Senior AI Developer

Skill; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 113,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, vision & dental plans

Paid sick leave

Retirement plan with match

Free online training (Aquent Gymnasium

Job summary

Aquent is partnering with a leading financial services organization to modernize core technology and build intelligent systems impacting millions. We seek a visionary to lead AI-focused workflows across the SDLC, driving innovation and reliability in critical systems.

You will guide integration of AI coding assistants, accelerate delivery, and shape agentic workflows while collaborating with architects and cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience in CS/SE.
• 7+ years of professional software engineering experience with Java/Spring in high-volume, highly available environments.
• 2+ years proven experience with AI/ML implementation and production deployment.

Responsibilities

• Lead integration of Generative AI coding assistants across SDLC.
• Drive AI adoption for common dev tasks with clear ownership for quality.
• Pioneer AI to reduce context switching and accelerate delivery across workflows.
• Apply practical familiarity with AI tools in IDE/CLI workflows.
• Develop agentic workflows and spec-driven development methodologies.
• Establish team-level practices for AI-assisted development including prompt engineering.
• Modernize core technology infrastructure and support IT transformations.
• Collaborate with developers, architects and related teams to foster innovation.

Skills

Java

Spring

Cloud

CI/CD

AI/ML

Large Language Models

Generative AI

SDLC

Microservices

Docker/Kubernetes

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Software Eng or equivalent

Master's degree (nice to have)

Tools

AWS

Azure

GCP

Docker

Kubernetes

Jenkins/GitHub Actions

Job description

Placement Type:

Temporary

Salary:

$81.90-91 Hourly

Start Date:

Jun 28, 2026

Aquent is partnering with a leading financial services organization that is at the forefront of a significant technical transformation. This company is dedicated to modernizing its core technology infrastructure and challenging the status quo in the finance industry, ultimately building intelligent systems that directly impact millions of people's financial security.

Are you ready to redefine the future of financial technology and make a tangible impact on critical systems? We are seeking a visionary to join a dynamic team at the intersection of cutting‑edge AI technology and complex financial domains. In this pivotal role, you will lead AI‑focused workflows across the System Development Life Cycle, driving innovation and efficiency in how we build and deliver solutions. Your contributions will directly enhance the reliability and performance of systems that underpin our operations, ensuring a secure and seamless experience for our customers. This is an exciting opportunity to leverage your expertise to shape the next generation of financial technology and empower our mission.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead the integration and application of Generative AI coding assistants throughout the System Development Life Cycle, from implementation and refactoring to unit testing, regression support, code reviews, scripting, automation, troubleshooting, and documentation.
• Drive the adoption of AI assistance for common development tasks, including code suggestions, test generation, review support, and automation scripts, while maintaining clear ownership for correctness and quality.
• Pioneer the use of Generative AI to reduce context switching and accelerate delivery across various workflows, extending beyond just writing new code.
• Apply practical familiarity with leading AI coding tools within IDE/CLI‑style workflows.
• Develop and implement agentic workflows and spec‑driven development methodologies, translating low‑level design artifacts into structured specifications that guide AI‑assisted implementation.
• Establish team‑level practices for effective AI‑assisted development, including custom instructions and prompt engineering.
• Contribute to the modernization of core technology infrastructure and play a key role in IT transformations from legacy to distributed platforms.
• Collaborate with fellow developers, architects, and adjacent teams, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

Must‑Have Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 7+ years of professional software engineering experience actively developing large‑scale software using Java, Spring framework, cloud development, and Web Services supporting high‑volume transactions in a highly available environment.
• 2+ years of hands‑on experience with AI/ML implementation and production deployment.
• 6+ years of experience working with containers and microservices in the cloud.
• 6+ years of experience in cloud deployment within a continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) model.
• 2+ years of experience with major cloud platforms.
• 2+ years' experience working with various modern databases.
• 2+ years prior experience in IT transformations and system modernization initiatives from legacy to distributed platforms.
• Hands‑on experience with Large Language Models.
• Demonstrated exposure to, or hands‑on experience with, Generative AI coding assistants used across day‑to‑day engineering workflows in the SDLC, applying engineering judgment and validation.
• Working knowledge of agentic workflows, spec‑driven development, and custom instructions and prompt engineering, with the ability to establish team‑level practices for effective AI‑assisted development.
• Understanding of broker‑dealer capabilities and operations.
• Excellent communication skills and a proven ability to communicate and lead other engineers in a collaborative environment.
• Collaborative mindset coupled with a bias for action to effectively engage with fellow developers, architects, and adjacent teams.

Nice‑to‑Have Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related degree, or related practical experience.
• Good knowledge of messaging technologies.
• Experience in the Financial Services industry.
• Experience in Test Driven Development, QA Automation, and a strong quality mindset and behaviors.
• Proficient in developing diagrams, architectural and design documentations, functional and technical specifications, and automated test processes.
• Willingness to learn all aspects of the tech stack and document findings.
• Ability to research and document production and test environments along with architecture and design work.
• Knowledge of Agile methodology and experience in an Agile working environment.
• Experience with collaboration and project management tools.

Our eligible talent get access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. We also offer free online training through Aquent Gymnasium. More information on our awesome benefits!

Aquent is an equal‑opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We're about creating an inclusive environment-one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.