AI Software Engineer - Basel

ekona; Basel; Hybrid; CHF 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

ekona builds production-grade AI systems for clients in multiple industries including life sciences and supply chain, where quality is not optional. We’re looking for engineers who do not wait for perfect instructions, who explore, experiment, and fix problems with the right mix of engineering and AI.

If that sounds like you, keep reading. Understand problems deeply by engaging with clients, then build fast and robust systems that deploy in cloud environments.

Qualifications

• Several years of professional software engineering experience shipping to real users.
• Comfort with cloud-native development: containers, CI/CD, at least one major cloud platform.
• Hands-on experience building with LLMs and agent frameworks, or a track record of quickly learning new domains.
• Ability to talk to non-technical stakeholders and translate problems into working software.
• Strong bias toward shipping.

Responsibilities

• Engage directly with clients and domain experts to understand problems and map them to solutions.
• Prototype quickly, then turn prototypes into robust, production-ready systems; design and deploy multi-agent workflows and LLM-powered apps.
• Influence our technical roadmap and contribute to AI engineering playbooks and internal tooling.
• Own architecture, testing, deployment, observability, and iteration in cloud environments with modern engineering practices.

Skills

Software engineering

Cloud-native

LLMs & agents

Stakeholder communication

Shipping oriented

Job description

For people who figure things out, stay curious, and build things that actually work.

At ekona, we build production-grade AI systems for clients in multiple industries including life sciences and supply chain, where quality is not optional. They trust us because we think independently, move fast, and deliver with Swiss reliability.

We're looking for engineers who do not wait for perfect instructions. Who explore, experiment, break problems down, and build solutions that matter. Who enjoy ambiguity because it gives them room to think. Who can sit with a client, understand their pain, and fix it with the right mix of engineering and AI.

If that sounds like you, keep reading.

What You'll Do

Understand problems deeply

Engage directly with clients and their domain experts. Ask the right questions, map the problem, challenge assumptions.

Build fast, build well

Prototype quickly, then turn prototypes into robust, production-ready systems. Design and deploy multi-agent workflows and LLM-powered applications. Combine modern software engineering with state-of-the-art AI tooling.

Own your work from architecture through testing, deployment, observability, and iteration in cloud environments, with modern engineering practices.

Shape how we work

Influence our technical roadmap. Help develop our AI engineering playbook, frameworks, and internal tooling. Your ideas will be heard.

What We're Looking For

The exact stack matters less than how you think, learn, and build. That said, you'll likely be a fit if you have:

• Several years of professional software engineering experience, shipping systems to real users
• Comfort with cloud-native development: containers, CI/CD, at least one major cloud platform
• Hands-on experience building with LLMs and agent frameworks, or a clear track record of picking up new technical domains fast
• The ability to talk to non-technical stakeholders and translate their problems into working software
• A strong bias toward shipping

Nice to have: domain experience in life sciences, pharma, supply chain, or finance; knowledge graphs, RAG systems, or LLM observability.

Why ekona

• Engineering quality actually matters. Our clients feel the difference, and so will you.
• Real projects, regulated industries. The work has weight.
• Founding-team environment. Autonomy, trust, and direct influence on where we go next.

Is This You?

If you're happiest planning, specifying, and polishing without ever putting something in front of a user, this probably isn't the right place.

If you want to ship impactful AI products alongside a small team that holds itself to a high bar, it probably is.