AI Architect Jobs in Washington
AI Architect jobs in Washington are among the most active in the country, concentrated in cloud computing, enterprise software, aerospace, and defense sectors with demand at every level from associate to principal architect. Seattle, Bellevue, and Redmond anchor the hiring market, where Microsoft, Amazon, and Boeing maintain large AI and machine learning engineering teams. The most sought-after specialties include large language model deployment, MLOps infrastructure, and enterprise AI platform design. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Job Description
Nordstrom Finance is looking for a Principal AI Architect who can both design and personally build the AI-driven reporting infrastructure that moves the organization toward an "autopilot" model of financial reporting — where routine reporting, reconciliation, variance analysis, and narrative generation are increasingly automated by well-governed AI agents and pipelines, freeing Finance teams to focus on judgment and decision-making. This is a hands-on architecture and engineering role, not a strategy-only position: you're expected to design the system and write the code, prompts, agent orchestration, and data pipelines that bring it to life, while also setting the technical vision and standards other engineers build against.
** This role is Hybrid and will require you to be in office in downtown Seattle, WA 4 days per week.
A Day in the Life
AI Architecture & Engineering
- Architect and build the end-to-end AI infrastructure for automated financial reporting — agent orchestration, data pipelines, model integration, and human-in-the-loop review workflows.
- Design for reliability and auditability: Finance reporting requires traceability, reproducibility, and controls, not just a working demo.
- Personally prototype and ship production-grade AI agents/pipelines (e.g., using LLM APIs, retrieval systems, and workflow orchestration tools) rather than only producing designs for others to implement.
Finance & Data Domain Partnership
- Partner closely with Finance leaders, FP&A, Controllership, and Accounting to understand current reporting workflows, controls, and pain points before automating them.
- Work with Data Platform, Data Governance, and Security teams to ensure financial data used in AI pipelines meets Nordstrom's classification, access, and audit requirements.
- Define what "autopilot" reporting should and shouldn't automate — identifying where human review and sign-off must remain in the loop.
Technical Leadership & Standards
- Set architecture standards and best practices for applied AI within Finance Technology, and mentor engineers building against them.
- Evaluate and select the AI/ML tooling, models, and platforms (build vs. buy) that best fit Nordstrom's Finance use cases and existing tech stack.
- Act as the primary technical expert and thought leader on applied AI for Finance, staying current on the fast-moving AI landscape and translating relevant advances into roadmap decisions.
Governance, Risk & Change Management
- Build in guardrails against model error, hallucination, and drift in a domain where reporting accuracy has real financial and compliance consequences.
- Partner with Risk, Internal Audit, and Compliance as needed to ensure AI-generated reporting meets internal control and regulatory expectations.
- Help Finance teams build trust in AI-assisted reporting through transparent design, clear documentation, and phased rollout.
You Own This If You Have...
- 8+ years of software/data engineering or applied AI/ML experience, including production experience building and deploying AI systems (not only research or prototyping).
- Deep, hands-on expertise with modern AI architectures — LLM application design, agent orchestration/workflow frameworks, retrieval-augmented generation, and prompt/context engineering.
- Strong data engineering fundamentals: pipeline design, data quality, and integration with enterprise data platforms (e.g., BigQuery or equivalent cloud data warehouse).
- Direct experience with, or strong ability to quickly learn, financial reporting concepts and controls (close process, reconciliation, variance analysis, GAAP-adjacent reporting requirements).
- A track record of operating as a technical architect and an individual contributor simultaneously — able to set direction and also be the one who builds it.
- Excellent stakeholder communication skills; comfort translating deeply technical AI concepts for Finance leaders and translating Finance/controls requirements back to engineers.
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field; advanced degree a plus.
Pay Range Details
The pay range(s) below has been provided in compliance with state specific laws. Pay ranges may be different for other locations.
Pay offers are dependent on the location, as well as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
We’ve got you covered…
Our employees are our most important asset and that’s reflected in our benefits. Nordstrom is proud to offer a variety of benefits to support employees and their families, including:
- Medical/Vision, Dental, Retirement and Paid Time Away
- Life Insurance and Disability
- Merchandise Discount and EAP Resources
A few more important points...
