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About This Role
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Job Summary
The Senior Agentic Software Engineer will develop financial technology solutions within the rapidly evolving AI world. This includes utilizing/extending agentic protocols for impact in frontier LLMs, building agents to perform specialized tasks, and developing internal AI\-powered tools to drive efficiency throughout the organization. Engineers in this role will actively participate in coding, testing, and code reviews while improving applications and processes for scalability and efficiency. This role will work independently to identify issues or defects that may arise from system enhancements that would reduce the quality of a product. The Senior Software Engineer will also implement full stack development efforts across the SDLC, improving frontend, backend, and UI/UX components. This position will mentor Associate Software Engineers and Software Engineers and collaborate across teams to deliver high\-quality solutions. Essential Job Functions* Use AI development tools to build agents, as well as APIs to be used by agents. Take ownership of solutions and ensure they are well tested before deploying them safely to various environments. Translate requirements into technical designs and application code. Develop design specs and convert them into functioning components. \- (50%)
- Create and execute unit tests to ensure issues are proactively identified. Analyze and review code to identify causes of errors and defects and remediate known errors. Define and enforce relevant code standards. Estimate and size work based on high\-level requirements. Continuously improve applications and processes for quality, efficiency, and user experience. \- (20%)
- Write automation test scripts and ensure automated tests are completed with proper coverage for all requirements. Identify and track defects through their lifecyle. Provide Subject Matter Expertise of all of the components and functionality of the system and framework. \- (20%)
- Provide technical on\-call triage, escalation and remediation as necessary for production incidents in systems over which you have ownership. \- (10%)
Minimum Qualifications* Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, or related field of study or equivalent, relevant work experience
- 5\+ years of experience in a related field (Software Development Life Cycle across Full Stack, Frontend and Backend Development and UI / UX engineering).
Preferred Qualifications* 8\+ years of experience in a related field (Software Development Life Cycle across Full Stack, Frontend and Backend Development and UI / UX engineering).
- 6\+ years of experience building production backend services.
- 3\+ years of experience building public\-facing frontend interfaces.
- 3\+ years of experience in AI/ML, Generative AI, or agentic systems (e.g., LLM\-powered applications, LangChain, LangGraph, AutoGen).
Skills* Agile Methodology
- Python (Programming Language)
- Full Stack Development
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Telemetry
- OpenAI
- Gemini
- GitHub Copilot
Reports To: Director and above
Direct Reports: 0
Work Environment* Normal office environment. (Remote or Hybrid), 3 to 4 days per month are required in office if within 60 miles of a posted Bread Financial location.
Physical and Mental Requirements
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job function satisfactorily and meet the physical, mental and work environment requirements. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions, absent undue hardship.* Communicate/Hearing
- Communicate/Talking
- Stationary Position/Seated
- Typing/Writing
- Maintain focus in high pressure or fast\-paced work environment
Other Duties
This job description is illustrative of the types of duties typically performed by this job. It is not intended to be an exhaustive listing of each and every essential function of the job. Because job content may change from time to time, the Company reserves the right to add and/or delete essential functions from this job at any time.
Salary Range (unless otherwise noted below):
$133,500\.00 \- $241,900\.00Full Salary Range for position:
California: $153,500\.00 \- $302,400\.00
Colorado: $133,500\.00 \- $254,000\.00
New York: $146,800\.00 \- $302,400\.00
Washington: $140,100\.00 \- $278,200\.00
Maryland: $140,100\.00 \- $266,100\.00
Washington DC: $153,500\.00 \- $278,200\.00
Illinois: $133,500\.00 \- $266,100\.00
New Jersey: $153,500\.00 \- $278,200\.00
Vermont: $133,500\.00 \- $241,900\.00
Ohio: $133,500\.00 \- $241,900\.00
Maine: $133,500\.00 \- $241,900\.00
Connecticut: $146,800\.00 \- $266,100\.00
Virginia: $133,500\.00 \- $241,900\.00 *The actual base pay within this range may be dependent upon many factors, which may include, but are not limited to, work location, education, experience, and skills.*
You must be work authorized in the United States on a full time basis without the need for any sponsorship now or in the future from any employer or organization. The Company cannot offer employment to F\-1 (student) visa holders.
