Lead Software Engineer - Applied AI ML Lead

$152K - $215K Palo Alto, CA, US Senior AI Software Engineer

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Skills & Technologies

ClaudeKubernetesPrompt EngineeringPythonRag

About This Role

AI job market dashboard showing open roles by category

JOB DESCRIPTION

We have an opportunity to impact your career and provide an adventure where you can push the limits of what's possible.

As a Lead Software Engineer at JPMorganChase within the Enterprise Technology, Infrastructure Platforms team, 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. As a core technical contributor, you are responsible for conducting critical technology solutions across multiple technical areas within various business functions in support of the firm's business objectives.

Job Responsibilities

  • Executes creative software solutions, design, development, and technical troubleshooting with ability to think beyond routine or conventional approaches to build solutions or breakdown technical problem.
  • Drives team adoption of enterprise\-authorized AI\-assisted engineering practices within the work environment to improve code quality, delivery speed, and operational outcomes (e.g., AI\-assisted code review/refactoring, test strategy acceleration, incident/root\-cause analysis support), while establishing consistent validation standards (secure coding, peer review, automated testing) and promoting reuse of effective patterns across the team.
  • Applies knowledge of tools within the Software Development Life Cycle toolchain, including enterprise\-authorized AI\-assisted development and automation capabilities, to improve the value realized by automation.
  • Own infrastructure capacity optimization solutions and build predictive/prescriptive models to identify capacity risk, performance bottlenecks, and right\-sizing opportunities.
  • Design, develop, and productionize GenAI/agentic AI solutions for automation, decision support, and operational workflows, including LLM/SLM apps such as RAG and summarization/extraction.
  • Engineer production\-grade backend services in Python/Java (REST APIs, microservices, reusable libraries) and own cloud\-native data ingestion/processing pipelines for capacity analytics and AI use cases.
  • Build prompt engineering assets, routing strategies, and guardrails, and implement automated plus human\-in\-the\-loop evaluation to improve quality.
  • Identifies opportunities to eliminate or automate remediation of recurring issues to improve overall operational stability of software applications and systems
  • Apply MLOps best practices across experimentation, versioning, CI/CD, deployment, monitoring, and lifecycle management; implement testing/benchmarking and observability; define success metrics/governance with stakeholders; and mentor engineers to uphold high standards.
  • Own and govern the end\-to\-end AI/ML optimization strategy—from architecture and engineering standards (quality, lifecycle, observability, secure SDLC) through cross\-functional execution with SRE/platform/business—to deliver scalable automation, risk reduction, and measurable enterprise outcomes.
  • Leads evaluation sessions with external vendors, startups, and internal teams to drive outcomes\-oriented probing of architectural designs, technical credentials, and applicability for use within existing systems and information architecture

Required qualifications, capabilities, and skills

  • Formal training or certification on software engineering concepts and 5\+ years applied experience.
  • Hands\-on practical experience delivering system design, application development, testing, and operational stability
  • Advanced in one or more programming language(s)
  • Demonstrated experience leading effective use of approved AI\-assisted software development tools (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 engineers on safe, compliant adoption within delivery practices
  • Proficient in all aspects of the Software Development Life Cycle
  • Strong hands\-on data engineering stack: Apache Spark (batch optimization, partitioning, shuffle tuning, reliability), Apache Airflow (DAG design, backfills, alerting, operational reliability, CI patterns), and Apache Iceberg (schema evolution, partition specs, snapshots, compaction).
  • Proven applied AI/ML and GenAI delivery with measurable impact (RAG, extraction, summarization, ranking/classification, copilots, evaluation) and demonstrated ability to lead across teams and influence technical standards and execution.
  • Deep distributed systems \+ production engineering expertise across APIs/microservices, CI/CD, observability, containers/Kubernetes, security, and reliability.

Preferred qualifications, capabilities, and skills* Experience with MCP (Model Context Protocol), Agent Skills, and structured agentic architectures.

  • Strong practical usage of AI engineering productivity tooling (for example, GitHub Copilot, Claude Code) in enterprise SDLC environments.
  • Familiarity with VSI and Cloud Foundry contexts.
  • Advanced Java engineering proficiency in addition to Python.
  • Expert\-level Python for production systems (packaging, dependency management, performance); strong Java proficiency is a plus.

This position is subject to Section 19 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act. As such, an employment offer for this position is contingent on JPMorganChase's review of criminal conviction history, including pretrial diversions or program entries.

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 professionals in our Corporate Functions cover a diverse range of areas from finance and risk to human resources and marketing. Our corporate teams are an essential part of our company, ensuring that we're setting our businesses, clients, customers and employees up for success.

Salary Context

This $152K-$215K range is above the median for AI Software Engineer roles in our dataset (median: $183K across 194 roles with salary data).

Role Details

Company JPMorganChase
Title Lead Software Engineer - Applied AI ML Lead
Location Palo Alto, CA, US
Category AI Software Engineer
Experience Senior
Salary $152K - $215K
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

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. This role's midpoint ($183K) sits 16% below the category median. Disclosed range: $152K to $215K.

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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