Software Engineer - AI Applications

About the role

RTI RTI International is an independent, scientific research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Our vision is to address the world's most critical problems with technical and science-based solutions in pursuit of a better future. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach—one that integrates expertise across social, statistical, data, and laboratory sciences, engineering, and other technical disciplines to solve the world’s most challenging problems. We believe in the promise of science and technical solutions, and we push ourselves every day to deliver on that promise for the good of people, communities, and businesses in the US and around the world. If you are looking for the opportunity to make a real difference, RTI is the place for you.

Responsibilities

• Ai System & Agent Development
• Enterprise & Research Infrastructure Integration
• Cloud-Native Engineering
• Workflow Translation & Automation
• Evaluation, Quality, and Reliability
• Client & Cross-Team Collaboration
• Reusable Patterns & Knowledge Sharing

Requirements

• Master's degree and at least three years of relevant work experience building cloud-native applications such as APIs, microservices, containerization, or serverless functions; OR a Bachelor's degree with at least five years of relevant experience building cloud-native applications such as APIs, microservices, containerization, or serverless functions.
• At least two years of programming experience in Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, or similar languages commonly used in AI and backend development.
• Demonstrated 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 a software application through APIs or model-serving infrastructure.
• Experience developing systems that work with sensitive, restricted, or confidential data, and understanding how data access, privacy, and compliance requirements influence system design.
• Proficiency with shared version control (e.g., Git) and collaborative software development workflows.
• Familiarity with modern deployment and delivery practices, including CI/CD pipelines, containers, and basic infrastructure-as-code concepts.
• Experience working in cross-functional, team-based environments, including participating in technical discussions, reviews, and iterative delivery.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain AI system behavior, trade-offs, and limitations to non-technical researchers, clients, and federal stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Minimum Qualifications
• Preferred Qualifications