The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive. There may be additional duties, responsibilities and qualifications for this job.
For Los Angeles or San Francisco applicants: Nordstrom is required to inform you that we conduct background checks after conditional offer and consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with legal requirements per Los Angeles, Cal. Muni. Code 189.04 and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For additional state and location specific notices, please refer to the Legal Notices document within the FAQ section of the Nordstrom Careers site.
Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation should contact the nearest Nordstrom location, which can be identified at www.nordstrom.com.
Please be mindful that there may be legal notices and requirements related to this job posting that are specific to your state. Review the Career Site FAQ’s for relevant information and guidelines.
Current Nordstrom employees: To apply, log into Workday, click the Careers button and then click Find Jobs.
Nordstrom keeps job postings open for at least one day after the posting date.
© 2026 Nordstrom, Inc
Job Description
Nordstrom Finance is looking for a Principal AI Architect who can both design and personally build the AI-driven reporting infrastructure that moves the organization toward an "autopilot" model of financial reporting — where routine reporting, reconciliation, variance analysis, and narrative generation are increasingly automated by well-governed AI agents and pipelines, freeing Finance teams to focus on judgment and decision-making. This is a hands-on architecture and engineering role, not a strategy-only position: you're expected to design the system and write the code, prompts, agent orchestration, and data pipelines that bring it to life, while also setting the technical vision and standards other engineers build against.
** This role is Hybrid and will require you to be in office in downtown Seattle, WA 4 days per week.
A Day in the Life
AI Architecture & Engineering
- Architect and build the end-to-end AI infrastructure for automated financial reporting — agent orchestration, data pipelines, model integration, and human-in-the-loop review workflows.
- Design for reliability and auditability: Finance reporting requires traceability, reproducibility, and controls, not just a working demo.
- Personally prototype and ship production-grade AI agents/pipelines (e.g., using LLM APIs, retrieval systems, and workflow orchestration tools) rather than only producing designs for others to implement.
Finance & Data Domain Partnership
- Partner closely with Finance leaders, FP&A, Controllership, and Accounting to understand current reporting workflows, controls, and pain points before automating them.
- Work with Data Platform, Data Governance, and Security teams to ensure financial data used in AI pipelines meets Nordstrom's classification, access, and audit requirements.
- Define what "autopilot" reporting should and shouldn't automate — identifying where human review and sign-off must remain in the loop.
Technical Leadership & Standards
- Set architecture standards and best practices for applied AI within Finance Technology, and mentor engineers building against them.
- Evaluate and select the AI/ML tooling, models, and platforms (build vs. buy) that best fit Nordstrom's Finance use cases and existing tech stack.
- Act as the primary technical expert and thought leader on applied AI for Finance, staying current on the fast-moving AI landscape and translating relevant advances into roadmap decisions.
Governance, Risk & Change Management
- Build in guardrails against model error, hallucination, and drift in a domain where reporting accuracy has real financial and compliance consequences.
- Partner with Risk, Internal Audit, and Compliance as needed to ensure AI-generated reporting meets internal control and regulatory expectations.
- Help Finance teams build trust in AI-assisted reporting through transparent design, clear documentation, and phased rollout.
You Own This If You Have...
- 8+ years of software/data engineering or applied AI/ML experience, including production experience building and deploying AI systems (not only research or prototyping).
- Deep, hands-on expertise with modern AI architectures — LLM application design, agent orchestration/workflow frameworks, retrieval-augmented generation, and prompt/context engineering.
- Strong data engineering fundamentals: pipeline design, data quality, and integration with enterprise data platforms (e.g., BigQuery or equivalent cloud data warehouse).
- Direct experience with, or strong ability to quickly learn, financial reporting concepts and controls (close process, reconciliation, variance analysis, GAAP-adjacent reporting requirements).
- A track record of operating as a technical architect and an individual contributor simultaneously — able to set direction and also be the one who builds it.
- Excellent stakeholder communication skills; comfort translating deeply technical AI concepts for Finance leaders and translating Finance/controls requirements back to engineers.
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field; advanced degree a plus.
Pay Range Details
The pay range(s) below has been provided in compliance with state specific laws. Pay ranges may be different for other locations.
