AI Engineer I

Victra-Verizon Authorized Retailer; Durham (NC); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid training

Health insurance (comprehensive)

401k retirement plan

Tuition reimbursement

Employee discounts

Referral bonuses

Career pathing opportunities

Job summary

Victra-Verizon Authorized Retailer in Durham, NC is building its AI engineering capability and seeks an AI Engineer I. You will build and ship AI agents on Copilot Studio and Azure AI Foundry, following senior engineers’ guidance, with a named mentor and funded certifications.

Expect hands-on ownership and cross-system integrations. The role is an early-career opportunity focused on aptitude and builder instincts, with daily interaction with APIs, testing, and documentation in a collaborative,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, or a related field
• Demonstrated coding aptitude in Python, C#, or Java; scripting (PowerShell/JavaScript/Power Fx) counts
• Working knowledge of APIs and data basics (calling a service, reading JSON)
• Defensive, edge-case thinking: ask what happens when input is wrong
• Clear written communication and documentation habits
• Evidence of self-driven learning (side projects, experiments) and ability to learn independently

Responsibilities

• Build, test, and deploy AI agents and workflows on Copilot Studio and Azure AI Foundry
• Wire integrations between agents and business systems: connectors, APIs, tool integrations
• Validate AI outputs against acceptance criteria; write and run tests
• Troubleshoot edge cases and production issues with senior backup
• Own one scoped agent after launch: monitoring, small fixes, user feedback
• Document every build to team standards
• Support builds beyond core platforms, including open-source frameworks
• Register everything shipped in the agent registry

Skills

Python

C#

Java

APIs & JSON

Git & CI/CD

Documentation

Self-driven learning

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IS or related

Tools

Azure AI Foundry

Copilot Studio

Azure Functions

REST APIs

Job description

LOCATION: Durham (Hybrid)ABOUT USVictra is Verizon’s largest premium retailer in the United States. We thrive on collaboration, innovation, and performance. Our mission is to “Connect technology to life in a trustworthy, fun, and profitable way”. We work closely with Verizon and our brand partners to deliver exceptional product offerings, promotions, and campaigns that drive in-store traffic and revenue.DESCRIPTIONVictra is building its AI engineering capability in-house, and this role is where that starts. As an AI Engineer I, you will build, test, and ship AI agents and workflows on Microsoft Copilot Studio and Azure AI Foundry, working from specifications and architecture set by senior engineers. This is a deliberately early-career role: we are hiring for aptitude, curiosity, and builder instincts, not years of AI experience. No generative AI experience is required. If you are an early-career software developer, an automation or Power Platform builder ready to move into pro-code, a systems administrator, or an engineer excited to learn agent development on a funded, structured path, this role was written for you. You will have a named mentor, a certification budget, and real ownership of what you ship. Our center of gravity is Azure AI Foundry, but the fundamentals you will learn here (APIs, prompting, orchestration, evaluation) are platform-agnostic, and you will occasionally support builds beyond the core platforms, including open-source frameworks and AI coding tools.KEY RESPONSIBILITIESBuild, test, and deploy AI agents and workflows on Copilot Studio and Azure AI Foundry, following the architecture standards and patterns set by senior engineersWire integrations between agents and business systems: connectors, APIs, and tool integrationsValidate AI outputs against acceptance criteria; write and run tests, including basic evaluation checks, before anything shipsTroubleshoot edge cases and production issues with senior backup, and document root causesOwn one scoped agent after launch: monitoring, small fixes, and user feedback, with a named senior reviewerDocument every build to team standard so knowledge lives in the team, not one person's headSupport builds beyond the core platforms when directed, including open-source agent frameworks and AI coding tools, applying the same testing, documentation, and registration standardsRegister everything you ship in the agent registry so nothing goes ungovernedComplete the structured learning path (Microsoft Learn agent development curriculum plus funded certifications) on the agreed timelineWHAT WE ARE LOOKING FORREQUIREDBachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, or a related field, demonstrating technical dedication, the ability to commit long term, and a strong critical-thinking foundationDemonstrated coding aptitude in a general-purpose programming language such as Python, C#, or Java; scripting experience (PowerShell, JavaScript, or Power Fx) also countsWorking knowledge of APIs and data basics (calling a service, reading JSON, moving data between systems)Defensive, edge-case thinking: you instinctively ask \"what happens when this input is wrong\"Clear written communication and documentation habitsEvidence of self-driven learning: side projects, experiments, or a tool you taught yourself, including attempts that failed and what you did nextComfortable using AI tools daily (Claude, GitHub Copilot, or similar) as part of how you workNo generative AI experience required; we will teach the AIPREFERREDA background that shows real building: software or application development, scripting, or automation engineering; Power Platform, RPA, ServiceNow, or systems administration experience is welcome as a starting pointInterest in pro-code building on Azure: writing and consuming REST APIs, Azure Functions (function apps), API Management (APIM), and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) work such as indexing and grounding strategies in Azure AI FoundryFamiliarity with a modern code workflow: Git version control, branch management, and CI/CD pipelines for pushing code into productionExposure to open-source agent frameworks or LLM observability tooling (LangChain, Langfuse, or similar)Microsoft certifications a plus, not a requirement: AI-901 or AB-900 (fundamentals), AB-620 AI Agent Builder Associate, or AI-103 Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate; we fund certification for hires who do not have themRetail or field operations exposureGROWTH PATHA published ladder from AI Engineer I toward senior agent development, backed by funded certifications, a learning budget, and increasing ownership. First supervised production agent expected around month six; scoped independence grows from there.WHY JOIN US?Paid training and career development opportunities.Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.401k retirement plan.Tuition reimbursement.Employee discounts on Verizon services.Referral bonuses.Career pathing opportunities.EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERWe're proud to be an equal opportunity employer - and celebrate our employees' differences, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or Veteran status. Different makes us better.