Senior Software Engineer, AI/ML

$196K - $226K California Hot Springs, CA, US Senior AI Software Engineer

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Skills & Technologies

AwsLookerPythonTensorflow

About This Role

AI job market dashboard showing open roles by category

Job Overview

We are seeking a dynamic and innovative Senior Software Engineer specializing in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to join our forward\-thinking technology team. In this role, you will lead the development, training, and deployment of cutting\-edge AI/ML models that drive our data\-driven solutions. You will collaborate across departments to design scalable systems, leverage big data technologies, and implement advanced algorithms to solve complex problems. Your expertise will help shape the future of intelligent applications, ensuring they are robust, efficient, and impactful.

Duties

  • Design, develop, and optimize machine learning models using frameworks such as TensorFlow and other AI/ML tools to address diverse business challenges.
  • Lead model training efforts utilizing large\-scale datasets with technologies like Spark, Hadoop, and ETL processes to ensure high\-quality data inputs.
  • Implement unsupervised learning techniques for pattern discovery and data mining to extract actionable insights from complex datasets.
  • Collaborate with data engineers to build scalable data pipelines and develop database schemas aligned with best practices in database design.
  • Deploy models into production environments using cloud platforms such as AWS, ensuring seamless integration and performance.
  • Conduct research on emerging AI/ML trends including natural language processing (NLP) and quantum engineering to innovate solutions.
  • Develop comprehensive documentation for models, algorithms, and system architecture while maintaining code quality through version control and testing protocols.

Requirements

  • Proven experience in developing AI/ML solutions with a strong background in machine learning frameworks like TensorFlow or similar tools.
  • Proficiency in programming languages including Python, Java, C, Bash (Unix shell), and VBA for automation and system integration tasks.
  • Hands\-on experience with big data technologies such as Hadoop, Spark, Talend, and Looker for data processing and analytics.
  • Deep understanding of SQL and R for statistical analysis, data mining, and model evaluation purposes.
  • Expertise in model training, deployment strategies, natural language processing (NLP), and analytics techniques to derive insights from unstructured data.
  • Knowledge of cloud computing platforms like AWS for scalable infrastructure deployment.
  • Familiarity with database design principles and experience working with linked data concepts for semantic data integration.
  • Strong analytical skills complemented by experience in SAS or similar statistical software packages; familiarity with quantum engineering is a plus.
  • Excellent communication skills to articulate complex technical concepts clearly across teams. Join us to push the boundaries of AI/ML innovation! We are committed to fostering a vibrant environment where your expertise fuels transformative solutions that make a real difference across industries.

Pay: $196,899\.42 \- $226,696\.08 per year

Work Location: In person

Salary Context

This $196K-$226K range is above the median for AI Software Engineer roles in our dataset (median: $190K across 219 roles with salary data).

Role Details

Company Navisoft
Title Senior Software Engineer, AI/ML
Location California Hot Springs, CA, US
Category AI Software Engineer
Experience Senior
Salary $196K - $226K
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 3,823 AI roles we're tracking, AI Software Engineer positions make up 7% of the market. At Navisoft, 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 (31% of roles) Looker (1% of roles) Python (52% of roles) Tensorflow (13% 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 $232,000 based on 797 positions with disclosed compensation. Senior-level AI roles across all categories have a median of $227,400. This role's midpoint ($211K) sits 9% below the category median. Disclosed range: $196K to $226K.

Across all AI roles, the market median is $200,100. Top-quartile compensation starts at $253,500. The 90th percentile reaches $307,500. For comparison, the highest-paying categories include AI Engineering Manager ($275,000) and AI Safety ($274,200). By seniority level: Entry: $97,880; Mid: $165,000; Senior: $227,400; Director: $247,800; VP: $250,000.

Navisoft AI Hiring

Navisoft has 1 open AI role right now. They're hiring across AI Software Engineer. Based in California Hot Springs, CA, US. Compensation range: $226K - $226K.

Location Context

Across all AI roles, 15% (590 positions) offer remote work, while 3,217 require on-site attendance. Top AI hiring metros: New York (2,643 roles, $211,000 median); San Francisco (2,168 roles, $253,000 median); Los Angeles (1,792 roles, $191,580 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 3,823 open positions tracked in our dataset. By seniority: 112 entry-level, 1,798 mid-level, 1,516 senior, and 397 leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level). Remote roles make up 15% of the market (590 positions). The remaining 3,217 roles require on-site or hybrid attendance.

The market median for AI roles is $200,100. Top-quartile compensation starts at $253,500. The 90th percentile reaches $307,500. Highest-paying categories: AI Engineering Manager ($275,000 median, 41 roles); AI Safety ($274,200 median, 55 roles); Research Engineer ($260,000 median, 434 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 3,823 open positions across 15 role categories. The largest categories by volume: AI/ML Engineer (2,629), Data Scientist (322), AI Software Engineer (279). 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 (112) are outnumbered by mid-level (1,798) and senior (1,516) 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 397 positions, representing the bottleneck between technical execution and organizational strategy.

Remote work availability sits at 15% of all AI roles (590 positions), with 3,217 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 $200,100. Top-quartile roles start at $253,500, and the 90th percentile reaches $307,500. 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 Engineering Manager roles lead at $275,000 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 (1,979 postings), Aws (1,190 postings), Azure (899 postings), Rag (839 postings), Gcp (726 postings), Pytorch (595 postings), Prompt Engineering (595 postings), Claude (540 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 797 roles with disclosed compensation, the median salary for AI Software Engineer positions is $232,000. 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 15% of the 3,823 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.
Navisoft 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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