Principal AI/ML Architect
Varo Money
Software Engineering, IT, Data Science
San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted on Mar 20, 2026
Varo is an entirely new kind of bank. All digital, mission-driven, FDIC insured and designed for the way our customers live their lives. A bank for all of us.
About the role
Join Varo Bank as a Principal AI/ML Architect and help us redefine the future of digital banking. This is a "builder-leader" role designed for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. You won't just draw diagrams; you will engineer the intelligent systems that power our lending infrastructure. We are looking for a "technical hybrid" who thrives on autonomy and innovation. You will act as a key thought leader, partnering with the Senior Director of Data and AI/ML Engineering to drive Varo toward becoming an AI-first organization. Whether you are designing our future-state Feature Store using Databricks or deploying GenAI "summary bots" for our call centers, your work will directly influence the financial lives of millions of users.
Reporting directly to the Head of Data Engineering and Analytics, you will serve as the technical North Star for our AI evolution. You will leverage the full AWS GenAI stack—from Bedrock and AgentCore to complex RAG architectures—to turn Varo into a GenAI-native powerhouse. If you enjoy moving at start-up speed with the resources of a licensed bank, this is your seat.
What you'll be doing
- Architecting GenAI Ecosystems: Design and implement production-grade GenAI agents using AWS Bedrock, AgentCore, and Strands Agents. Build robust RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) pipelines utilizing OpenSearch and S3 Vector stores.
- Scale Modern MLOps & Feature Stores: Lead the development and integration of a world-class MLOp s platform. Build and maintain Varo's Feature Store Platform architecture and ensure low-latency data availability for both real-time lending decisions and batch model training.
- Data Fabric & Integration: Oversee the integration of core AWS analytics services (Glue, Glue Data Catalog, Athena) to ensure AI models have high-quality, governed data "fuel."
- High-Velocity Execution: Navigate the complexities of a fast-changing environment, collaborating across Data Science, Credit, and Product teams to move from PoC to production in weeks, not months.
- Executive Influencing: Act as a key contributor to the Architecture Guild, using strong presentation skills to translate complex EKS/EC2 infrastructure and AI scaling strategies for executive stakeholders.
- Drive Strategy: Serve as a subject matter expert within the Architecture Guild, presenting technical proposals and influencing senior leadership on emerging AI trends.
- Collaborate Horizontally: Partner across domains including Data Science, Credit Policy, and Data Engineering to ensure technical alignment with business goals.
You'll bring the following required skills and experiences
- Deep Experience: Ideally 10+ years in technical architecture with at least 5–7 years specifically focused on Machine Learning.
- Architectural Foundation: Strong mastery of foundational architecture, with proven experience building agents, context stores, and vector stores.
- AWS Mastery: Deep, hands-on experience with AWS SageMaker AI, Bedrock, S3, and OpenSearch. Familiarity with AgentCore and Strands Agents for autonomous task execution.
- Infrastructure & Compute: Proficiency in managing server infrastructure for AI workloads, specifically Amazon EKS (Kubernetes) and EC2 optimization for model hosting.
- Data Engineering Foundation: Expert knowledge of the AWS data stack: AWS Glue for ETL, Glue Data Catalog for metadata management, and Athena for serverless querying.
- Certifications: AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional or AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty is highly preferred
- The "Bridge" Mindset: A unique ability to balance high-level strategic thought leadership with a passion for hands-on, tactical execution.
We recognize not everyone will have all of these requirements. If you meet most of the criteria above and you’re excited about the opportunity and willing to learn, we’d love to hear from you!
About Varo
Varo launched in 2017 with the vision to bring the best of fintech into the regulated banking system. We’re a new kind of bank – all-digital, mission-driven, FDIC-insured, and designed around the modern American consumer.
As the first consumer fintech to be granted a national bank charter in 2020, we make financial inclusion and opportunity for all a reality by empowering everyone with the products, insights, and support they need to get ahead. Through our core product offerings and suite of customer-first features, we aim to address a broad range of consumer needs while profitably serving underserved communities that have been historically excluded from the traditional financial system.
Learn more about Varo by following us:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/varomoney
Instagram - www.instagram.com/varobank
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/varobank
Varo is an equal opportunity employer. Varo embraces diversity and we are committed to building teams that represent a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.
Beware of fraudulent job postings!
Varo will never ask for payment to process documents, refer you to a third party to process applications or visas, or ask you to pay costs. Never send money to anyone suggesting they can provide work with Varo. If you suspect you have received a phony offer, please e-mail careers@varomoney.com with the pertinent information and contact information.
CCPA Notice at Collection for California Employees and Applicants:
https://www.varomoney.com/privacy-legal/
200000 - 275000 USD a year
For cash compensation, we set standard ranges for all US-based roles based on function, level, and geographic location, benchmarked against similar-stage growth companies. Per applicable law, the salary range for this role is $200,000 - $275,000. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors as well as candidate experience and expertise and may vary from the identified range.
This role is also eligible for a bonus, equity, and competitive benefits.