APPLY is the Agentic Customer Experience (ACx) partner for the world's most ambitious consumer and entertainment brands. We bring together deep domain expertise across Retail, CPG, Sports, and Media with AI-native delivery capability, designing and delivering agentic solutions that turn CX vision into commercial reality.

APPLY TALENT PIPELINE: Submit your resume below and we’ll add you to our Talent Pipeline. When new opportunities open up at APPLY, we’ll check our Pipeline. APPLY is hybrid/remote friendly. The preferred candidate should be based in Canada, working in hours that align to PT or ET .

As a Principal Agentic Engineer, you will operate at the intersection of deep full-stack engineering craft and AI-native delivery. This is an L5 principal-level role where you own the technical vision across the entire stack for complex, enterprise-scale systems, while simultaneously driving APPLY's agentic delivery model: architecting, orchestrating, and directing teams of coding agents to accomplish implementation at speed and scale. You are comfortable moving fluidly across frontend, backend, APIs, data layers, and cloud infrastructure.

You turn ambiguous product and business goals into shipped, production-ready software, mentor engineers across the organization, and bring together composable platforms, cloud infrastructure, and AI-powered experiences into cohesive, scalable solutions. You will lead by doing, and by raising the technical bar around you. In this role, you can also expect to be on projects as part of our FDAIC team (Forward Deployed AI Consultant).

Full-Stack Architecture & Technical Vision Envision and architect end-to-end solutions for complex, enterprise-scale projects — spanning frontend, backend services, APIs, data pipelines, and cloud infrastructure. Provide transparent technical direction across the full stack; ensure quality, coherence, and alignment of all technical solutions with business objectives. Champion the design and implementation of highly scalable, secure, and maintainable software systems — API-first, cloud-native, and composable by default.

Own technical decisions across layers: from UI and component architecture to service design, data modelling, and infrastructure configuration. Guide technology decisions that align with both business objectives and Apply's standard of engineering excellence.

Agentic

Engineering & AI-Native Delivery Organize, distribute, and translate backlog requirements into detailed, spec-driven requirements that coding agents can implement autonomously. Synthesize user stories, site maps, content strategy, design systems,



and brand strategy into specifications that guide agent-driven development. BMAD Method or equivalent) to ensure clarity, consistency, and quality across agent-orchestrated workflows.

Architect full-stack solutions, across UI, APIs, services, and data stores, that integrate seamlessly with AI-powered systems, including LLM APIs, RAG pipelines, and agent orchestration frameworks. Design both user-facing experiences and backend service contracts that help products express goals, constraints, and context clearly to AI agents. AWS/Azure experience valued).

Build and maintain backend services, data pipelines, and integrations with composable platforms: Implement enterprise-grade design systems, content models, component libraries, and the backend services that power them. Ensure systems are performant and well-instrumented across all layers, from client-side rendering and GEO to API latency, caching, and data integrity.

Technical

Leadership & Mentorship Serve as a technical visionary, shaping the engineering culture and raising technical standards across multiple teams and practices.

Mentor and guide engineers in best practices: architectural decision-making, spec-driven development, AI-assisted workflows, and engineering craft. Foster a culture of continuous learning, innovation, psychological safety, and engineering excellence. Collaborate with Technology Directors, Engineering Managers, Product, UX, and cross-functional stakeholders to shape and deliver solutions.

Partner with Project Managers and client stakeholders to manage delivery risks, timelines, and expectations. Communicate complex technical and AI concepts clearly to varied audiences, from engineers to non-technical clients. Influence across multiple teams and practices through technical leadership and collaborative synergy.

Engineering

Experience & Foundation ~10+ years of software engineering experience across the full stack, with demonstrated technical leadership at Staff or Lead level. ~ Proficiency in TypeScript and modern JavaScript; hands-on experience with React and Next.js on the frontend and Node.js or similar runtimes on the backend. ~ Experience with relational and/or NoSQL databases: schema design,



query optimization, and data modelling for production systems. ~ AWS or Azure also valued) and their associated services. ~ Familiarity with Git, CI/CD workflows, and production deployment practices. ~ API contracts, data flow, caching strategies, auth patterns, and performance optimization at scale. Hands-on experience working with AI coding agents (e.g. Strong prompt engineering skills and ability to write high-quality agent specifications.

Proven track record of leading complex, enterprise-scale software projects with high autonomy. Demonstrated ability to mentor and grow engineers, resolve technical conflicts, and drive alignment. Exceptional communication skills, written and verbal, with the ability to explain complex concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Strategic problem-solving ability with comfort navigating ambiguous goals and translating them into clear technical direction.

Experience working effectively in fully remote, distributed team environments.

Experience with AI agent design patterns, task planning, and reasoning.

Experience across mobile, platform engineering, or testing domains in addition to full-stack web. Familiarity with Lean and Agile principles and frameworks.

Experience contributing to business development and technical strategy initiatives. The salary range for this role is $170,000 - $220,000 CAD per year. Depending on the position offered, bonus, equity, and other forms of compensation may be provided as part of a total compensation package.

We provide you with modern tools, systems and approaches, value your time, safety, and health, and strive to build a work community where you can thrive and grow. Broaden your skills on a range of engagements with international brands that have a global impact. We’re truly committed to building a culture where you are celebrated and everyone feels welcome and safe.

Accelerate your professional growth with generous training budgets and mentorship, with a specific focus on Agentic AI expertise and the critical human skills required for the future of work.

Generous vacation policy: Work-life balance is key to our team’s success, so we offer flexible personal time off (PTO); Tailor your extended health and dental plan to your needs, priorities, and preferences.

Flexible work arrangements: We work in a variety of ways, from remote, to in-office, to a blend of both. APPLY is a safe, respectful, and inclusive community where differences are celebrated. Learn more in our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) section.

📌 Principal Agentic Engineer - Talent Pipeline (Vancouver)
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📍 Vancouver