Software Engineer - AI Applications

Job Summary

RTI International, a leading nonprofit research institute, is seeking a Software Engineer with a strong background in cloud-native application development and a proven track record of deploying AI technologies into production. This is a full-time, remote-friendly position based in the United States, offering an opportunity to work on high-impact projects in health, energy, and education. As a key member of a multidisciplinary team, you will design, build, and maintain AI-powered systems that integrate with RTI's research infrastructure, including survey platforms, systematic review pipelines, and data quality tools. The role demands an engineer who can navigate ambiguity, explain technical trade-offs, and deliver robust solutions in federally regulated environments. If you are passionate about translating research and business needs into reliable, scalable AI applications, and have experience moving beyond proof-of-concept to production, this is an exceptional opportunity to contribute to meaningful, mission-driven work.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement AI-enabled systems and multi-step workflows, including retrieval, tool use, orchestration, and iterative improvement, ensuring production readiness and maintainability.
• Integrate AI solutions with RTI's existing infrastructure, such as survey data collection platforms, systematic review pipelines, data quality assurance systems, and proposal development workflows.
• Develop and deploy cloud-native services using APIs, containers, and modern CI/CD practices, focusing on scalability, security, and cost efficiency.
• Translate research, business, and client needs into functional AI applications that automate or augment workflows, collaborating with data scientists, researchers, and software engineers.
• Contribute to testing and evaluation strategies for AI systems, including performance monitoring, reliability checks, and cost/quality trade-off analysis.
• Engage in technical discussions, workshops, and prototype development with internal teams and clients, iterating based on stakeholder feedback.
• Document systems, create reusable components, and share knowledge to strengthen RTI's AI engineering practices.
• Work with sensitive, restricted, or confidential data, ensuring compliance with privacy and regulatory requirements.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

• Master's degree and at least three years of relevant work experience building cloud-native applications (APIs, microservices, containerization, or serverless functions); OR a Bachelor's degree with at least five years of relevant experience.
• At least two years of programming experience in Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, or similar languages used in AI and backend development.
• Proven 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 software applications via APIs or model-serving infrastructure.
• Experience developing systems that work with sensitive data and understanding data access, privacy, and compliance implications.
• Proficiency with Git and collaborative software development workflows.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, containers, and basic infrastructure-as-code concepts.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain AI system behavior to non-technical audiences.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States without visa sponsorship.

Skills Inventory

• Cloud-native development (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
• Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, or similar languages
• AI orchestration frameworks (LangChain, LlamaIndex)
• Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)
• CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
• Prompt design and LLM integration
• Database systems (PostgreSQL, SQL)
• System evaluation and quality assurance
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Unix/Linux command-line proficiency

Salary & Compensation Estimation

The annual hiring salary range for this position is $122,000 to $150,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications. This is a competitive range for a senior-level software engineering role with AI specialization, reflecting the technical expertise and responsibility required. RTI International also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and professional development opportunities, which adds significant value to the total compensation.