Senior Software Engineer

CNA Insurance•Chicago, IL

35d•$72,000 - $141,000

About The Position

You have a clear vision of where your career can go. And we have the leadership to help you get there. At CNA, we strive to create a culture in which people know they matter and are part of something important, ensuring the abilities of all employees are used to their fullest potential. We are looking for a highly skilled Senior Python AI Developer with deep expertise in building intelligent agents using Google Vertex AI, particularly with Gemini or OpenAI models. The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in Large Language Models and understands how they work under the hood, combined with experience in evaluating model performance through structured testing methodologies. This role requires proficiency in the technical aspects of agent development while adhering to best practices in prompt engineering, context filtering, and security-aware prompting. The candidate should also have hands-on experience with modern agent frameworks and observability tools, ensuring robust, scalable, and reliable AI solutions. JOB DESCRIPTION: Essential Duties & Responsibilities: Performs a combination of duties in accordance with departmental guidelines: Evaluates defined client area requirements and processes (e.g., new enhancements or maintenance) and detailed designs and develops moderate to complex application program solutions. Ensures quality of application solutions by performing code review with peers, creating documentation, implementing code, verifying program logic, performing defect root cause analysis, and completing unit and integration testing. Participates in systems testing with other IT staff. Assists with the high level design of solutions. Consults with the client area to analyze system requirements and capabilities, identify associated risks, and resolve problems. May act as a liaison between clients and applications area. Researches and evaluates new and/or alternative solutions, and recommends the most efficient and cost effective solution for the systems/program design and develops system specifications and procedures. May include integrating vendor applications and consulting resources into existing applications and resources. In conjunction with operations area technical staff, supports the implementation of the application into production and testing environments. May confer with technical personnel to identify and resolve issues. Reporting Relationship: Typically Manager or above

Requirements

Senior-level proficiency in Python, with experience in AI/ML development
Strong understanding of Large Language Models (LLMs) and their operational mechanics
Experience developing AI Agents on Google Vertex AI using Gemini or OpenAI
Expertise in Prompt Engineering Best Practices
Hands-on experience with: Google Agent Development Kit LangChain and LangGraph
Knowledge of Context Filtering and Prompting Security Best Practices
Familiarity with observability and debugging tools: LangSmith LangFuse Phoenix or Arize
Experience with Eval AI Testing and model evaluation workflows
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, or related discipline, or equivalent work experience.
Typically a minimum four years of application program development experience.
Applicable certificates preferred.

Responsibilities

Evaluates defined client area requirements and processes (e.g., new enhancements or maintenance) and detailed designs and develops moderate to complex application program solutions.
Ensures quality of application solutions by performing code review with peers, creating documentation, implementing code, verifying program logic, performing defect root cause analysis, and completing unit and integration testing.
Participates in systems testing with other IT staff.
Assists with the high level design of solutions.
Consults with the client area to analyze system requirements and capabilities, identify associated risks, and resolve problems.
May act as a liaison between clients and applications area.
Researches and evaluates new and/or alternative solutions, and recommends the most efficient and cost effective solution for the systems/program design and develops system specifications and procedures.
May include integrating vendor applications and consulting resources into existing applications and resources.
In conjunction with operations area technical staff, supports the implementation of the application into production and testing environments.
May confer with technical personnel to identify and resolve issues.