AI Software Engineer

Job description

Job Description We are looking for a software engineer to join our Central AI Organization (APEX CAIO) and build production-grade AI systems. The core of this role is engineering: designing, coding, and shipping reliable software that integrates large language models, retrieval pipelines, and AI agents into enterprise products. You will work in a product-oriented engineering team, applying strong software development fundamentals to AI-driven systems. What Will You Do? Engineering & Delivery Design and implement backend systems and APIs that integrate LLMs, vector databases, and retrieval components Build, deploy, and maintain RAG pipelines and AI agents in production Write clean, testable, maintainable code following engineering best practices Contribute to CI/CD pipelines, testing, and observability of AI systems Optimize AI components for performance, reliability, and correctness Collaboration Translate requirements into working software alongside senior engineers, product managers, and domain experts Participate in Agile ceremonies, sprint planning, and code reviews Communicate technical progress, risks, and trade-offs clearly within the team Qualifications, Skills & Experience Required Proven software engineering experience — strong, production-level Python is essential Experience building systems that integrate APIs, databases, and cloud services Hands-on experience with LLMs, RAG architectures, vector databases, or generative AI applications RESTful API development experience Familiarity with CI/CD, testing practices, and software delivery Nice to Have AWS or other cloud provider experience Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) Agile/Scrum background Familiarity with prompt engineering or AI evaluation frameworks Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline Required Skills: CI/CD, Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), Python (Programming Language), RESTful APIs, Retrieval-Augmented Generation, Vector Databases Preferred Skills: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Docker (Software), Kubernetes, Scrum Current Employees apply HERE Current Contingent Workers apply HERE Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. Employee Status: Regular Relocation: No relocation VISA Sponsorship: Yes Travel Requirements: 10% Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid Shift: Not Indicated Valid Driving License: No Hazardous Material(s): N/A Job Posting End Date: 07/17/2026*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.