AI Modernization Senior Lead Software Engineer

$171K - $260K Jersey City, NJ, US Senior AI Software Engineer

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Skills & Technologies

AwsClaudeKubernetesPrompt EngineeringPythonRag

About This Role

AI job market dashboard showing open roles by category

JOB DESCRIPTION

Be an integral part of an agile team that's constantly pushing the envelope to enhance, build, and deliver top\-notch technology products.

As an AI Modernization Senior Lead Software Engineer at JPMorganChase within the Consumer and Community Bank\- Wealth Management Technology, you are an integral part of an agile team that works to enhance, build, and deliver trusted market\-leading technology products in a secure, stable, and scalable way. Drive significant business impact through your capabilities and contributions, and apply deep technical expertise and problem\-solving methodologies to tackle a diverse array of challenges that span multiple technologies and applications.

In this role you will design, build, and ship the agentic systems that ingest decades of mainframe logic and produce verified, production\-ready modern services. You work directly alongside domain SMEs to turn legacy COBOL, JCL, DB2, and batch schedules into structured specifications — then drive those specs through agent\-accelerated delivery into the target platform. You are a builder first: comfortable architecting multi\-agent orchestration one day and debugging a prompt chain against production edge cases the next. You have deep proficiency extending and operating coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, Copilot), and you bring the engineering rigor to make AI outputs reliable at enterprise scale. You thrive on hard problems, move fast, and care deeply about shipping software that works.

Job responsibilities

  • Builds and operates the spec generation pipeline — Implement artifact ingestion (COBOL source, JCL, job schedules, DB2 schemas, SME\-captured knowledge), chunking strategies, and RAG pipelines that produce structured calculation and workflow specifications validated by domain experts.
  • Develops agentic workflows for code translation and migration — Design, implement, and iterate on multi\-agent systems that translate legacy logic into target\-state code (Kotlin/JVM). Build orchestration layers, tool\-use patterns, and guardrails that ensure output correctness for financial calculations.
  • Builds evaluation and verification infrastructure — Create automated test harnesses that compare migrated calculation outputs against legacy results. Implement parity testing frameworks, regression suites, and confidence scoring to gate production cutover decisions.
  • Contributes to the standard calculation runtime — Help build and extend the target platform that migrated calculations deploy into. Ensure the runtime supports deterministic, immutable, auditable execution.
  • Partners with domain SMEs — Embed with mainframe subject\-matter experts across Credit, Money Market \& Mutual Funds, Statements \& Tax, and IBOR to validate agent outputs, refine prompt strategies, and close knowledge gaps in specifications.
  • Extends ETL and CDC pipelines for agent workflows — Build and integrate event sourcing, CDC (change data capture), and data pipelines that support end\-to\-end migrated workflows, including upstream/downstream dependency mapping.
  • Operates AI systems in production — Own LLMOps for the toolchain: deployment, monitoring, cost management, latency optimization, token budget management, and incident response. Ensure reliability and compliance for 24/7 operation.
  • Iterates rapidly and ships continuously — Work in tight build\-measure\-learn cycles. Prototype quickly, instrument everything, and make data\-driven decisions about agent architectures, model selection, and prompt strategies.
  • Contributes to shared tooling and infrastructure — Build reusable libraries, evaluation harnesses, prompt templates, and orchestration patterns that scale AI capabilities across all four core processing domains.
  • Drives adoption and governance of approved AI\-assisted engineering practices across teams to improve code quality, delivery speed, and operational outcomes (e.g., AI\-assisted code review/refactoring, test acceleration, release readiness, incident/root\-cause analysis), while establishing measurable validation standards (secure coding, peer review, automated testing) and promoting reuse of proven patterns and automation within the SDLC/TLM toolchain.
  • Applies knowledge of tools within the Software Development Life Cycle toolchain, including approved AI\-assisted development and automation capabilities, to improve the value realized by automation at scale.

