Senior AI Engineer

Job Posting Organization:
The organization is the largest nonprofit dedicated to fighting poverty, disease, and inequity globally. Founded on the principle that all individuals, regardless of their identity or circumstances, should have the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives, the organization emphasizes diversity among its employees to reflect the global populations it serves. It offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage without premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, retirement contributions, regional holidays, and opportunities for employees to engage in various communities. The organization is committed to fostering an environment that supports both personal and professional growth.

Job Overview:
The position of Senior AI Engineer is integral to the Institute for Disease Modeling (IDM), which is part of the Gates Foundation. The IDM focuses on developing and sharing computational modeling tools to support global health initiatives aimed at eradicating infectious diseases. The role requires a senior generalist engineer who is enthusiastic about designing and building modern AI systems, including agentic systems, retrieval pipelines, and backend services. The engineer will work collaboratively with researchers and other team members to create impactful AI solutions that address real-world problems in global health. This position is a 36-month limited-term role based in Seattle, WA, with relocation assistance provided. The engineer will be responsible for architecting and implementing scalable backend services, developing AI evaluation pipelines, and collaborating with various stakeholders to translate complex problems into effective software solutions.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Senior AI Engineer will be tasked with designing and building agentic AI systems that involve multi-step workflows, tool usage, and autonomous task orchestration using modern LLM frameworks. Responsibilities include building and operating retrieval systems, designing AI evaluation pipelines, and maintaining scalable backend services and APIs. The engineer will make senior-level architectural decisions regarding model choice and infrastructure, mentor other engineers, and develop data pipelines leveraging Azure and Hugging Face. Additionally, the engineer will harden prototypes into production-ready systems, ensuring they are reliable and well-documented. Collaboration with researchers and program staff to identify knowledge gaps and propose solutions is also a key responsibility.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Bachelor’s degree in a technical field and have at least 5 years of experience in building production software, or equivalent experience. An advanced degree is preferred but not mandatory. Strong backend engineering skills are essential, along with proficiency in Python and experience with AI frameworks such as PyTorch or Hugging Face. Candidates should have hands-on experience with LLM-powered applications, backend APIs in cloud environments, and AI evaluations. Familiarity with data pipelines, MLOps workflows, and DevOps practices is also required. The ability to make architectural tradeoffs and mentor others is crucial, as is the capacity to work directly with researchers and translate complex problems into software solutions.

Educational Background:
A Bachelor’s degree in a technical field is required, with a preference for candidates holding an advanced degree. The educational background should be relevant to software engineering, computer science, or a related discipline that supports the technical demands of the role.

Experience:
Candidates should have a minimum of 5 years of experience in building production software, demonstrating strong general-purpose backend engineering skills. Experience with AI applications, cloud environments, and data pipelines is essential. The role requires a proven track record of taking projects from prototype to production, showcasing the ability to deliver reliable software solutions.

Languages:
Proficiency in English is mandatory, as the role requires clear communication with diverse stakeholders. Additional language skills may be beneficial but are not specified as a requirement.

Additional Notes:
This position is a full-time, 36-month limited-term role based in Seattle, WA, with relocation assistance provided. The salary range for this role is between $186,400 to $288,800 USD, with higher ranges for positions in Seattle and Washington D.C. The organization emphasizes a mission-driven approach to compensation, balancing competitive pay with its overarching goals. Candidates must have unrestricted work authorization in the United States, as the organization does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. The hiring process includes a background check, and accommodations are available for candidates with disabilities.