Staff Software Engineer – AI Center of Excellence

Neilson Financial Services•Pasadena, CA

1d•$275,000 - $350,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a talented Staff Software Engineer, AI COE to lead a new engineering team designed as a force multiplier to guide our team to the next level of enterprise agentic software development. In this role, you’re not only a hands-on developer, but also a guide to drive our modernization strategy. We are in the midst of an exciting transformation initiative having set our ambitions on creating everything net new with AI harnessing. It’s not any one team you’ll be focusing on, rather you will play an integral part in our digital evolution. This is a highly strategic, hands-on leadership opportunity serving as our principal subject matter expert responsible for designing the look and feel of our AI journey. As the founding team member, you have the opportunity to build and lead a dedicated team destined to become Neilson’s AI center of excellence. Your team will drive the redesign of existing platforms while incorporating the latest Agentic AI tools so that we can continue to grow.

Requirements

Demonstrated expertise in designing and delivering complex software systems in modern cloud environments
Deep experience building production software using Python and at least one compiled language such as Go or .NET
Strong knowledge of Azure and/or AWS cloud platforms, cloud-native architecture, and distributed systems
Experience with Infrastructure as Code using Terraform or equivalent technologies
Proven experience integrating AI capabilities into software development workflows, including experience with LLM APIs, SDKs, agent frameworks, orchestration platforms, or local inference solutions
Strong understanding of secure software engineering, CI/CD pipelines, DevOps practices, and modern software delivery methodologies
Experience developing architectural standards, reusable frameworks, and engineering patterns used by multiple development teams
Ability to influence technical direction across teams through collaboration, mentorship, and technical leadership rather than organizational authority
Comfortable working in Agile environments with a bias toward pragmatic, iterative delivery and continuous improvement
Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for both engineering and executive audiences

Nice To Haves

Experience designing or implementing multi-agent AI systems and autonomous software workflows.
Familiarity with Anthropic models, OpenRouter, local LLM deployment, model orchestration, and AI developer tooling
Experience modernizing enterprise applications and guiding organizations through cloud and AI transformation initiatives
Knowledge of AI governance, model evaluation, observability, prompt management, and responsible AI practices
Experience building internal developer platforms, engineering enablement tools, or Centers of Excellence
Experience working in highly regulated industries where security, compliance, and operational reliability are critical
Demonstrated ability to identify emerging technologies and successfully introduce them into enterprise engineering organizations
Passion for coaching engineers and fostering a culture of experimentation, continuous learning, and technical excellence

Responsibilities

Serve as the technical leader for the AI Center of Excellence, establishing engineering patterns, frameworks, and best practices that enable AI-assisted software development across the organization
Design and implement scalable multi-agent AI harnesses and developer workflows that accelerate software delivery while maintaining security, reliability, and governance
Partner with engineering teams to modernize existing applications and guide the adoption of AI-driven development practices across multiple product domains
Architect cloud-native solutions leveraging Azure, AWS, infrastructure-as-code, and modern DevOps practices to support enterprise-scale software delivery
Evaluate emerging AI tooling, local and hosted LLMs, inference frameworks, SDKs, and orchestration technologies, recommending solutions that align with business objectives
Establish reusable engineering standards, reference implementations, and technical frameworks that enable teams to build AI-powered applications consistently
Mentor engineers across the organization, acting as a trusted technical advisor while helping teams adopt modern software engineering and AI development practices
Collaborate closely with product, infrastructure, security, and architecture teams to ensure AI solutions meet enterprise standards for scalability, compliance, and operational excellence
Drive proof-of-concepts through production deployment, demonstrating measurable improvements in developer productivity and software delivery
Build and lead a small team of engineers as the AI Center of Excellence grows