Software Engineer - AI Applications

RTI International • Durham, NC

3d • $122,000 - $150,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

RTI International is seeking a Software Engineer with experience in building cloud-native applications and applying AI technologies to practical business, research, or client needs. The ideal candidate will have contributed to systems beyond the proof-of-concept stage and understands the engineering required to make AI-enabled applications reliable, secure, and maintainable. This role involves working through ambiguity, explaining technical trade-offs, and collaborating with researchers, data scientists, and software engineers. The candidate should be able to distinguish between a compelling demonstration and a production-ready solution, and have personally contributed to building and deploying AI-enabled applications.

Requirements

• Master's degree and at least three years of relevant work experience building cloud-native applications such as APIs, microservices, containerization, or serverless functions; OR a Bachelor's degree with at least five years of relevant experience building cloud-native applications such as APIs, microservices, containerization, or serverless functions.
• At least two years of programming experience in Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, or similar languages commonly used in AI and backend development.
• Demonstrated experience contributing to the development and deployment of AI- or LLM-based systems, including retrieval pipelines, prompt design, agentic workflows, or workflow automation.
• Experience integrating commercial or open-source AI models into a software application through APIs or model-serving infrastructure.
• Experience developing systems that work with sensitive, restricted, or confidential data, and understanding how data access, privacy, and compliance requirements influence system design.
• Proficiency with shared version control (e.g., Git) and collaborative software development workflows.
• Familiarity with modern deployment and delivery practices, including CI/CD pipelines, containers, and basic infrastructure-as-code concepts.
• Experience working in cross-functional, team-based environments, including participating in technical discussions, reviews, and iterative delivery.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain AI system behavior, trade-offs, and limitations to non-technical researchers, clients, and federal stakeholders.
• Legally authorized to work in the United States and not require future sponsorship for employment visa status.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with AI orchestration frameworks such as LangChain, LlamaIndex, or similar tools.
• Exposure to AI orchestration or workflow frameworks, or experience building applications that coordinate multiple models, tools, or processing steps.
• Experience working with one or more cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.
• Experience working with relational and cloud-native database systems (e.g., PostgreSQL, SQL-based systems).
• Experience supporting projects in enterprise, regulated, or research-driven environments.
• Experience contributing to proposals, technical writing, or business development efforts in a research or federal contracting context.
• Proficiency with Unix/Linux command-line environments.
• Interest in growing into more senior AI engineering or technical leadership roles within a collaborative, research‑driven environment.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain AI‑enabled systems and multi-step workflows, including retrieval, tool use, orchestration, and iterative improvement, with a focus on production readiness and maintainability.
• Contribute to AI systems that integrate with and extend RTI’s existing platforms—such as survey data collection, systematic review pipelines, data quality assurance tools, and proposal workflows—working within established architectures and constraints.
• Develop and deploy cloud‑native services using APIs, containers, and modern CI/CD practices, contributing to scalable, secure, and cost‑aware AI solutions in enterprise environments.
• Translate research, business, and client needs into working AI applications that automate or augment workflows, collaborating closely with data scientists, researchers, and software engineers to ensure practical value and methodological rigor.
• Contribute to testing and evaluation approaches for AI systems, including performance monitoring, reliability checks, and cost/quality trade‑off analysis appropriate for federally regulated and research‑driven contexts.
• Participate in technical discussions, workshops, and prototype development with internal teams and clients, helping gather requirements, demonstrate solutions, and iterate based on stakeholder feedback.
• Document systems, contribute to reusable components and shared abstractions, and support internal knowledge sharing to strengthen RTI’s AI engineering practices over time.

Benefits

• competitive base salary
• generous paid time off policy
• merit based annual increases
• bonus opportunities
• robust recognition program
• competitive range of insurance plans (including health, dental, life, and short-term and long-term disability)
• access to a retirement savings program such as a 401(k) plan
• paid parental leave for all parents
• financial assistance with adoption expenses or infertility treatments
• financial reimbursement for education and developmental opportunities
• employee assistance program
• numerous other offerings to support a healthy work-life balance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level