R&D AI Engineering, Staff Engineer

Black Duck Software, Inc.; Belfast; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A software security company in Belfast seeks an AI R&D Engineer to design and deploy AI-driven systems. The role requires strong programming skills, experience in AI/ML, and knowledge of application security principles. Candidates should have 3+ years of software development experience and the ability to work independently or in teams. This position offers the chance to work at the forefront of AI development, contributing to innovative solutions in application security.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience building enterprise software applications.
• Experience building applications with LLMs or generative AI models.
• Familiarity with API development and backend services.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement AI solutions using agents, LLMs, and decision-making frameworks.
• Develop agent-based architectures that support autonomy and task completion.
• Integrate agents into applications or workflows.

Skills

Programming skills in Python

Experience with AI/ML libraries

Knowledge of application security principles

Understanding of agent-based modeling

Ability to work independently and with a team

Education

BSc or MSc in Computer Science, AI/Machine Learning, CyberSecurity

Tools

LangChain

OpenAI API

Hugging Face

PyTorch

Job description

Black Duck Software, Inc. helps organizations build secure, high-quality software, minimizing risks while maximizing speed and productivity. Black Duck, a recognized pioneer in application security, provides SAST, SCA, and DAST solutions that enable teams to quickly find and fix vulnerabilities and defects in proprietary code, open source components, and application behavior. With a combination of industry-leading tools, services, and expertise, only Black Duck helps organizations maximize security and quality in DevSecOps and throughout the software development life cycle.

We are seeking an AI R&D Engineer to design, build, and deploy AI based systems in the application security space. This role focuses on the development of AI solutions that perform reasoning, planning, decision-making, and interaction tasks using large language models (LLMs) and multi-agent systems.

You will work at the frontier of AI development creating agents that learn from data, communicate with users or other systems, and adapt to complex, dynamic environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement AI solutions using agents, LLMs, planning algorithms, and decision-making frameworks
• Develop agent based architectures that support autonomy, interactivity, and task completion
• Implement best practices for orchestration and observability, monitor performance, conduct evaluations, and implement safety and guardrail mechanisms
• Integrate agents into applications, APIs, or workflows (e.g., chatbots, copilots, automation tools)
• Collaborate with researchers, engineers, and product teams to iterate on AI capabilities
• Optimize AI behaviour and results through feedback loops, reinforcement learning, or user interaction
• Maintain thorough documentation of logic, design decisions, and dependencies

Requirements

• BSc or MSc in Computer Science, AI/Machine Learning, CyberSecurity, or a related field
• 3+ years of experience building enterprise software applications
• Strong programming skills in Python (or similar) and experience with AI/ML libraries (e.g., LangChain, OpenAI API, Hugging Face, PyTorch)
• Knowledge of application security principles and best practices
• Understanding of agent-based modeling, multi-agent systems, or reinforcement learning
• Experience building applications with LLMs or generative AI models
• Familiarity with API development, backend services, and deployment pipelines
• Ability to work independently and with a team in experimental and fast-paced environments

Black Duck considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender preference, national origin, age, disability, or status as a Covered Veteran in accordance with federal law. In addition, Black Duck complies with applicable state and local laws prohibiting discrimination in employment in every jurisdiction in which it maintains facilities. Black Duck also provides reasonable accommodation to individuals with a disability in accordance with applicable laws.