AI-Native Software Engineering Researcher

Carnegie-Mellon-University; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute (SEI) seeks an AI-Native Software Engineering Researcher to advance AI-native software engineering through pioneering research and practical engineering methods in collaboration with government, industry, and academia.

The role focuses on developing agents and workflows that accelerate AI-paced software delivery while preserving quality and security.

Qualifications

• PhD required with at least two years of experience
• Willing to travel up to 25% to locations outside home base
• Background investigation and DoD security clearance required

Responsibilities

• Assess rapidly changing AI model and coding agent capabilities
• Establish metrics for evaluating AI in development and guiding improvements
• Identify gaps in AI workflows leading to debt or rework
• Create novel agents or agentic workflows
• Adapt practices to embed software engineering discipline
• Study cost implications of AI and strategize token/context management

Skills

Software engineering fundamentals

Research leadership

Scientific publication track record

Written & verbal communication

Mentoring

Proposal writing

Collaboration

Education

PhD

Job description

AI-Native Software Engineering Researcher

The future of software engineering is AI-native. Our team works to shape that future through pioneering research, practical engineering methods, and close collaboration with government, industry, and academia. At the AI-Native Software Engineering Directorate, we focus on how today's engineering teams can quickly exploit emerging technologies and harness AI capabilities to create and evolve software quickly without losing fundamental software qualities. To address this new world, we study and guide industry and government teams’ use of AI in software engineering, distill best practices and lessons from experiments and experience to shape AI-native software engineering pilot and transition improvements with organizations and measure their success, create novel agents and agentic workflows to support software engineering, apply AI to accelerate architecture-scale modernization, help organizations establish AI-native software engineering practices, and guide organizations in evolving their software with architecture and AI-native approaches. Our overarching goal is to create new workflows and tools that enable AI-paced delivery of software without loss of quality. We’re seeking candidates with a demonstrated track record who are motivated to shape AI-native software engineering.

Responsibilities

• Assessing the rapidly changing capabilities of AI models and coding agents
• Establishing metrics that help organizations understand their use of AI in development and guiding them through improvements
• Identifying gaps in AI workflows that result in unnecessarily poor outcomes (e.g., excessive technical debt, bad architecture decisions, or frequent rework loops)
• Creating novel agents or agentic workflows
• Creating or adapting practices and workflows to embed software engineering discipline
• Studying the cost implications of AI and developing strategies for more efficient use of AI (e.g., context management, token management, and balancing use of AI with non-AI approaches)

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Comprehensive knowledge of software engineering fundamentals
• Ability to keep up with and adapt to rapidly changing technical advances
• A track record of conducting research and applying scientific methods to solve difficult problems
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to convey complex technical ideas in a layperson’s terms
• Demonstrated track record publishing in top tier peer reviewed venues
• Strong collaboration skills for working with colleagues and sponsors
• Proficiency in writing funding proposals or pitching ideas for new research projects
• Willingness and ability to guide and mentor junior team members

Requirements

• A PhD with at least two (2) years of experience.
• You will be subject to a background investigation and you must be able to obtain and maintain a Department of War security clearance.
• Willing to travel up to 25% of the time to locations outside of your home location. Travel sites include SEI offices in Washington, D.C., sponsor sites, and conferences.

Desired Experience

• Experience leading research projects in novel areas
• Successful application of AI to improve research or software engineering progress
• Experience working with software engineering teams on large industry or government projects
• Experience working with leadership to plan, develop, and deliver an overall technical strategy

Location

Pittsburgh, PA

Job Function

Software/Applications Development/Engineering

Position Type

Staff - Regular Full time/Part time Full time

Pay Basis

Salary

More Information

More Information: Please visit “Why Carnegie Mellon” to learn more about becoming part of an institution inspiring innovations that change the world. Click here to view a listing of employee benefits

Equal Opportunity Statement

Carnegie Mellon University is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran. Statement of Assurance Always focused on the future, the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) advances software as a strategic advantage for national security.

We lead research and direct transition of software engineering, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence technologies at the intersection of academia, industry, and government. We serve the nation as a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and are based at Carnegie Mellon University, a global research university annually rated among the best for its programs in computer science and engineering. Our people apply special knowledge and skills and are part of an elite research university. We perform research and apply our expertise every day to foresee problems and exploit opportunities in software engineering, AI engineering, and cybersecurity. Quality software that is secure will control the future. At CMU SEI, we are engineering that ever‑greater software‑fueled future.

Need Help? For technical assistance, email hr‑[e-mail] or call 412-268-5072. We are committed to providing an accessible experience throughout our recruitment process. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation at any stage of the application, interview, or hiring process, please contact Equal Opportunity Services by email at [e-mail] or by phone at 412-268-3930.