Applied AI Developer

Leatherman Tool Group; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Leatherman Tool Group in Portland, OR seeks an Applied AI Developer to turn AI ideas into dependable software used across the business. You will build, test, and deploy AI workflows and stand up rapid MVPs within sprints to validate ideas.

You will work hands-on with functional teams to ensure production quality and scalable, observable tools. A strong full-stack and cloud background is preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Minimum of three years of professional software engineering experience, with hands-on exposure to AI/ML or applied AI development.
• Working experience with LLM-based applications, agent patterns, retrieval-augmented generation, or AI-integrated workflows.
• Comfortable with cloud platforms, Microsoft Azure preferred, as well as MCP, APIs, and integration architectures.
• Solid full-stack development skills with the ability to ship production-grade software.
• Self-directed and capable of progressing work with light technical supervision.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, including experience working with business sponsors.
• Experience in manufacturing, consumer products, or enterprise software is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Build, test, and deploy the AI workflows that come out of the company’s transformation pipeline.
• Stand up rapid MVPs and prototype applications to test new ideas inside a single sprint.
• Take high-profile vibecoded applications that emerge from across the organization and bring them to production quality.
• Turn business needs into working software using Leatherman’s AI platform, MCP integrations, and standard tooling.
• Iterate quickly: ship early, gather user feedback, and refine in production.
• Keep AI workflows running well in production: monitor performance, watch for problems, and respond when something goes wrong.
• Apply the governance standards set by the AI Governance Lead; keep code, documentation, and testing to the team’s quality bar.
• Integrate AI workflows with Leatherman’s enterprise systems via MCP and APIM.
• Use reusable components and patterns from the platform library, and contribute new ones as the work surfaces them.
• Run SaaS build-feasibility reviews—evaluate whether incoming SaaS contracts could be built internally on the AI platform or with AI coding tools.
• Document findings, effort estimates, and how well the work fits the platform for each review.
• Partner with the AI Platform Lead on the final recommendation to leadership.
• Stay current on the AI vendor landscape; flag tools worth evaluating and partners worth exploring.
• Support broader AI Lab and vibecoding community efforts as needed.
• Keep informed and ahead of AI development practices and emerging technologies.
• Provide backup technical support to the AI Platform Lead as needed.

Skills

AI/ML experience

LLM-based applications

Cloud platforms

APIs & integration

Full-stack development

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, IT, or related field

Tools

Azure

MCP

APIs

Job description

Build Practical AI That Powers the Work at Leatherman

At Leatherman, we believe the best tools solve real problems, perform reliably, and help people accomplish more. That same practical, hands‑on mindset guides how we approach artificial intelligence.

We are looking for an Applied AI Developer who can turn promising AI ideas into dependable software that teams across Leatherman can use every day. This role is for a builder who moves quickly, works closely with the business, and knows how to take an application from early experimentation to production.

You will help shape how AI‑enabled work gets built and delivered at Leatherman—creating rapid prototypes, scaling the strongest ideas, and improving the quality, observability, and maintainability of everything that ships.

Position Summary

Builds and ships software across the full spectrum of AI‑enabled work at Leatherman. Takes AI workflow solutions from the end‑to‑end transformation pipeline into production. Stands up rapid MVPs to test new ideas in days, not quarters. Scales up the high‑profile applications that emerge from across the organization, turning the most useful ideas and experiments into production tools the business depends on.

Works hands‑on with functional teams and the broader vibecoding community, using the AI platforms, architectural standards, and reusable components established by the Applied AI team. Keeps delivery velocity high while raising the floor on quality, observability, and maintainability across everything that ships.

Essential Functions

AI Solution and Application Delivery

• Build, test, and deploy the AI workflows that come out of the company’s transformation pipeline.
• Stand up rapid MVPs and prototype applications to test new ideas inside a single sprint.
• Take high‑profile vibecoded applications that emerge from across the organization and bring them to production quality.
• Turn business needs into working software using Leatherman’s AI platform, MCP integrations, and standard tooling.
• Iterate quickly: ship early, gather user feedback, and refine in production.

Production Engineering and Platform Integration

• Keep AI workflows running well in production: monitor performance, watch for problems, and respond when something goes wrong.
• Apply the governance standards set by the AI Governance Lead; keep code, documentation, and testing to the team’s quality bar.
• Integrate AI workflows with Leatherman’s enterprise systems via MCP and APIM.
• Use reusable components and patterns from the platform library, and contribute new ones as the work surfaces them.

Build Feasibility and Vendor Evaluation

• Run SaaS build‑feasibility reviews—evaluate whether incoming SaaS contracts could be built internally on the AI platform or with AI coding tools.
• Document findings, effort estimates, and how well the work fits the platform for each review.
• Partner with the AI Platform Lead on the final recommendation to leadership.
• Stay current on the AI vendor landscape; flag tools worth evaluating and partners worth exploring.

Additional Functions

• Support broader AI Lab and vibecoding community efforts as needed.
• Keep informed and ahead of AI development practices and emerging technologies.
• Provide backup technical support to the AI Platform Lead as needed.

What Success Looks Like

• AI workflows move efficiently from prototype to production.
• Business teams receive practical, reliable tools that solve meaningful problems.
• High‑value applications developed across the organization are strengthened and scaled for broader use.
• Production solutions meet Leatherman’s standards for quality, testing, documentation, governance, and maintainability.
• Reusable components and shared development patterns improve the speed and consistency of future AI work.
• Strong collaboration is maintained among business sponsors, the Applied AI team, and the broader vibecoding community.
• Drives results: Consistently achieves results, even under tough circumstances.
• Action oriented: Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Manages complexity: Makes sense of complex, high‑volume, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
• Tech savvy: Anticipates and adopts innovations in business‑building digital and technology applications.
• Nimble learning: Actively learns through experimentation when tackling new problems, using both successes and failures as opportunities to learn.
• Collaborates: Builds partnerships and works collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Communicates effectively: Develops and delivers a variety of communications that convey a clear understanding to different audiences.
• Customer focus: Builds strong customer relationships and delivers customer‑centric solutions.
• Ensures accountability: Holds self and others accountable for meeting commitments.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field; or equivalent practical experience.
• Minimum of three years of professional software engineering experience, with hands‑on exposure to AI/ML or applied AI development.
• Working experience with LLM‑based applications, agent patterns, retrieval‑augmented generation, or AI‑integrated workflows.
• Comfortable with cloud platforms, Microsoft Azure preferred, as well as MCP, APIs, and integration architectures.
• Solid full‑stack development skills with the ability to ship production‑grade software.
• Self‑directed and capable of progressing work with light technical supervision.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, including experience working with business sponsors.
• Experience in manufacturing, consumer products, or enterprise software is a plus.

Build the Next Generation of Tools With Us

This is an opportunity to apply modern AI development practices inside a company known for creating practical tools people can depend on. You will help Leatherman turn emerging technology into working solutions—moving quickly from idea to application while maintaining the quality and reliability expected of the Leatherman name.