Required qualifications, capabilities, and skills

  • Formal training or certification on software engineering concepts and 5\+ years applied experience
  • Hands\-on experience building LLM\-based applications — agentic architectures, RAG pipelines, prompt engineering, and evaluation frameworks
  • Strong software engineering fundamentals: distributed systems, event\-driven architectures, API design, testing practices, and cloud platforms (AWS/EKS/ECS)
  • Expert proficiency with AI\-assisted development tools (Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor) as core daily workflow
  • Strong experience with Python development in production environments
  • Demonstrated ability to operate and debug complex systems — you own what you ship
  • Clear communicator who can articulate technical trade\-offs to both engineers and business stakeholders
  • Demonstrated experience leading effective use of enterprise\-authorized AI\-assisted software development tools within the work environment (e.g., for coding, code review, test acceleration, troubleshooting) with the ability to set team expectations for validating AI outputs for correctness, performance, and security
  • Strong understanding of responsible AI use in engineering workflows, including data sensitivity considerations, secure handling of inputs/outputs, and adherence to resiliency and security expectations; experience coaching senior engineers/leads on compliant usage patterns and controls.
  • Experience in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical field

Preferred qualifications, capabilities, and skills

  • Experience with legacy systems, mainframe technologies (COBOL, JCL, DB2\), or large\-scale migration programs
  • Familiarity with workflow orchestration (Temporal, Airflow) and event sourcing / CDC patterns and experience building code analysis, translation, or verification tooling
  • Experience with Kafka, PostgreSQL, and container orchestration (Kubernetes/EKS)
  • Background in financial services — wealth management, brokerage, or capital markets processing

ABOUT US

JPMorganChase, one of the oldest financial institutions, offers innovative financial solutions to millions of consumers, small businesses and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under the J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Our history spans over 200 years and today we are a leader in investment banking, consumer and small business banking, commercial banking, financial transaction processing and asset management.

We offer a competitive total rewards package including base salary determined based on the role, experience, skill set and location. Those in eligible roles may receive commission\-based pay and/or discretionary incentive compensation, paid in the form of cash and/or forfeitable equity, awarded in recognition of individual achievements and contributions. We also offer a range of benefits and programs to meet employee needs, based on eligibility. These benefits include comprehensive health care coverage, on\-site health and wellness centers, a retirement savings plan, backup childcare, tuition reimbursement, mental health support, financial coaching and more. Additional details about total compensation and benefits will be provided during the hiring process.

We recognize that our people are our strength and the diverse talents they bring to our global workforce are directly linked to our success. We are an equal opportunity employer and place a high value on diversity and inclusion at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute, including race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or veteran status, pregnancy or disability, or any other basis protected under applicable law. We also make reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as mental health or physical disability needs. Visit our FAQs for more information about requesting an accommodation.

JPMorgan Chase \& Co. is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including Disability/Veterans

ABOUT THE TEAM

Our Consumer \& Community Banking Group depends on innovators like you to serve consumers, small businesses, municipalities and non\-profits. You'll support the delivery of award winning tools and services that cover everything from personal and small business banking as well as lending, mortgages, credit cards, payments, auto finance and investment advice. This group is also focused on developing and delivering cutting edged mobile applications, digital experiences and next generation banking technology solutions to better serve our clients and customers.

Salary Context

This $171K-$260K range is above the 75th percentile for AI Software Engineer roles in our dataset (median: $183K across 194 roles with salary data).

Role Details

Company JPMorganChase
Title AI Modernization Senior Lead Software Engineer
Location Jersey City, NJ, US
Category AI Software Engineer
Experience Senior
Salary $171K - $260K
Remote No

About This Role

AI Software Engineers build the applications and systems that AI models run inside. They own the API layers, data pipelines, frontend integrations, and infrastructure that turn a model into a product users interact with. Every AI company needs engineers who can build the software around the AI.

