Senior AI Engineer

Job Posting Organization:
The organization is the largest nonprofit dedicated to combating poverty, disease, and inequity globally. Founded on the principle that everyone, regardless of their identity or circumstances, deserves the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives, the foundation emphasizes diversity among its employees to reflect the global populations it serves. The organization offers a comprehensive benefits package, including 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 foundation is committed to fostering an environment that supports both personal and professional growth for its employees.

Job Overview:
As a Senior AI Engineer, you will play a crucial role in designing, building, and deploying AI solutions that support the foundation and its affiliates worldwide. This position requires a strong technical background and a hands-on approach to developing scalable, secure, and reliable AI systems that meet real organizational needs. You will be responsible for translating defined problem statements into effective technical solutions, collaborating closely with your team, and contributing directly to the implementation and delivery of AI initiatives. Your work will involve designing solutions, integrating systems, and ensuring that the solutions are production-ready and adhere to engineering best practices. You will also be expected to identify opportunities for improving performance, usability, and scalability of AI capabilities, while contributing to code quality, documentation, and shared standards within the team.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Your responsibilities will include developing and implementing agentic AI systems that involve multi-step workflows, tool use, and autonomous task orchestration using LLM-based frameworks. You will design, build, and deploy scalable AI/ML solutions utilizing Python and cloud-native services in Microsoft Azure, such as Azure OpenAI and Azure AI Search. Additionally, you will integrate AI capabilities into enterprise applications and workflows through APIs and microservices, translating business and technical requirements into robust, production-ready solutions. You will collaborate with engineers, product managers, and stakeholders to ensure that AI solutions align with requirements, contribute to solution design discussions, and utilize AI-assisted development tools to enhance development efficiency. Your role will also involve deploying, monitoring, and optimizing AI solutions in Azure, troubleshooting issues, and contributing to reusable components and engineering standards for AI development across the team.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience, typically requiring an advanced degree or equivalent experience along with a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills are essential, along with a commitment to operational excellence and continuous learning. Proficiency in Python programming is required, as well as hands-on experience with AI-assisted coding tools such as Claude Code and GitHub Copilot. Familiarity with state-of-the-art LLMs, agentic systems, and RAG architecture is necessary, along with practical knowledge of embeddings, tokenization, and frameworks like LangChain. Experience in deploying and maintaining ML/LLM systems in production is crucial, as is a deep understanding of data privacy and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security considerations in AI systems. Excellent communication skills and the ability to engage with diverse teams are also required.

Educational Background:
The position requires a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience, with a preference for candidates holding an advanced degree. The educational background should ideally include coursework or training in computer science, artificial intelligence, data science, or related fields that provide a strong foundation for the technical demands of the role.

Experience:
Candidates should have a minimum of 8 years of prior relevant experience, with at least 3 years of professional experience working with cloud technologies, preferably Azure. The experience should include a proven ability to prototype, iterate, and productionize innovative AI solutions that deliver measurable business value. Familiarity with agile development methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban is also beneficial.

Languages:
While the job description does not specify mandatory languages, proficiency in English is implied as it is the primary language of communication within the organization. Additional language skills may be advantageous, particularly in regions where the foundation operates.

Additional Notes:
This position is a limited-term role for 24 months and is based in Seattle, Washington, requiring a hybrid work model with 50% in-office attendance. The salary range for this role is between $157,400 to $236,000 USD, with higher ranges for positions located in Seattle and Washington D.C. New hires typically fall between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range, depending on their skills and experience. The foundation does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role, and candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States. The hiring process includes a background check, and the organization is committed to providing an inclusive hiring experience, offering accommodations for candidates with disabilities.