Pay offers are dependent on the location, as well as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
We’ve got you covered…
Our employees are our most important asset and that’s reflected in our benefits. Nordstrom is proud to offer a variety of benefits to support employees and their families, including:
- Medical/Vision, Dental, Retirement and Paid Time Away
- Life Insurance and Disability
- Merchandise Discount and EAP Resources
A few more important points...
The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive. There may be additional duties, responsibilities and qualifications for this job.
For Los Angeles or San Francisco applicants: Nordstrom is required to inform you that we conduct background checks after conditional offer and consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with legal requirements per Los Angeles, Cal. Muni. Code 189.04 and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For additional state and location specific notices, please refer to the Legal Notices document within the FAQ section of the Nordstrom Careers site.
Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation should contact the nearest Nordstrom location, which can be identified at www.nordstrom.com.
Please be mindful that there may be legal notices and requirements related to this job posting that are specific to your state. Review the Career Site FAQ’s for relevant information and guidelines.
Current Nordstrom employees: To apply, log into Workday, click the Careers button and then click Find Jobs.
Nordstrom keeps job postings open for at least one day after the posting date.
© 2026 Nordstrom, Inc
See All 26 AI Architect Jobs in Washington
Find roles in Washington that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find AI Architect JobsAI Architect Jobs by City in Washington
Where Washington roles are concentrated, by current openings.
AI Architect Job Market in Washington
A snapshot from current Washington openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Cybersecurity
- Science & Research
- Technology & Software
- Distribution & Wholesale
- Consulting & Professional Services
What Washington Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in AI architect jobs across Washington.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, machine learning, or a related engineering field
- Demonstrated experience designing and deploying large-scale AI or machine learning systems in production
- Proficiency with cloud AI platforms such as Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud and their ML services
- Hands-on expertise with frameworks including PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX for model development
- Experience leading cross-functional teams and translating business requirements into AI architecture decisions
- Familiarity with MLOps practices including model monitoring, CI/CD pipelines, and data governance standards
AI Architect Jobs in Washington: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a ai architect in Washington?
Washington does not require a state-issued license to work as an ai architect, so the path runs through education and demonstrated technical experience. Most hiring managers expect at least a bachelor's degree in computer science, data science, or a related field, with a master's degree common at senior levels. Building a portfolio of production AI systems, contributing to open-source projects, and earning cloud certifications recognized by Washington's major tech employers strengthens a candidacy considerably.
How much do AI architects make in Washington?
AI architects in Washington earn a median of about $128,940 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $60,210 for the lowest 10% to over $200,610 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire ai architects in Washington?
Employers hiring ai architects in Washington right now include Amazon Web Services, Avanade, and Microsoft, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Washington's dense concentration of technology headquarters and aerospace firms means openings appear across both established enterprise teams and well-funded product divisions.
Which Washington cities have the most ai architect jobs?
Seattle, Bellevue, and Redmond are the Washington cities with the most ai architect openings. Seattle and Bellevue dominate because Microsoft, Amazon, and a wide ecosystem of enterprise software and cloud companies are headquartered or have major engineering hubs there, while Redmond's concentration of Microsoft campuses and partner firms sustains consistent demand even outside the core Seattle metro.
Are there remote ai architect jobs in Washington?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 80% of ai architect openings tied to Washington are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting how much of the work involves design, code review, and stakeholder collaboration rather than on-site hardware. Fully remote roles tend to cluster in platform architecture and research positions, while roles involving on-premises infrastructure or regulated defense contracts typically require a physical presence in the Puget Sound area.
How can I get hired as a ai architect in Washington with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a machine learning engineer or data engineer role, then moving into architecture responsibilities as you take ownership of system design decisions. Microsoft and Amazon both run university recruiting and new-grad programs in the Seattle area that place candidates into AI platform teams with structured mentorship. Building a GitHub portfolio of deployed ML projects and earning an Azure or AWS machine learning specialty certification gives candidates without a long resume a concrete credential Washington hiring managers recognize.
Where can I find and apply to ai architect jobs in Washington?
You can find and apply to ai architect jobs in Washington on Migrate Mate, which lists current Washington openings across industries and experience levels. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 26 AI Architect Jobs in Washington
Find roles in Washington that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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