Lead Software Engineer AI - (Materia AI)

Thomson Reuters; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 127,400 - 236,600; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid Work Model

Flexibility & Work‑Life Balance

Career Development and Growth

Industry Competitive Benefits

Social Impact

Making a Real‑World Impact

Job summary

Thomson Reuters in the United States seeks a Lead Software Engineer – AI to design and own end-to-end backend AI systems for accounting workflows, leveraging Python, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, and real‑world AI integration.

You will lead engineers and researchers, shape scalable architectures with LLM orchestration from OpenAI and Anthropic, mentor teams, and partner with product to deliver impactful AI‑enabled solutions in a hybrid, onsite-friendly environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in CS/CE or related field.
• 6-8 years in backend development building scalable web services and APIs.
• Strong Python skills with FastAPI, PostgreSQL, and AWS.
• Experience in distributed systems and API/data model design.
• Proven debugging skills and production‑grade software experience.
• Strong communication and cross‑functional collaboration abilities.

Responsibilities

• Design and build the backend for AI‑native products focused accounting research and workflows.
• Develop backend services using Python, FastAPI, and PostgreSQL.
• Implement AI orchestration systems integrating LLMs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and other providers.
• Design APIs and backend logic for real‑time AI interactions.
• Lead teams of engineers, AI researchers, and product teams; mentor across the org.
• Foster experimentation and continuous improvement; explore new AI technologies.

Skills

Python Backend

FastAPI

PostgreSQL

AWS

Distributed Systems

API Design

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science / Computer Engineering or related field

Tools

OpenAI API

Anthropic

Job description

Lead Software Engineer – AI (Materia AI)

This posting is for proactive recruitment purposes and may be used to fill current openings or future vacancies within our organization.

Are you excited about building AI‑driven software that redefines how professionals work? Join a dynamic and highly skilled team at Thomson Reuters, where we combine the agility and innovation of a startup with the stability and resources of a global leader. As a Lead Software Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in developing AI‑powered systems that enhance accounting workflows through automation, intelligence, and seamless orchestration.

Focus: Engineers who can own end‑to‑end AI systems—from backend services and APIs to LLM‑driven workflows in production.

• Must have strong hands‑on Python backend experience (FastAPI/Flask, APIs, distributed systems).
• Exposure to TypeScript/modern frontend frameworks is helpful, but not required.
• Proven experience in system design and architecture, building scalable, production‑grade systems.
• Strong emphasis on Python, backend engineering, and real‑world AI applications.
• This is a hybrid role, and the interview process may include onsite interactions.

Key Responsibilities

Backend Development & AI Integration

• Design and build the backend for AI‑native products focused accounting research and accounting workflows such as tax filing, tax advisory, and audit.
• Develop and maintain backend services using Python, FastAPI, and PostgreSQL.
• Implement AI orchestration systems integrating LLMs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and other providers.
• Design APIs and backend logic for real‑time AI interactions.

Performance & Scalability

• Ensure backend systems are secure, scalable, and optimized for AI‑driven applications.
• Monitor and enhance system performance, across millions of documents and AI driven interactions.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Lead teams of engineers, AI researchers, and product teams to translate AI capabilities into real‑world applications, owning large projects or workstreams.
• Foster a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement, exploring new AI technologies and methodologies.
• Assist in hiring and mentorship across the org.

About You

You are a fit for the position of Lead Software Engineer if your background includes:

Required Experience & Skills

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Related Field, or Equivalent Experience.
• 6-8 years of experience in backend development, building scalable web services and APIs.
• Strong Python skills, with experience in FastAPI, PostgreSQL, and AWS.
• Experience in distributed systems, API and data model design.
• Strong debugging skills and a track record of building production‑grade software.
• Strong communication and cross‑functional collaboration abilities.
• Passion for AI‑driven software and new engineering paradigms.
• A creative problem solver who enjoys exploring new technologies.
• Dedicated to building high‑quality, reliable AI‑first systems.
• Comfortable working in a fast‑paced, evolving environment.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Experience with AI‑driven systems, agent‑based architectures, or AI APIs from providers like OpenAI and Anthropic.
• Knowledge of vector databases, embeddings, or search‑based AI.
• Strong opinions on backend testing strategies and automation.

Compensation

Eligible office location(s) for this role include one or more of the following: New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and/or Irvine, CA; McLean, VA; Washington, DC. The base compensation range for the role in any of those locations is $146,800 USD – $272,600 USD. For eligible US locations, unless otherwise noted, the base compensation range is $127,400 USD – $236,600 USD. For Ontario, Canada, the base compensation range is $140,000 CAD – $175,000 CAD. This role may also be eligible for an annual bonus based on a combination of enterprise and individual performance.

Benefits

• Hybrid Work Model: We’ve adopted a flexible hybrid working environment (2‑3 days a week in the office depending on the role) for our office‑based roles while delivering a seamless experience that is digitally and physically connected.
• Flexibility & Work‑Life Balance: Flex My Way is a set of supportive workplace policies designed to help manage personal and professional responsibilities, whether caring for family, giving back to the community, or finding time to refresh and reset. This builds upon our flexible work arrangements, including work from anywhere for up to 8 weeks per year, empowering employees to achieve a better work‑life balance.
• Career Development and Growth: By fostering a culture of continuous learning and skill development, we prepare our talent to tackle tomorrow’s challenges and deliver real‑world solutions. Our Grow My Way programming and skills‑first approach ensures you have the tools and knowledge to grow, lead, and thrive in an AI‑enabled future.
• Industry Competitive Benefits: We offer comprehensive benefit plans to include flexible vacation, two company‑wide Mental Health Days off, access to the Headspace app, retirement savings, tuition reimbursement, employee incentive programs, and resources for mental, physical, and financial wellbeing.
• Culture: Globally recognized, award‑winning reputation for inclusion and belonging, flexibility, work‑life balance, and more. We live by our values: Obsess over our Customers, Compete to Win, Challenge Your Thinking, Act Fast / Learn Fast, and Stronger Together.
• Social Impact: Make an impact in your community with our Social Impact Institute. We offer employees two paid volunteer days off annually and opportunities to get involved with pro‑bono consulting projects and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives.
• Making a Real‑World Impact: We are one of the few companies globally that helps its customers pursue justice, truth, and transparency. Together, with the professionals and institutions we serve, we help uphold the rule of law, turn the wheels of commerce, catch bad actors, report the facts, and provide trusted, unbiased information to people all over the world.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

We are a global business and rely on the unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences of all employees to deliver on our business goals. To ensure we can do that, we seek talented, qualified employees in all our operations around the world regardless of race, color, sex/gender, including pregnancy, gender identity and expression, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, citizen status, veteran status, or any other protected classification under applicable law. Thomson Reuters is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer providing a drug‑free workplace. Thomson Reuters makes reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities, including veterans with disabilities, and for sincerely held religious beliefs in accordance with applicable law.