Senior Software Engineer

Torch.AI; Leawood (KS); On-site; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Quarterly performance bonuses

Unlimited PTO

Professional development opportunities

Weekly in-office catering

Job summary

Torch.AI is seeking a seasoned software engineer to lead the development of scalable backend services, focusing on mission-critical applications. The ideal candidate should have extensive experience in Python or Java, with a strong grasp of REST APIs and cloud-native systems.

Located in Leawood, KS, this full-time role includes a competitive salary, unlimited PTO, and a commitment to data ownership and decision-making integrity. Join us in defending U.S. interests and shaping the future of AI systems.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of software engineering experience with expertise in Python or Java.
• Proven success designing and supporting backend services in production.
• Strong experience architecting distributed systems and RESTful APIs.

Responsibilities

• Architect and lead development of scalable backend services.
• Define and maintain REST API layers across distributed environments.
• Lead system reliability improvements and security hardening.

Skills

Backend development

Python

Java

REST APIs

Cloud-native systems

Database optimization

Education

B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science or related field

Tools

AWS

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Job Details

Job Location: HQ - LEAWOOD, KS 66211

Position Type: Full-Time - Clearance Eligible

The world’s most consequential systems need the world’s best builders.

A new era is taking shape. AI is no longer confined to models or interfaces. It is becoming the foundation of how decisions are made across governments, industries, and real-world environments. What matters now is not just access to capability, but how it is applied, controlled, and sustained over time.

Torch.AI builds a government‑owned reasoning infrastructure which creates a Reasoning Layer to enable machine reasoning at scale, in environments where it is hardest to achieve and least tolerant of failure. This is not incremental software. It is long‑term infrastructure designed to endure, integrate, and evolve alongside the systems it supports.

Not another dashboard. Not another workflow app. Not another black‑box model glued to a PowerPoint.

The Reasoning Layer is a modular architecture where data is connected, governed, transformed, represented, fused, reasoned over, and delivered into mission applications and operational workflows. It does not replace systems of record. It enables them to function better together.

The Reasoning Layer is comprised of: ORCUS (ingestion, orchestration, governance), NEXUS (semantic representation, vectorization), HALO (graph‑based fusion and reasoning) and various product and capability components deployed for specific customer use cases.

We are seeking candidates who approach problems creatively, are comfortable operating without full clarity, and take responsibility for outcomes, not just implementation.

If you’re driven to strengthen U.S. defense readiness and protect national interests, Torch.AI offers meaningful impact at national scale.

What Makes Torch.AI Different

Torch.AI was founded on a simple operational insight: better use of data leads to better decisions. As data volumes increased across commercial, enterprise, and national security environments, the limiting factor was not collection, storage, or user interface design. The missing layer was machine understanding. And an infrastructure that could operate and reason between layers, preserve context, reconcile meaning, and make data useful for decisions in real time.

We believe the government must own its data and decision environment. In mission and operational environments, the layer where data becomes context, context informs models, models support decisions, and decisions shape action cannot be controlled entirely by private technology vendors.

Ownership does not mean the government must build every component itself. It means the government maintains stewardship and authority over the mission and operational layer. Commercial software, models, and services can contribute to the environment, but they should not capture the mission.

We are craftsmen. We build with intention. We ship with discipline.

You’ll collaborate with engineers, data experts, veterans, and mission practitioners. You’ll own meaningful work, move quickly, and see your systems deployed in production, often within weeks.

We are fast‑paced, entrepreneurial, and mission‑driven. Every day is a new puzzle.

The Type of Candidates Who Thrive

• They are comfortable operating without full clarity.
• They pay attention to what actually happens, not just what was intended.
• They are willing to be wrong, adjust quickly, and improve based on real feedback.
• They take responsibility for outcomes, not just implementation.

This is not a good fit for someone who needs tightly defined problems or prefers distance from how their work is used.

Security Clearance

Some roles require an active Secret, Top Secret, or Top Secret/SCI clearance. Where required, candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain the appropriate clearance level.

U.S. citizenship is required for all positions. Torch.AI does not sponsor employment visas.

If you do not currently hold a clearance but are eligible, sponsorship may be available depending on role and mission requirements.

Work Location

Most roles are based at our headquarters in Leawood, KS. Some hybrid/remote positions across the Arlington, VA, Washington, DC, and Maryland (DMV) region are available. Limited travel (<10%) may be required for some roles.

Compensation, Benefits, Incentives

Total Rewards Include

• Competitive base salary
• Quarterly performance bonuses
• Equity participation within the first 12 months
• Unlimited PTO + 11 paid company holidays
• Professional development in a high‑growth, mission‑driven environment
• Weekly in‑office catering at HQ

Benefits

• 401(k) plan (no current employer match, but under consideration)
• PPO, HSA, and TRICARE Supplement medical options
• Above‑market HSA contributions
• HSA, FSA, and Dependent Care FSA options
• Dental and vision plans above national averages
• Employer‑paid life insurance (1× salary)
• Employer‑paid Short‑Term and Long‑Term Disability
• Voluntary Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity coverage
• Up to $300/month in tax‑advantaged commuter benefits

Torch.AI is an Equal Opportunity / Affidavit Action Employer committed to building a team that reflects the mission we serve.

If you want to build AI systems that move from ingestion to actionable insight and know exactly why they produced the answer they did, we should talk.

Qualifications

What You’ll Do

• Architect, design, and lead development of scalable backend services using Python (FastAPI/Flask) and/or Java (Spring Boot, Micronaut) supporting production‑grade mission systems.
• Define and maintain REST API layers, integration patterns, and microservice contracts across distributed environments.
• Lead system reliability improvements including observability, performance tuning, fault tolerance, and security hardening.
• Diagnose and resolve complex production issues, driving structured root‑cause analysis and long‑term remediation.
• Guide CI/CD strategy, deployment automation, and infrastructure alignment in partnership with DevOps teams.
• Design and optimize relational, NoSQL, and search data models to support high‑scale and latency‑sensitive workloads.
• Establish and enforce engineering standards across code quality, testing, documentation, and secure SDLC practices.
• Mentor engineers, lead architectural reviews, and influence technical direction across services and platforms.
• Collaborate with cloud, platform, and security teams to deliver hardened, high‑performance applications.
• Produce clear technical documentation, design artifacts, and planning materials aligned to mission execution.
• Support system scaling, database optimization, and long‑term modernization initiatives.

Core Skills & Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• 8+ years of software engineering experience with deep expertise in either Python or Java (experience in both is a strong plus).
• Proven success designing, deploying, and supporting backend services in production environments.
• Strong experience architecting distributed systems and RESTful APIs.
• Experience deploying cloud‑native systems (AWS preferred) using containerization and CI/CD pipelines.
• Strong database experience including schema design, performance optimization, and data modeling across SQL and NoSQL systems.
• Strong understanding of secure SDLC practices and application security fundamentals.
• Experience leading technical initiatives, mentoring engineers, and driving engineering discipline.
• Ability to communicate technical tradeoffs clearly to engineering and mission stakeholders.

Additional Valuable Experience

• Experience with orchestration and integration pipelines (Airflow, NiFi).
• Experience with Kafka or other streaming/event‑driven architectures.
• Familiarity with Kubernetes and hardened cloud deployments.
• Experience supporting secure or classified environments (e.g., C2S, SC2S, AC2SP).
• Familiarity with AI/ML interfaces, data platforms, or LLM‑enabled services.
• Experience operating within multi‑language ecosystems (Python and Java together).
• Experience modernizing legacy systems into scalable microservice architectures.