication, authorization, and trust models for AI-driven workflows, including OAuth patterns, token scoping, and secure agent interactions
Collaborate closely with product managers, designers, and engineers across squads to connect technical platform decisions to meaningful user outcomes
Mentor and enable engineers across the organisation, elevating how we think and build in this domain
Desired profile
Operates with high autonomy and strategic clarity in a fast-moving, ambiguous domain
Multiplies through others - measures success by what the org can build, not by personal output
Drives architectural decisions that span multiple squads or product areas
Recognized as a deep expert in AI integration, platform engineering, or both
Makes complex technical concepts accessible, and brings others along through mentoring and clear documentation
Continuously spots gaps in how we work and drives systemic improvements
Connects platform-level decisions directly to product value and user outcomes
Motivated by our mission and focused on impact at scale
What will help you succeed in this role
Strong hands-on engineering background in cloud-native, backend-heavy systems
Proven experience shaping architectural or platform-level decisions beyond a single team
Experience driving platform adoption across multiple teams - setting patterns and exemplars that others build from, not just defining architecture
Deep understanding of agentic AI systems, including MCP, tool-use patterns, LLM integration, and agent orchestration
Experience designing and evolving APIs and SDKs used by external developers or AI systems
Strong understanding of authentication, authorization, and web security, including OAuth flows and secure API design
Excellent collaboration and communication skills across disciplines and seniority levels
You might also bring
Experience building or operating AI-powered product features, including RAG pipelines, embeddings, knowledge graphs, or vector search
Background in platform or ecosystem engineering at scale
Familiarity with TypeScript, serverless architectures, and AWS
Experience working in cross-functional, international product teams
Why join us
Work on real-world problems with measurable environmental impact
Define how Autodesk's AEC AI platform connects to the world - from enterprise-grade agentic workflows to users discovering Forma intelligence through the agents they already use
Collaborate with experienced engineers across disciplines and time zones
Competitive compensation, pension, and benefits
We believe diverse teams build better products, and we're committed to creating a workplace where people can be themselves and do their best work. We encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn't match every requirement listed, curiosity, empathy, and a growth mindset matter just as much to us.
Learn More
About Autodesk
Welcome to Autodesk! Amazing things are created every day with our software - from the greenest buildings and cleanest cars to the smartest factories and biggest hit movies. We help innovators turn their ideas into reality, transforming not only how things are made, but what can be made.
We take great pride in our culture here at Autodesk - it’s at the core of everything we do. Our culture guides the way we work and treat each other, informs how we connect with customers and partners, and defines how we show up in the world.
When you’re an Autodesker, you can do meaningful work that helps build a better world designed and made for all. Ready to shape the world and your future? Join us!
Salary transparency
Salary is one part of Autodesk’s competitive compensation package. Offers are based on the candidate’s experience and geographic location. In addition to base salaries, our compensation package may include annual cash bonuses, commissions for sales roles, stock grants, and a comprehensive benefits package.Belonging
We take pride in cultivating a culture of belonging where everyone can thrive. Learn more here: https://www.autodesk.com/company/global-belonging
In-Person Onboarding and Identity Verification
This role may require in-person onboarding and/or in-person ID verification.
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