The Application Engineering Technical Lead - II will help shape how AI-powered experiences are built, governed, and scaled across Workplace Technology, with direct influence on the reusable platforms, standards, and engineering practices that enable teams to deliver AI capabilities responsibly.
This role sets technical direction across the team's conversational AI orchestration platform and the surrounding infrastructure, with responsibility for patterns and standards in areas such as:
Agent orchestration architecture and agent-to-agent (A2A) integration patterns
Conversation history, compliance, and retention pipelines (e.g., WORM-based patterns)
Model governance and observability (e.g., Arize, evaluation frameworks)
Knowledge management and retrieval systems (RBAC, ingestion pipelines)
Model access patterns across multiple providers and model sizes
This role also provides technical evaluation and proof-of-concept leadership as the team explores new AI-powered use cases, helping determine feasibility, implementation patterns, risks, and reuse potential before broader adoption.
Responsibilities:
Provides expert-level technical leadership for the team's orchestration platform, knowledge management capabilities, and model governance and observability practices. Leads complex development, design, implementation, and architecture specification activities; recommends development options; and approves technical designs and solutions. Ensures deliverables are viable, secure, and testable, with particular focus on compliance-sensitive pipelines. Resolves complex technical issues, supports root cause analysis, and helps prevent recurring technology problems.
Communicates with key stakeholders on project issues, risks, and implications. Evaluates the impact of change requests on the orchestration platform and influences alignment on technical direction.
Maintains current working knowledge of AI-amplified PDLC methodology, agent orchestration architecture, model evaluation, observability practices, and emerging model access patterns. Mentors engineers, identifies training needs, and drives adoption of new technical standards across the team.
This role reviews and approves architecture documentation and diagrams for the orchestration platform and shared AI infrastructure. It also defines technical standards and processes, including patterns for agent onboarding, knowledge ingestion, and conversation compliance.
Identifies opportunities for continuous quality improvement of technical standards, methodologies, and technologies across the team's platforms.
Participates in design, code, and test inspections throughout the product life cycle. Serves as a technical consultant at project meetings and presents technical status and issues at milestone reviews.
Understands and complies with Information Technology and Information Security policies and procedures, and ensures deliverables meet applicable security, compliance, and governance requirements.
Participates in special projects and performs other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
Preferred attributes include strong technical judgment, comfort operating in ambiguity, ability to influence without direct authority, and a demonstrated commitment to engineering excellence, responsible AI practices, and continuous learning.
Minimum of eight years related work experience, with at least five years of development experience.
Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of training and experience. Graduate degree preferred.
Hands-on experience with agent orchestration or conversational AI platforms (e.g., agent-to-agent/A2A protocols), cloud-native service architecture, and knowledge management/RAG or semantic search systems.
Experience with LLM observability and evaluation tooling (e.g., Arize or comparable) and exposure to multiple model providers and access pattern design.
Knowledge of AI-amplified PDLC practices and hands-on experience with languages and tools such as Python, TypeScript, GitHub Copilot, Claude, or comparable AI engineering tools.
Special Factors
Sponsorship
Vanguard is not offering visa sponsorship for this position.About Vanguard
At Vanguard, we don't just have a mission—we're on a mission.
To work for the long-term financial wellbeing of our clients. To lead through product and services that transform our clients' lives. To learn and develop our skills as individuals and as a team. From Malvern to Melbourne, our mission drives us forward and inspires us to be our best.
How We Work
Vanguard has implemented a hybrid working model for the majority of our crew members, designed to capture the benefits of enhanced flexibility while enabling in-person learning, collaboration, and connection. We believe our mission-driven and highly collaborative culture is a critical enabler to support long-term client outcomes and enrich the employee experience.
Skills Required
- At least eight years of related work experience
- At least five years of development experience
- Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of training and experience
- Experience with agent orchestration or conversational AI platforms, including A2A protocols
- Experience with cloud-native service architecture
- Experience with knowledge management, RAG, or semantic search systems
- Experience with LLM observability and evaluation tooling such as Arize
- Exposure to multiple model providers and model access pattern design
- Knowledge of AI-amplified PDLC practices
- Hands-on experience with Python, TypeScript, GitHub Copilot, Claude, or comparable AI engineering tools
- Graduate degree
Vanguard Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Vanguard and has not been reviewed or approved by Vanguard.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support appears unusually strong through a 401(k) design that includes a match plus an additional employer contribution, which can materially lift long-term total rewards. HSA seeding and an enhanced employer match further strengthen the savings-and-benefits value of the package.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellbeing and lifestyle support is reinforced by a sizable annual FlexFund stipend that can be applied across many day-to-day categories such as fitness, childcare, and other personal expenses. On-site or virtual clinics and fitness options add practical health and wellness convenience.
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Affordable Benefits — Healthcare and related benefits are positioned as comparatively affordable via heavily subsidized medical plans and broad coverage options. This affordability can offset moderate base pay for employees who place higher value on out-of-pocket cost reductions.
Vanguard Insights
What We Do
We are a community of 30 million who think – and feel – differently about investing. Together, we’re changing the way the world invests. Since our founding in 1975, helping our investors achieve their goals is our sole reason for existence. With no other parties to answer to and therefore no conflicting loyalties, we make every decision—like keeping investing costs as low as possible—with only your needs in mind. Vanguard is one of the world's largest investment companies, offering a large selection of high-quality low-cost mutual funds, ETFs, advice, and related services. Individual and institutional investors, financial professionals, and plan sponsors can benefit from the size, stability, and experience Vanguard offers. As of April 30, 2019, we managed more than $5.6 trillion in global assets. In addition, we have 189 funds in the United States and 225 funds in global markets. For Commenting Guidelines & Important information, visit here: http://vanguard.com/linkedin Vanguard Marketing Corporation, Distributor.