Bread Financial offers medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and other voluntary benefits (including basic and optional life insurance, supplemental medical plans, and short and long\-term disability) to eligible associates (regular full\-time associates scheduled to work 30 hours per week or more) and their spouses/domestic partners, and child(ren) under the age of 26\. New associate elected coverage begins on date of hire (with the exception of disability coverage which has a 6\-month waiting period). Six weeks of 100% paid parental leave for eligible parents is available after a 180\-day waiting period. Hired associates can immediately enroll in Bread Financial’s 401(k) plan.
All associates receive 11 paid holidays. Associates have discretion in managing their time away from work through the Flexible Time Off (FTO) program and may need to notify and receive approval from their manager prior to taking the time off. Associates (except those located in Illinois) receive 80 hours of Paid Sick and Safe Time (“PSST”) upon hire and at the beginning of each subsequent calendar year. Illinois associates receive 40 hours of Illinois PSST upon hire and at the beginning of each subsequent calendar year and 40 hours of Illinois Paid Leave upon hire and at the beginning of each subsequent calendar year. Illinois Paid Leave must be used before associates in Illinois will be approved to take FTO.
Hired associates will be able to elect the purchase company stock during offering periods in June and December. You will be eligible for an annual incentive bonus based on individual and company performance.
Click here for more Benefits information.
About Bread Financial®
At Bread Financial, you’ll have the opportunity to grow your career, give back to your community, and be part of our award\-winning culture. We’ve been consistently recognized as a best place to work nationally and in many markets and we’re proud to promote an environment where you feel appreciated, accepted, valued, and fulfilled—both personally and professionally. Bread Financial supports the overall wellness of our associates with a diverse suite of benefits and offers boundless opportunities for career development and non\-traditional career progression.
Bread Financial® (NYSE: BFH) is a tech\-forward financial services company that provides simple, personalized payment, lending and saving solutions to millions of U.S. consumers. Our payment solutions deliver growth for some of the most recognized brands in travel \& entertainment, health \& beauty, technology, electronics, jewelry, home and specialty apparel through our co\-brand and private label credit cards and pay\-over\-time products providing choice and value to our shared customers. Additionally, we offer Bread Financial general purpose credit cards and saving products that empower our customers and their passions for a better life.
Bread Financial proudly marks 30 years of success in 2026\. To learn more about our global associates, our performance and our sustainability progress, visit breadfinancial.com or follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.
- Bread Financial offers competitive pay, a comprehensive selection of benefit options including 401(k).
- The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
- Any applicant offered employment will be required to establish that they are legally authorized to work in the United States for the Company.
- The Company participates in E\-Verify.
- The Company will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with the requirements of all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York City Fair Chance Act. Applicants with criminal histories are encouraged to apply.
- The Company complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended, and all applicable state/local laws. The Company will provide accommodations to applicants needing accommodations to complete the application process. Applicants with disabilities may contact the Company to request and arrange for accommodations. If you need assistance to accommodate a disability, you may request an accommodation at any time. Please contact the Recruiting Team at TaOps@breadfinancial.com.
Job Family:
Information TechnologyJob Type:
Regular
Salary Context
This $133K-$278K range is above the median for AI Software Engineer roles in our dataset (median: $183K across 194 roles with salary data).
Role Details
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 Bread Financial, 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
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. This role's midpoint ($205K) sits 6% below the category median. Disclosed range: $133K to $278K.
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.
Bread Financial AI Hiring
Bread Financial has 2 open AI roles right now. They're hiring across AI Software Engineer, AI/ML Engineer. Based in Columbus, OH, US. Compensation range: $278K - $383K.
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
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