Senior Associate - Python AI Developer

New York Life Insurance Co; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 143,000; Full time

Job summary

New York Life Insurance Co seeks a Senior Associate - Python AI Developer to design and operationalize AI features within a reusable enterprise AI/agent services layer. You will collaborate with Compliance, Legal, Risk, and IT teams to ensure safe, auditable AI in a regulated environment.

You will build Python-based services, integrate with enterprise systems, and contribute to CI/CD, observability and governance lifecycle, all within a hybrid New York City area setting.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of professional software development in an enterprise setting.
• Experience building applications/services using LLMs and embeddings.
• Experience evaluating LLM-based apps and automated evaluation pipelines.
• Familiarity with MCP servers, tools, and secure integrations.
• REST APIs design and multi-stack integration experience.
• CI/CD, testing, secure coding practices in production environments.
• Cloud (GCP/AWS) and container deployment (Docker/Kubernetes).
• Knowledge of data privacy, security, and governance for sensitive data.
• Strong written and verbal communication across cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Design and build Python-based AI services with LLM integrations and vector search.
• Create a reusable enterprise AI/agent services layer for multiple apps.
• Collaborate with Enterprise Developers to define contracts and data flows.
• Implement guardrails, monitoring, and evaluation pipelines for safety and accountability.
• Ensure AI features meet governance standards and regulatory expectations.
• Build data pipelines connecting AI services to internal systems of record.
• Write production-ready code and contribute to CI/CD, observability, and ops.
• Participate in architecture and security reviews and model validation.

Skills

Python

LLM integrations

MCP

REST APIs

CI/CD

Docker

Kubernetes

Cloud platforms

Data privacy

Cross-functional comms

Education

Bachelor's or advanced degree in Computer Science/Engineering

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Vector databases

Job description

Senior Associate - Python AI Developer

New York, New York, United States

Tech Data AI Ventures Hybrid

Business Unit

Technology, Data, AI and Ventures (TDAV)

Within the Tech, Data, AI, Ventures (TDAV) organization, our work is guided by a shared vision: deploying the power of technology, data, AI and ventures to accelerate sustainable competitive advantage for New York Life's businesses. We build solutions that power how we serve policy owners, agents, advisors and employees while delivering measurable business outcomes.

Across technology, data, AI, cyber, product, digital experience, architecture and infrastructure, TDAV combines the scale and investment of an industry leader, access to leading-edge technologies and the opportunity to help shape how a world-class financial services company competes in the AI era - all backed by the stability and purpose of a mutual company built to last.

Department: Corporate Functions Technology

Role Overview

Corporate Functions Technology is building the next generation of AI-enabled applications that support our corporate business units - Legal, Compliance, Risk Management, and other core functions of the enterprise. We are seeking a Python AI Developer to design, build, and operationalize AI features and a reusable enterprise AI/agent services layer that integrates with our existing enterprise application ecosystem.

What You'll Do

• Design and build Python-based AI services (LLM integrations, retrieval-augmented generation, agentic and human-in-the-loop workflows, embeddings/vector search) that expose clean APIs for consumption by existing enterprise applications.
• Design and implement this reusable enterprise AI/agent services layer - a shared set of agent orchestration services, tools, guardrails, and interfaces that applications across Corporate Functions can build on, rather than each team solving agent design independently.
• Partner directly with Enterprise Developers to integrate AI capabilities into existing platforms, defining contracts (REST/gRPC/messaging), data flows, and shared services between the Python AI services layer and application layer.
• Implement guardrails, human oversight mechanisms, monitoring, and evaluation pipelines to ensure AI outputs are accurate, explainable, auditable, and safe for use in a regulated environment.
• Collaborate with Compliance, Risk, Legal, and Model Risk Management stakeholders to ensure AI features meet internal model governance standards and external regulatory expectations (e.g., state insurance regulations, NAIC guidance, SR 11-7-style model risk frameworks, data privacy requirements).
• Build and maintain data pipelines and integrations connecting AI services to internal systems of record, ensuring appropriate handling of sensitive policyholder, HR, and financial data.
• Write production-quality, well-tested, well-documented Python code and contribute to CI/CD pipelines, observability, and operational readiness for AI services.
• Participate in architecture reviews, security reviews, and model validation exercises as part of the enterprise AI governance process.
• Stay current on the evolving AI/ML and agentic tooling landscape and bring forward recommendations for responsible adoption within a highly regulated environment.

