About this role
Get to Know the Team
We are a SuperApp operating at massive scale across transport, food, commerce, ads, merchant platforms, and enterprise services. Within this ecosystem, BECO (Business Ecosystem) powers the foundational platforms that connect merchants, consumers, ads, transactions, search, and intelligence.
We are now entering our next phase:
Embed G/AI into the engineering nervous systemRaise reliability to utility-grade standardsUnify siloed platforms into a cohesive ecosystemAccelerate new businesses with AI-native architectureGet to Know the Role
To do this, we are hiring a Senior Principal Engineer (AI Platform Architect) — a rare, high-leverage individual contributor who will shape the technical trajectory of a 300+ engineer organisation. You will report directly to the Head of BECO Engineering.
Most Principal roles influence a team. Some influence a domain. You will influence an entire engineering organisation. You will operate across five major departments spanning: 1). Merchant platforms, 2). Search & Personalisation, 3). Ads & Monetisation, 4). Transaction systems, 5). Enterprise capabilities
You are not here to oversee a microservice. You are here to evolve the system.
The Critical Tasks You Will Perform
1. Turn AI Into Engineering Leverage
We are moving beyond "AI demos." You will help architect and scale:
AI-assisted development workflowsAgentic operational automationReliability guardrails powered by AISafe, test-backed automation systemsThe goal is measurable improvement in:
Engineering velocityCode qualityOperational efficiencyYou will shape how AI becomes embedded into how engineers work — not as a tool, but as infrastructure.
2. Build Reliability That Feels Invisible
We believe reliability should feel like running water — always there, never noticed. You will:
Raise prevention standards across critical systemsInstitutionalise chaos engineering as disciplineStrengthen detection and recovery mechanismsReduce incident impact structurally, not reactivelyThis is about engineering maturity at scale.
3. Break Platform Silos
Search, Ads, Promo, Transactions, and Data — today these evolve in parallel. We are building a unified ecosystem where:
Ranking frameworks convergeUser understanding powers multiple surfacesData infrastructure reduces cost and instabilityShared capabilities unlock new business modelsYou will design the connective tissue that makes platformisation real.
4. Architect for Pattern-Breaking Growth
We are launching new businesses in e-commerce, AI agents, conversational transactions, and gamified engagement experiences. The challenge: Move fast without creating tomorrow's technical debt. You will:
Design clean 0→1 foundationsDefine execution models optimised for velocityEnable AI-native product experiencesBalance exploration with ecosystem coherence What Essential Skills You Will Need
You are a rare combination of:
Deep distributed systems thinkerFluent in AI/ML system realitiesOpinionated about engineering cultureComfortable influencing senior leadersYou likely have:
Operated at Staff+/Principal level in large-scale systemsDriven cross-organisation architectural changeBuilt or evolved platforms used by millionsTouched reliability, search, ML, or transaction-heavy systemsYou care about leverage.
You care about second-order effects.
You care about building systems that outlast you.
The Kind of Problems You'll Solve
How do we embed LLM agents safely into engineering workflows at scale?How do we raise reliability standards without slowing innovation?When do we centralise vs federate capabilities across domains?How do we unify ranking and recall systems across monetised and organic surfaces?How do we launch new AI-native businesses without fracturing the ecosystem?These are not ticket-level problems.
They are system-shaping decisions.
What Success Looks Like (12–18 Months)
AI-assisted engineering is a daily reality, not a pilotReliability metrics trend structurally strongerCross-platform capabilities convergeAt least one new business launches on a clean, scalable foundationEngineering quality becomes institutionalised Life at Grab
We care about your well-being at Grab, here are some of the global benefits we offer:
We have your back with Term Life Insurance and comprehensive Medical Insurance.With GrabFlex, create a benefits package that suits your needs and aspirations.Celebrate moments that matter in life with loved ones through Parental and Birthday leave, and give back to your communities through Love-all-Serve-all (LASA) volunteering leaveWe have a confidential Grabber Assistance Programme to guide and uplift you and your loved ones through life's challenges.Balancing personal commitments and life's demands are made easier with our FlexWork arrangements such as differentiated hoursWhat We Stand For at Grab
We are committed to building an inclusive and equitable workplace that enables diverse Grabbers to grow and perform at their best. As an equal opportunity employer, we consider all candidates fairly and equally regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, family commitments, physical and mental impairments or disabilities, and other attributes that make them unique.