The challenge is building reliable systems around inherently unreliable components. Models are probabilistic. They'll give different answers to the same question. They hallucinate. They're slow. They're expensive. Your job is to build an application layer that handles all of this gracefully while delivering a product that users trust and enjoy.

Across the 3,708 AI roles we're tracking, AI Software Engineer positions make up 7% of the market. At JPMorganChase, this role fits into their broader AI and engineering organization.

AI Software Engineer roles are among the most numerous in the AI job market. Every company deploying AI needs software engineers who understand AI integration patterns. The demand is broad, spanning startups to enterprises, across every industry adopting AI capabilities.

What the Work Looks Like

A typical week includes: building API endpoints that serve model inference with caching and fallback logic, designing the data pipeline that feeds context to a RAG system, implementing streaming responses in the frontend, debugging a race condition in the async inference pipeline, and optimizing database queries for the vector search layer. It's full-stack engineering with AI at the center.

AI Software Engineer roles are among the most numerous in the AI job market. Every company deploying AI needs software engineers who understand AI integration patterns. The demand is broad, spanning startups to enterprises, across every industry adopting AI capabilities.

Skills Required

Aws (30% of roles) Claude (13% of roles) Kubernetes (12% of roles) Prompt Engineering (15% of roles) Python (51% of roles) Rag (23% of roles)

Full-stack engineering skills with AI integration experience. Python and TypeScript are the most common requirements. You'll need to understand API design, database architecture, and how to build reliable systems around probabilistic outputs. Experience with streaming, async processing, and caching patterns is increasingly important as real-time AI applications proliferate.

Knowledge of vector databases, embedding APIs, and LLM integration patterns (function calling, structured outputs, retry logic) differentiates AI software engineers from general software engineers. Understanding cost optimization (caching strategies, model routing, batched inference) is valuable since inference costs can dominate application economics.

Strong postings describe the product you'll be building, the AI integration patterns you'll work with, and the scale requirements. Look for companies that have existing AI features and need engineers to improve and expand them, not companies that are 'planning to add AI' someday.

Compensation Benchmarks

AI Software Engineer roles pay a median of $219,250 based on 424 positions with disclosed compensation. Senior-level AI roles across all categories have a median of $230,000. Disclosed range: $171K to $260K.

Across all AI roles, the market median is $217,500. Top-quartile compensation starts at $272,100. The 90th percentile reaches $325,000. For comparison, the highest-paying categories include AI Safety ($300,000) and Research Engineer ($280,000). By seniority level: Entry: $120,000; Mid: $200,000; Senior: $230,000; Director: $272,150; VP: $250,000.

JPMorganChase AI Hiring

JPMorganChase has 88 open AI roles right now. They're hiring across AI Software Engineer, AI/ML Engineer, Data Scientist, AI Product Manager. Positions span Jersey City, NJ, US, Columbus, OH, US, New York, NY, US. Compensation range: $130K - $325K.

Location Context

Across all AI roles, 14% (508 positions) offer remote work, while 3,180 require on-site attendance. Top AI hiring metros: New York (1,045 roles, $220,000 median); San Francisco (810 roles, $277,088 median); Los Angeles (397 roles, $215,000 median).

Career Path

Common paths into AI Software Engineer roles include Software Engineer, Full-Stack Developer, Backend Engineer.

From here, career progression typically leads toward Staff Engineer, AI Architect, Engineering Manager.

If you're a software engineer, you're already 80% there. Learn the AI integration patterns: RAG, streaming inference, function calling, structured outputs. Build a project that demonstrates you can wrap an AI model in a production-quality application with proper error handling, caching, and user experience. That's the portfolio piece that gets you hired.

What to Expect in Interviews

Technical screens look like standard software engineering interviews with an AI twist. Expect system design questions about building reliable applications around probabilistic models: handling streaming responses, implementing retry logic for API failures, and designing caching strategies for LLM outputs. Coding rounds test standard algorithms plus practical integration patterns like async processing and rate limiting.