What You’ll Bring

Required Skills

• 4+ years of professional software development experience, with strong hands-on Python skills in an enterprise environment.
• Demonstrated experience building applications or services using LLMs – e.g., prompt engineering, RAG pipelines, embeddings/vector databases, function/tool calling, or agent frameworks.
• Hands-on experience evaluating and testing LLM-based applications, including designing representative test sets, defining quality and safety metrics, performing regression testing, and/or implementing automated evaluation pipelines.
• Experience with Model Context Protocol (MCP), including building MCP servers, defining tools/resources, integrating MCP clients, and securely connecting AI agents to enterprise systems and APIs.
• Experience designing and consuming REST APIs and integrating services across different technology stacks – direct experience partnering with or integrating into Java-based systems is highly valued.
• Solid understanding of software engineering fundamentals: version control, testing, CI/CD, code review, and secure coding practices.
• Experience working with cloud platforms (GCP and/or AWS) and containerized deployment (Docker/Kubernetes).
• Familiarity with data privacy, security, and governance considerations relevant to handling sensitive personal and financial data.
• Strong communication skills and comfort working cross-functional with engineering, compliance, risk, and business stakeholders.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in insurance, financial services, banking, or another highly regulated industry.
• Exposure to model risk management, AI/ML governance frameworks, or working alongside Compliance/Legal on AI-related controls.
• Experience with AI platform and agent orchestration technologies, such as Google Vertex AI / Agent Development Kit (ADK), or similar agent orchestration frameworks.
• Familiarity with enterprise Java ecosystems (Spring Boot, messaging middleware such as Kafka, enterprise service buses) sufficient to design effective integration points with Java teams.
• Experience with vector databases (e.g., pgvector, Pinecone, Weaviate, OpenSearch) and retrieval architectures.
• Bachelor's or advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Why This Role Matters

AI adoption in regulated industries like life insurance requires more than technical skill – it requires the judgment to build responsibly, the collaboration skills to integrate with long-standing enterprise systems, and a genuine commitment to trust, transparency, and compliance. This role offers the opportunity to shape a foundational, reusable enterprise AI/agent services capability for Corporate Functions, working closely with experienced enterprise engineering teams and directly influencing how AI is safely and effectively adopted across the organization.

This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the position and is not an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, or responsibilities associated with the role.

Pay Transparency

Salary Range:$100,000-$143,000

Discretionary bonus eligible:Yes

Actual base salary will be determined based on several factors but not limited to individual’s experience, skills, qualifications, and job location. Additionally, employees are eligible for an annual discretionary bonus. In addition to base salary, employees may also be eligible to participate in an incentive program.

Company Overview

At New York Life, our 180-year legacy of purpose and integrity fuels our future. As we evolve into a more technology-, data-, and AI-enabled organization, we remain grounded in the values that drive lasting impact.

Our diverse business portfolio creates opportunities to make a difference across industries and communities—inviting bold thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and purpose-driven innovation. Here, you’ll find the rare balance of long-standing stability and forward momentum, supported by an inclusive team that honors tradition while embracing progress.

As a Fortune 100 mutual company, we offer a place to grow your skills, contribute to meaningful work, and deliver solutions that matter. Your ideas drive what’s next, and your growth powers it.

We provide a full package of benefits for employees – and have unique offerings for a modern workforce, including leave programs, adoption assistance, and student loan repayment programs. Based on feedback from our employees, we continue to refine and add benefits to our offering, so that you can flourish both inside and outside of work.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

At New York Life, fostering an inclusive workplace is fundamental to who we are and how we serve our communities. We have a longstanding commitment to creating an environment where individuals can contribute their best and succeed together. This foundation is rooted in our core values of humanity and integrity, ensuring that every employee feels valued and supported. By embracing a broad range of perspectives and experiences, we achieve greater success and fulfill our promise of providing financial security and peace of mind to families across all communities.

Recognized as one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies, New York Life is committed to improving local communities through a culture of employee giving and volunteerism, supported by the Foundation. We're proud that due to our mutuality, we operate in the best interests of our policy owners. To learn more about career opportunities at New York Life, please visit the Careers page of www.NewYorkLife.com.

Job Requisition ID: 94734