Early-Career Software Engineer - AI Applications

Key Responsibilities

• Develop production software using Python and modern development frameworks.
• Build AI-powered applications using large language models and AI APIs.
• Help develop retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines and agent-based workflows.
• Build and consume REST APIs and cloud-native services.
• Write clean, maintainable, well-tested code using AI coding assistance tools like Claude Code and GitHub Copilot CLI.
• Participate in code reviews and architectural discussions to ensure high-quality software delivery.
• Assist with deployment, monitoring, and troubleshooting of production applications to maintain reliability and performance.
• Learn how to evaluate AI systems for quality, accuracy, reliability, and cost efficiency.
• Work with researchers and technical staff to understand requirements and translate ideas into scalable software solutions.
• Contribute to improving development standards, documentation, and engineering practices across the team.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience).
• Academic or professional software development experience demonstrating the ability to deliver working code.
• Strong programming skills in Python or another modern programming language.
• Solid understanding of object-oriented programming, algorithms, and data structures.
• Experience using Git and collaborative software development workflows.
• Familiarity with REST APIs and how to integrate them into applications.
• Strong debugging and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to learn new technologies quickly and adapt to evolving AI tools and frameworks.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B visa status).

Skills Inventory

• Essential Skills: Python programming, Git version control, REST API development, object-oriented design, debugging and troubleshooting, written and verbal communication, and the ability to quickly learn new technologies.
• Preferred Skills: Experience with Large Language Models (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), vector databases, LangChain or LangGraph, FastAPI, Docker, AWS cloud services, SQL and NoSQL databases, automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, machine learning fundamentals, prompt engineering, open-source software contributions, and personal AI projects or hackathons.

Salary & Compensation Estimation

The anticipated pay range for this role is $73,000 to $90,000 per year, representing national averages and may vary by location as a geographic differential may be applied to some locations within the United States. RTI considers multiple factors when making an offer including established salary range, internal budget, business needs, and education and years of work experience possessed by the applicant. In addition to competitive base salary, RTI offers a generous paid time off policy, merit-based annual increases, bonus opportunities, a robust recognition program, comprehensive insurance plans (health, dental, life, short-term and long-term disability), a retirement savings program (401(k) plan), paid parental leave for all parents, financial assistance with adoption expenses or infertility treatments, financial reimbursement for education and developmental opportunities, an employee assistance program, and numerous other offerings to support a healthy work-life balance.