AI Software Engineer

Gradient Financial Group; Shoreview (MN); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO 4 weeks

9 paid holidays

Health, dental, vision, life insurance

401(k)

Volunteer Time Off (VTO)

Hybrid in-office 4 days / remote 1 day

AI training opportunities

Professional development

Job summary

Nextek, LLC is seeking an experienced AI Software Engineer to design, develop, and deploy AI-powered applications for financial services. You will work on scalable platforms, collaborate across teams, and drive AI integration from prototyping to production.

This role emphasizes hands-on engineering, prompt engineering, and deploying AI workflows in a fast-paced, client-focused environment. The position offers a hybrid work arrangement with in-office four days per week and one remote day, and

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional software development experience.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable AI-powered software applications.
• Build intelligent solutions using LLMs, AI APIs, and automation technologies.
• Develop and support systems used by financial services professionals.
• Integrate AI capabilities into existing and new software platforms.
• Architect and manage relational databases.
• Collaborate with internal teams to implement new AI technologies and solutions.
• Communicate directly with end clients and vendors when needed.
• Participate in architecture discussions and technical decision-making.
• Identify opportunities to improve application performance, AI accuracy, reliability, and scalability.
• Lead by example and help guide best practices within the engineering team.
• Work independently while contributing to team objectives.

Skills

Laravel

Next.js

React

OpenAI / LLMs

Prompt engineering

AI workflows

C#/.NET

SQL Server / MySQL

AWS / Azure

Production web apps

Tools

AWS

Microsoft Azure

SQL Server

MySQL

OpenAI API

Job description

Are you an experienced software engineer who enjoys building intelligent, scalable applications powered by modern AI technologies? Do you enjoy evaluating, implementing, and optimizing emerging AI solutions that create meaningful business impact? If you're looking for a role that combines strong software engineering fundamentals with cutting-edge AI development, this may be an excellent fit.

As our platform continues to evolve, we are looking for an AI Software Engineer who is not only technically strong but also comfortable working in a fast-paced environment where collaboration, adaptability, and innovation matter. Nextek, LLC is a fully functioning software development company in the financial services industry. Nextek creates software applications and solutions to serve the needs of Financial Services Professionals.

What You'll Do

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable AI-powered software applications
• Build intelligent solutions using large language models (LLMs), AI APIs, and automation technologies
• Develop and support systems used by financial services professionals
• Integrate AI capabilities into existing and new software platforms
• Architect and manage relational databases
• Collaborate with internal teams to implement new AI technologies and solutions
• Communicate directly with end clients and vendors when needed
• Participate in architecture discussions and technical decision-making
• Identify opportunities to improve application performance, AI accuracy, reliability, and scalability
• Lead by example and help guide best practices within the engineering team
• Work independently while contributing to team objectives

Required

What You Bring

• 5+ years of professional software development experience
• Strong, hands-on experience with Laravel, Next.js, and React
• Proven experience building and deploying AI-powered applications using OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Anthropic, or similar LLM platforms
• Hands-on experience with prompt engineering, RAG, embeddings, and AI workflows
• Experience integrating AI/LLM capabilities into production web applications
• Experience with .NET / C#
• Experience working with SQL Server and/or MySQL
• Experience building and deploying applications in AWS and/or Microsoft Azure
• Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills
• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of projects

Preferred

• Experience architecting relational databases
• Experience with both AWS and Azure
• Experience with both SQL Server and MySQL
• Experience with AI agents, tool/function calling, vector databases, LLM orchestration, or AI evaluation

Beyond Technical Skills, We Value Engineers Who

• Handle change well and adapt quickly
• Take initiative and ownership
• Communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Lead by example and support team success
• Stay curious and continuously learn emerging AI technologies
• Are motivated by building intelligent systems that real businesses depend on

Our Benefits

• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits
• 4 weeks of accrued PTO, plus 9 paid holidays
• Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and 401(k)
• 8 hours of paid Volunteer Time Off (VTO)
• Ability to work in-office four days per week with one remote workday
• Ongoing professional development and AI training opportunities
• A collaborative team that values expertise, initiative, and growth

Why You'll Love Working Here

• Opportunity to build AI solutions that solve real business problems
• Collaborative environment where ideas and innovation are valued
• Ability to influence architecture, AI strategy, and product direction
• Fast-moving organization where your work has visible impact
• Opportunity to grow alongside a rapidly expanding AI platform

At Nextek, we set high expectations, but we back them with support, collaboration, and opportunities to grow.