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About This Role
The next part of your journey is right around the corner — with The Standard.
A genuine desire to make a difference in the lives of others is the foundation for everything we do. With a customer\-first mindset and an intentional focus on building strong teams, we’ve been able to uphold our legacy of financial stability while investing in new, innovative technologies that support the needs of our customers. Our high\-performance culture focused on operational excellence thrives thanks to remarkable people united by compassion and a customer\-first commitment. Are you ready to make a difference?
Job Summary
The Standard is hiring an AI Software Engineer IV to design, build and ship full\-stack features across our web platform for web\-based AI products. As a senior individual contributor, you will solve complex problems end to end, from data model and API through to the user interface, while supporting the DevOps practices, cloud infrastructure and data platform integrations needed to run reliable production systems. You will set the technical direction for the systems you touch, raise the quality bar through code review and mentorship, and partner closely with product, design, data science, machine learning and engineering teams to deliver software that customers depend on.
This is a fully remote role open to candidates based in the United States. We collaborate asynchronously and value clear written communication.
Key Responsibilities:
- Design and build full\-stack features, taking ownership from technical design through implementation, testing, deployment and ongoing operation.
- Develop responsive, accessible user interfaces and the backend services and APIs that power them.
- Lead the technical design of medium\-to\-large projects and break them into clear, actionable work for the team.
- Write well\-tested, maintainable code and uphold engineering standards through thorough code review.
- Improve the performance, reliability, scalability and operability of the systems you own, including cloud infrastructure, deployment workflows and reduction of operational toil. Mentor engineers, share knowledge and help grow the technical skills of the team.
- Collaborate with product managers and designers to scope requirements and translate them into shippable solutions.
- Participate in an on\-call rotation and contribute to a strong culture of operational excellence.
- Collaborate with Data Scientists and Machine Learning Engineers to make their models fast, accessible, transparent, and safe.
- Support reliable integrations with Azure Databricks, DevOps tooling and related data platform services where needed.
Skills and Background You’ll Need
Education: A Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science or Information Systems, or equivalent experience as a substitute, is required. At this level, graduate coursework may be desirable.
Experience: 8\+ years of professional software engineering experience building and operating production web applications.
- Strong proficiency across the stack, including a modern frontend framework (preferably Angular) and a backend language (for example, Node.js or Python).
- Strong skills in implementing Python API design patterns using frameworks like FastAPI or Flask.
- Solid experience designing APIs and working with relational and non\-relational databases and graph databases such as Neo4j.
- Demonstrable experience in configuring and implementing Azure Application Gateway and API management solutions like Azure API Management or Kong Konnect.
- Hands\-on experience implementing and optimizing API applications for sub\-second performance.
- Experience in load testing REST API applications with tools like Apache JMeter or SOAPUI.
- Experience in developing API applications to include package/dependency management tools (e.g., Poetry) and functional testing (e.g., Pytest, PyLint).
- A track record of leading projects, making sound architectural decisions and delivering on time.
- Experience with cloud infrastructure, DevOps practices and infrastructure management, preferably using Azure and Terraform.
- Working knowledge of data engineering concepts, including Databricks, MLflow and production data pipelines.Experience with cloud WAF configuration (Imperva, Azure WAF or similar) and API security policies like OAuth2/OIDC, JWT.
- Experience building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines and Git\-based release workflows using Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, ArgoCD or similar tools.
- Working within an Agile delivery / DevOps methodology to deliver proof of concept and production implementation in iterative sprints.
- Able to Work Independently and Collaborate with Product Owners, Data Scientists, Machine Learning Engineers and AI Engineers
- Clear written and verbal communication, with the ability to work effectively in a distributed, asynchronous team. Strong problem solving and analytical skills.
- A commitment to testing, code quality and continuous improvement.
Preferred:
- Experience with containerization and orchestration (Docker).
- Familiarity with observability tooling, performance profiling and incident response.
- Exposure to TypeScript, GraphQL or event\-driven architectures.
- Prior experience mentoring engineers or leading a small team.
Key Behaviors of a Successful Candidate
- Adaptability: Adapts quickly to competing demands and shifting priorities and modifies viewpoints and direction in light of new information.
- Customer Focus: Develops positive internal and external customer relationships by consistently and efficiently delivering value.
- Improvement Mindset: Sees old problems and status quo as opportunities to improve; identifies opportunities to improve team performance
\#LI\-Remote
Why Join The Standard?
==========================
We have built an enduring legacy of stability, financial strength and exceptional customer service through the contributions of the service\-oriented people who choose to work at The Standard. To ensure we can attract and retain the best talent, when you join The Standard you can expect:
- A rich benefits package including medical, dental, vision and a 401(k) plan with matching company contributions
- An annual incentive bonus plan
- Generous paid time off including 11 holidays, 2 wellness days, and 8 volunteer hours annually — PTO increases with tenure
- A supportive, responsive management approach and opportunities for career growth and advancement
- Paid parental leave and adoption/surrogacy assistance
- An employee giving program that double matches your donations to eligible nonprofits and schools
In addition to the competitive salary range below, our employee\-focused benefits support work\-life balance. Learn more about *working at The Standard.*
- *Eligibility to participate in an incentive program is subject to the rules governing the program and plan. Any award depends on a variety of factors including individual and organizational performance.*
The actual compensation for this role will be based on a combination of education and experience, knowledge and skills, position budget, internal equity, and market data.
Salary Range:
$131,750\.00 \- $223,500\.00
Positions will be posted for at least 5 days from original posting date.
Standard Insurance Company, The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York, Standard Retirement Services, Inc., StanCorp Mortgage Investors, LLC, StanCorp Investment Advisers, Inc., and American Heritage Life Insurance Company and American Heritage Service Company, marketed as The Standard, are Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability or veteran status or any other condition protected by federal, state or local law. Except where precluded by state or federal law, The Standard will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. The Standard offers a drug\- and alcohol\-free work environment where possession, manufacture, transfer, offer, use of or being impaired by an illegal substance while on The Standard's property, or in other cases which the company believes might affect operations, safety or reputation of the company is prohibited. The Standard requires a criminal background investigation and employment, education and licensing verification as a condition of employment. After any conditional offer of employment is made, the background check will include an individualized assessment based on the applicant’s specific record and the duties and requirements of the specific job. Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain and correct background information. All employees of The Standard must be bondable.
Salary Context
This $131K-$223K range is below 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 The Standard Insurance, 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. Mid-level AI roles across all categories have a median of $200,000. This role's midpoint ($177K) sits 19% below the category median. Disclosed range: $131K to $223K.
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.
The Standard Insurance AI Hiring
The Standard Insurance has 1 open AI role right now. They're hiring across AI Software Engineer. Based in Portland, OR, US. Compensation range: $223K - $223K.
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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