Lead Software Engineer (Backend) - Materia AI

Thomson Reuters; Eagan (MN); Hybrid; USD 116,000 - 218,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a dynamic and innovative team at a leading global firm as a Lead Backend Engineer. You will develop cutting-edge AI-driven systems that enhance accounting workflows through automation and intelligence. Collaborate with top experts to design and implement backend services using technologies like Python and FastAPI. This role offers a unique opportunity to work in a hybrid environment, balancing the agility of a startup with the resources of a global leader. If you're passionate about AI and eager to shape the future of accounting technology, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Benefits

Hybrid Work Model

Flexible Work Arrangements

Career Development Programs

Comprehensive Benefits Package

Mental Health Days

Tuition Reimbursement

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Flexible Vacation

Fitness Reimbursement

Social Impact Opportunities

Qualifications

• 6-8 years of backend development experience with scalable web services.
• Strong skills in Python, FastAPI, and PostgreSQL.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain backend services for AI-driven applications.
• Design APIs and backend logic for real-time AI interactions.

Skills

Python

FastAPI

PostgreSQL

AWS

API Design

Distributed Systems

Debugging

Cross-Functional Collaboration

AI-driven Software

Creative Problem Solving

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science

Equivalent Experience

Tools

AI APIs

Vector Databases

Job description

Lead Backend Engineer, Materia AI

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 Backend Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in developing AI-powered systems that enhance accounting workflows through automation, intelligence, and seamless orchestration.

About the Role:
In this role as a Lead Backend Engineer, you will:

Innovate in a Startup-Like Environment

Be part of a fast-moving, forward-thinking group that is creating AI-driven software for accounting professionals. You'll work with top AI and software development experts, leveraging cutting-edge technology to build intelligent and scalable systems. This role is for the CoCounsel for Accounting team, formed from the recent acquisition of the startup Materia.

Build AI-Driven Systems

Design and implement backend services that power generative AI agents and orchestration systems. This role requires both creativity and rigor to ensure our AI-driven solutions are performant, reliable, and adaptable to real-world use cases.

Collaborate Across Functions

Work closely with AI/ML engineers, frontend developers, product managers, and designers to build robust services that support generative AI experiences. Help to build out our core AI interfaces such as Conversations, Workspaces, Grid, and Knowledge Base.

Key Responsibilities:

Backend Development & AI Integration

• 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.
• Help to design our AI Platform to automate many different AI driven tasks across the accounting domain

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

• Work closely with AI researchers, engineers, and product teams to translate AI capabilities into real-world applications.
• Foster a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement, exploring new AI technologies and methodologies.

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

Required Experience & Skills:

• Bachelors 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.

#LI-JF1

What's in it For You?

• 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 (Y)our 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.

In the United States, Thomson Reuters offers a comprehensive benefits package to our employees. Our benefit package includes market competitive health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance programs, as well as a competitive 401k plan with company match. In addition, Thomson Reuters offers market leading work life benefits with competitive vacation, sick and safe paid time off, paid holidays (including two company mental health days off), parental leave, sabbatical leave. These benefits meet or exceeds the requirements of paid time off in accordance with any applicable state or municipal laws. Finally, Thomson Reuters offers the following additional benefits: optional hospital, accident and sickness insurance paid 100% by the employee; optional life and AD&D insurance paid 100% by the employee; Flexible Spending and Health Savings Accounts; fitness reimbursement; access to Employee Assistance Program; Group Legal Identity Theft Protection benefit paid 100% by employee; access to 529 Plan; commuter benefits; Adoption & Surrogacy Assistance; Tuition Reimbursement; and access to Employee Stock Purchase Plan.Thomson Reuters complies with local laws that require upfront disclosure of the expected pay range for a position. The base compensation range varies across locations.
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 $134,680 - $250,120.
For any eligible US locations, unless otherwise noted, the base compensation range for this role is $116,900 - $217,100.
This role may also be eligible for an Annual Bonus based on a combination of enterprise and individual performance.
Base pay is positioned within the range based on several factors including an individual's knowledge, skills and experience with consideration given to internal equity. Base pay is one part of a comprehensive Total Reward program which also includes flexible and supportive benefits and other wellbeing programs.

About Us

Thomson Reuters informs the way forward by bringing together the trusted content and technology that people and organizations need to make the right decisions. We serve professionals across legal, tax, accounting, compliance, government, and media. Our products combine highly specialized software and insights to empower professionals with the data, intelligence, and solutions needed to make informed decisions, and to help institutions in their pursuit of justice, truth, and transparency. Reuters, part of Thomson Reuters, is a world leading provider of trusted journalism and news.

We are powered by the talents of 26,000 employees across more than 70 countries, where everyone has a chance to contribute and grow professionally in flexible work environments. At a time when objectivity, accuracy, fairness, and transparency are under attack, we consider it our duty to pursue them. Sound exciting? Join us and help shape the industries that move society forward.

As a global business, we 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.

We also make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs in accordance with applicable law. More information on requesting an accommodation here.

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More information about Thomson Reuters can be found on thomsonreuters.com.