Early-Career Software Engineer - AI Applications - RTI International

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.

We are seeking an Early-Career Software Engineer who is excited about building the next generation of AI-powered applications and research solutions.

This role is ideal for someone with strong software engineering fundamentals who wants to grow into an AI-native engineer. You will work alongside experienced engineers to design, build, and deploy production systems that leverage large language models (LLMs), retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), AI agents, cloud services, and modern software engineering practices.

Success in this role requires curiosity, sound engineering judgment, and a desire to continuously learn as AI technologies evolve.

This position may be based remotely within the United States. Candidates located near RTI’s headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, are preferred due to opportunities for in-person collaboration.

Working with senior engineers and research data scientists, you will:

• Develop production software using Python and modern development frameworks.
• Build AI-powered applications using large language models and AI APIs.
• Help develop retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines and agent-based workflows.
• Build and consume REST APIs and cloud-native services.
• Write clean, maintainable, well-tested code using AI coding assistance like Claude Code and GitHub Copilot CLI.
• Participate in code reviews and architectural discussions.
• Assist with deployment, monitoring, and troubleshooting production applications.
• Learn how to evaluate AI systems for quality, accuracy, reliability, and cost.
• Work with researchers and technical staff to understand requirements and translate ideas into software solutions.
• Contribute to improving development standards, documentation, and engineering practices.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience).
• Academic or professional software development experience.