When evaluating opportunities: Strong postings describe the product you'll be building, the AI integration patterns you'll work with, and the scale requirements. Look for companies that have existing AI features and need engineers to improve and expand them, not companies that are 'planning to add AI' someday.

AI Hiring Overview

The AI job market has 3,708 open positions tracked in our dataset. By seniority: 102 entry-level, 1,705 mid-level, 1,469 senior, and 432 leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level). Remote roles make up 14% of the market (508 positions). The remaining 3,180 roles require on-site or hybrid attendance.

The market median for AI roles is $217,500. Top-quartile compensation starts at $272,100. The 90th percentile reaches $325,000. Highest-paying categories: AI Safety ($300,000 median, 21 roles); Research Engineer ($280,000 median, 147 roles); AI Architect ($254,798 median, 67 roles).

AI Software Engineer roles are among the most numerous in the AI job market. Every company deploying AI needs software engineers who understand AI integration patterns. The demand is broad, spanning startups to enterprises, across every industry adopting AI capabilities.

The AI Job Market Today

The AI job market spans 3,708 open positions across 16 role categories. The largest categories by volume: AI/ML Engineer (2,605), Data Scientist (310), AI Software Engineer (259). These three account for the majority of open positions, though smaller categories often have higher per-role compensation because of specialized skill requirements.

The seniority mix tells a story about where AI teams are in their maturity. Entry-level roles (102) are outnumbered by mid-level (1,705) and senior (1,469) positions, reflecting that most companies are past the 'build a team from scratch' phase and need experienced engineers who can ship production systems. Leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level) total 432 positions, representing the bottleneck between technical execution and organizational strategy.

Remote work availability sits at 14% of all AI roles (508 positions), with 3,180 requiring on-site or hybrid attendance. The remote share has stabilized after the post-pandemic correction. Senior and specialized roles (Research Scientist, ML Architect) are more likely to be remote-eligible than entry-level positions, partly because experienced hires have more negotiating power and partly because these roles require less hands-on mentorship.

AI compensation is structured in clear tiers. The market median sits at $217,500. Top-quartile roles start at $272,100, and the 90th percentile reaches $325,000. These figures include base salary with disclosed compensation. Total compensation (including equity, bonuses, and sign-on) runs 20-40% higher at companies that offer those components.

Category matters for compensation. AI Safety roles lead at $300,000 median, while Prompt Engineer roles sit at $140,000. The spread between highest and lowest-paying categories reflects the premium on specialized technical skills versus broader analytical roles.

The most in-demand skills across all AI postings: Python (1,890 postings), Aws (1,103 postings), Azure (877 postings), Rag (855 postings), Gcp (631 postings), Prompt Engineering (560 postings), Pytorch (545 postings), Claude (498 postings). Python dominates, appearing in the vast majority of role descriptions regardless of category. Cloud platform experience (AWS, GCP, Azure) is the second most common requirement. The newer entrants to the top skills list (RAG, vector databases, LLM APIs) reflect the shift from traditional ML toward generative AI applications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Based on 424 roles with disclosed compensation, the median salary for AI Software Engineer positions is $219,250. Actual compensation varies by seniority, location, and company stage.
Full-stack engineering skills with AI integration experience. Python and TypeScript are the most common requirements. You'll need to understand API design, database architecture, and how to build reliable systems around probabilistic outputs. Experience with streaming, async processing, and caching patterns is increasingly important as real-time AI applications proliferate.
About 14% of the 3,708 AI roles we track offer remote work. Remote availability varies by company and seniority level, with senior and leadership roles more likely to offer location flexibility.
JPMorganChase is among the companies actively hiring for AI and ML talent. Check our company profiles for detailed breakdowns of open roles, salary ranges, and hiring trends.
Common next steps from AI Software Engineer positions include Staff Engineer, AI Architect, Engineering Manager. Progression depends on whether you lean toward technical depth, people management, or product strategy.

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