Staff Software Engineer - AI Transformation

The Staff Software Engineer - AI Transformation will be responsible for hands-on development, architecture, and implementation of AI-powered applications, internal developer tools, and automation solutions that improve engineering productivity and operational efficiency. This position combines advanced Python development, AI agents, LLM integrations, full-stack software architecture, and technical leadership, with a strong emphasis on building new solutions from the ground up and integrating them with existing enterprise applications. The ideal candidate is a highly collaborative, independent software engineer who enjoys solving complex technical challenges, exploring emerging AI technologies, and delivering scalable, secure solutions in a fast-paced environment., * Design, develop, and deploy production-ready AI applications and internal engineering tools using Python, LLMs, AI agents, prompt engineering, model gateways, retrieval systems/RAG, and modern AI frameworks. Build new 0-to-1 products, automate workflows, and integrate AI capabilities into existing enterprise applications using technologies such as AWS Bedrock and LiteLLM.

• Own and evolve full-stack software architecture across complex applications, backend services, APIs, distributed systems, and cloud infrastructure. Make architectural decisions involving scalability, performance, stability, extensibility, security, cost optimization, and long-term maintainability while integrating new Python-based solutions with existing Ruby, Ruby on Rails, TypeScript, and JavaScript applications, including legacy monolithic systems.
• Build and implement AI-augmented engineering workflows that improve developer productivity, software quality, and operational efficiency, including automated code generation, code reviews, test generation, debugging, incident analysis, and software delivery automation. Evaluate emerging AI technologies, validate architectural approaches, and establish secure, compliant AI usage standards and quality guardrails.
• Lead cross-functional technical initiatives from concept through production, independently writing code, designing solutions, coordinating technical dependencies, and partnering with Engineering, Data Platform, Product, Security, IT, and business stakeholders. Translate business needs into technical strategies, navigate unfamiliar codebases, communicate tradeoffs, and gain alignment on new tools and approaches.
• Drive engineering excellence, modernization, and operational reliability by identifying systemic software development challenges, reducing technical debt, improving architecture and code quality, and strengthening application performance and resilience. Troubleshoot complex production issues, lead technical investigations and operational escalations, participate in on-call rotations, and implement improvements that prevent recurring incidents.
• Provide Staff-level technical leadership and mentorship by guiding architecture and system design decisions, influencing engineering standards across teams, and helping engineers adopt AI-assisted development practices. Collaborate with stakeholders to establish technical priorities, translate strategic objectives into actionable initiatives, and support an inclusive, accountable, and high-performing engineering culture.

• Minimum 8+ years of professional software engineering experience, with 10+ years preferred, including substantial hands-on application development, complex system design, and Staff-level architecture ownership. Demonstrated ability to independently design, build, and deliver new applications or platforms from concept through production (0-to-1 development) is essential.
• Requires 8+ years of deep hands-on Python development experience, including production applications, backend services, APIs, integrations, and automation. Strong software engineering fundamentals and the ability to work across multiple languages and unfamiliar codebases are required; Tech Stack: TypeScript, and React with Ruby on Rails preferred.
• Minimum 2+ years of hands-on AI engineering experience, including developing AI agents, prompt engineering, LLM integrations, and experimenting with, architecting, or deploying modern AI frameworks, model gateways, and retrieval systems/RAG. Experience with AWS Bedrock, LiteLLM, AI orchestration frameworks, and building production AI-powered applications is highly valued.
• Proven experience designing and owning scalable full-stack software architecture, including distributed systems, backend services, APIs, cloud-based applications, and complex system integrations. Strong AWS cloud infrastructure experience is preferred, although candidates with extensive GCP experience will also be considered; experience modernizing legacy applications and understanding security, compliance, data quality, scalability, reliability, and architectural tradeoffs is important.
• Minimum 2+ years leading architectural direction and complex technical initiatives across multiple teams or business functions, with demonstrated experience influencing technical strategy, mentoring engineers, communicating architectural decisions, resolving dependencies, and collaborating with engineering leadership and business stakeholders. Must be comfortable independently owning technical projects while remaining highly hands-on with coding and implementation.
• Experience building internal enterprise applications, developer productivity tools, AI-assisted software development workflows, or engineering automation solutions, including code generation, automated testing, incident analysis, and developer enablement. Familiarity with developer experience (DevEx), developer advocacy, DevOps, SRE, platform engineering, or IoT environments is beneficial, provided there is a strong foundation in hands-on software development; experience evaluating AI tools and implementing governance, security, compliance, and output-quality controls is important.
• Strong analytical thinking, communication, collaboration, adaptability, and independent problem-solving skills, with the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment, navigate ambiguity, build cross-functional relationships, and independently own complex technical challenges. Experience in healthcare or another regulated industry is a plus.

• Competitive Compensation: Our client offers a competitive and flexible compensation package, including base salary, bonus and equity, with the ability to tailor the overall package based on the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and compensation expectations!!!
• Hybrid Work Environment: Collaborate with experienced engineering professionals in New York City while enjoying a flexible hybrid schedule.
• Build Innovative AI Solutions: Join a newly established engineering team developing AI-powered applications, agents, and internal tools from the ground up.
• Technical Leadership & Growth: Influence architectural decisions, evaluate emerging AI technologies, mentor engineers, and contribute to organization-wide engineering improvements.
• Benefits & Well-Being: Employee benefits package with details regarding healthcare, retirement, paid time off, and additional offerings to be confirmed during the hiring process., Our client offers a competitive and flexible compensation package, including base salary, bonus, and equity, with the ability to tailor the overall package based on the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and compensation expectations!! Our client offers a hybrid work arrangement in New York City, currently requiring two days onsite per week, with the potential to increase to three days. This opportunity provides the chance to join a growing engineering organization, build AI-powered applications and internal tools from the ground up, influence enterprise-wide technical architecture, and help shape the adoption of AI across software engineering teams. Additional details regarding healthcare coverage, retirement plans, paid time off, and other employee benefits will be shared during the hiring process.

Scion Staffing is a national award-winning staffing firm! Since 2006, we have had the pleasure of successfully placing thousands of talented professionals with amazing career opportunities. Through our innovative team building and recruiting solutions, we bridge the gap in executive leadership searches, direct hire recruiting, interim leadership placement, and temporary professional staffing. We are proud to be part of the Forbes lists of the Best Recruitment Firms and the Best Executive Search Firms in America. Additionally, Scion has been recognized as a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing firm as well as a top recruitment firm by The Business Times. Additional information about our firm can also be found online.

Scion Staffing, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and service provider and does not discriminate based on race, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, political affiliation or belief, or any other protected class. We are committed to the principles of Equal Opportunity Employment and are dedicated to making employment decisions based on merit and value, for ourselves, our client companies, and the candidates we represent. For opportunities located in a region that have enacted fair chance, arrest or conviction-based employment ordinances, Scion Staffing proactively follows the enacted guidance and considers for employment all qualified applications with arrest and conviction records. We engage in socially conscious business practices and believe that diverse, inclusive, and non-biased talent and recruitment processes are foundational to the success of Scion as well as every client organization with whom we partner.