AI Developer

Itron, Inc.; North Carolina; Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k matching

Paid vacation

Employee stock purchase program

Health and wellbeing programs

Job summary

Itron, Inc. is seeking an AI Developer to design and build AI-powered solutions using Microsoft's AI ecosystem. The role involves developing conversational copilots and automation workflows, ensuring compliance with industry standards.

Ideal candidates will have experience with Azure tools, AI-driven applications, and strong communication skills. This position offers a hybrid work schedule along with a competitive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Experience with Azure tools and services such as Functions, App Service, and SQL.
• Hands-on experience in Azure DevOps and GitHub workflows.
• Development of AI-driven applications like chatbots and retrieval-based solutions.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain AI solutions using Azure AI Foundry.
• Develop conversational copilots and automation workflows.
• Implement secure data access patterns for enterprise applications.
• Translate business needs into practical AI solutions.

Skills

Software development using Azure

Hands-on with Azure DevOps/GitHub

AI-driven application development

Integration with REST APIs

Strong communication skills

Tools

Azure Functions

Azure SQL

GitHub

Power Platform

Job description

We are seeking an AI Developer to design and build AI‑powered solutions using Microsoft’s AI ecosystem, primarily Azure, GitHub, Copilot Studio, and Azure AI Foundry. In this role, you will develop and integrate conversational copilots, retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG) experiences, and automation workflows into enterprise applications. You will collaborate closely with product, engineering, security, and business stakeholders to deliver scalable, compliant, and measurable AI capabilities that support utility and energy customers.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Build and maintain AI solutions leveraging Azure AI Foundry, including model selection, prompt orchestration, evaluation, and deployment patterns, with a focus on reliable and customer‑centric outcomes.
• Develop and configure copilots using Copilot Studio, including topics, actions, plugins/connectors, and inclusive conversation design.
• Implement AI integration patterns such as retrieval‑augmented generation (RAG), tool/function calling, and agent‑based workflows into applications and internal tooling.
• Create and maintain API services (for example, Azure Functions, App Service, and containerized services) to expose AI capabilities to enterprise business systems.
• Design and implement secure and accountable data access patterns for enterprise knowledge sources, including SharePoint, Azure SQL, and Blob Storage.

• Use Azure DevOps and GitHub for source control, pull requests, code reviews, branching strategies, and release management in a collaborative and agile environment.
• Build CI/CD pipelines that support automated testing, security scanning, and deployments to Azure.
• Apply engineering best practices, including unit and integration testing, telemetry, error handling, performance tuning, and clear documentation.

• Follow secure‑by‑design practices, including identity and access management (Entra ID), secrets management (Key Vault), and least‑privilege access.
• Support responsible AI and governance requirements, including logging, auditing, evaluation, content safety, and prompt and security guardrails.
• Partner with security and compliance teams to ensure AI solutions align with enterprise policies and regulatory requirements common in the utilities and energy sector.

• Translate business needs into AI solution designs, user stories, and technical delivery plans that are practical and measurable.
• Work cross‑functionally with product, engineering, and business partners to define success metrics, validate outcomes, and iterate based on feedback and analytics.
• Provide guidance and enablement to teams adopting Copilot Studio and Azure AI Foundry patterns, fostering shared ownership and continuous learning.

Required Skills & Experience

• Experience building software solutions using Azure, including at least one of the following: Functions, App Service, Storage, SQL, or API Management.
• Hands‑on development experience with Azure DevOps and/or GitHub, including pull request workflows, branching strategies, issue tracking, and CI/CD.
• Experience developing AI‑driven applications, including at least one of the following:
  • Copilots, chatbots, or conversational user experiences
  • Retrieval‑based solutions (RAG) and enterprise search
  • Prompt engineering and prompt or version management
  • Tool/function calling or agentic workflows
• Ability to work with REST APIs and integrate AI solutions with enterprise systems.
• Strong software engineering fundamentals, including data structures, API design, testing, and troubleshooting.
• Clear communication skills with the ability to explain AI concepts to both technical and non‑technical audiences.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience with Copilot Studio, including topics, actions, connectors, publishing, and governance.
• Experience with Azure AI Foundry, including prompt flows and orchestration, evaluation, deployments, and observability.
• Familiarity with Azure OpenAI or other large language model providers and model lifecycle concepts.
• Experience with enterprise identity solutions, including Entra ID, OAuth2, role‑based access control, and secure data patterns.
• Knowledge of monitoring and observability tools such as Application Insights, Log Analytics, and dashboards.
• Experience with Power Platform, Logic Apps, or other integration and automation platforms.
• Comfort working in agile delivery models with a collaborative, innovative, and accountable approach.

Benefits

This position includes a competitive benefit package including financial, social, health and wellbeing programs, paid vacation, 401k matching, employee stock purchase program, hybrid work schedule, and more.

Itron is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you require an accommodation to apply, please contact a recruiting representative at 1-800-635-5461 or email [e-mail].