Senior Software Engineer, AI Code Modernization

BENTLEY SYSTEMS, INC.; Exton (PA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Bentley Systems is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join an AI Code Modernization group in Exton, PA. The role blends software engineering with AI-driven modernization to transform large engineering codebases into cloud-native services.

You will design AI pipelines, build agentic workflows, and collaborate with architects and product teams to accelerate modernization across Bentley’s software portfolio. The position is hybrid with no travel requirements.

Qualifications

• Proven software development experience with ownership of production systems.
• Experience building, maintaining, or modernizing complex software applications.
• Solid understanding of performance, reliability, scalability, testing, and failure modes.
• Practical AI/ML experience applied to real-world problems.
• Systems-oriented mindset with ability to bring structure to ambiguous technical challenges.
• Strong communication and collaboration with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Design and build AI-driven transformation pipelines for large-scale legacy codebases.
• Develop agentic AI workflows supporting code understanding, refactoring, validation, and modernization.
• Modernize desktops, simulation, and engineering apps into cloud-native services.
• Apply loop engineering to improve quality, reduce costs, and speed conversions.
• Evaluate AI systems for accuracy, reliability, performance, observability, and cost.
• Create automated tooling, validation frameworks, and testing strategies.
• Collaborate with architects, product leaders, and engineering teams to identify modernization opportunities.
• Contribute to technical direction and reusable modernization frameworks.
• Help share expertise in evolving AI domain.
• This role does not require travel.
• This role requires sitting or standing at a computer.

Skills

Software development

Performance & reliability

AI/ML experience

Systems thinking

Communication

Tools

Rust

C++

C

Fortran

DevOps / CI-CD

Testing frameworks

Simulation software

Cloud platforms

Job description

Senior Software Engineer, AI Code Modernization

Location: Exton, PA, US Philadelphia, PA, US

Location: Hybrid – Exton, PA/Philadelphia

Position Summary

Bentley is building a specialized AI Code Modernization team focused on applying advanced AI techniques to transform large-scale engineering software systems. This team is responsible for developing AI-powered modernization pipelines that help migrate and evolve complex legacy applications, including scientific and engineering codebases, into modern cloud-native architectures.

This is a highly applied engineering role. You will work at the intersection of software engineering, AI systems, developer tooling, and modernization automation. Success is measured through production impact, scalability, reliability, and the ability to accelerate modernization across Bentley's portfolio of products.

What You'll Do

• Design and build AI-driven software transformation pipelines for large-scale legacy codebases.
• Develop and improve agentic AI workflows that support code understanding, refactoring, validation, and modernization.
• Modernize existing desktops, simulation, and engineering applications into cloud-native services and modern architectures.
• Use loop engineering approach to improve quality, reduce costs and accelerate the conversion/test/correction process.
• Evaluate and improve AI systems for accuracy, reliability, performance, observability, and cost efficiency.
• Create automated tooling, validation frameworks, and testing strategies to ensure correctness of transformed code.
• Partner with architects, product leaders, and engineering teams to identify modernization opportunities and drive adoption.
• Contribute to technical direction, best practices, and reusable modernization frameworks that can be leveraged across Bentley.
• Help establish and share expertise in a rapidly evolving AI domain.
• This role does not require travel.
• Requires sitting or standing at will while performing work on a computer (or any other physical requirements).

Required Qualifications

• Strong software development background with ownership of production systems.
• Experience building, maintaining, or modernizing complex software applications.
• Demonstrated understanding of software performance, reliability, scalability, testing, and failure modes.
• Practical experience applying AI, machine learning, inference pipelines, optimization techniques, or intelligent automation to real-world problems.
• Systems-oriented mindset with the ability to bring structure to ambiguous technical challenges.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Rust, C++, C, or Fortran.
• Experience modernizing legacy systems or migrating applications to cloud-native architectures.
• Background in DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, testing frameworks, simulation systems, benchmarking, or validation tooling.
• Experience working with engineering, scientific, mathematical, or simulation software.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms and distributed systems.
• Interest in emerging AI development patterns, agentic workflows, and software transformation technologies.

What Success Looks Like

• Modernize existing systems rather than only building greenfield solutions.
• Make thoughtful tradeoffs between performance, reliability, latency, maintainability, and cost.
• Apply AI in practical, production-oriented ways.
• Navigate ambiguity while maintaining engineering rigor.
• Build systems that continuously improve and scale over time.

Who Thrives in This Role

• Engineers who enjoy applying AI to real-world engineering challenges and measuring success through production impact.
• Builders who are comfortable working within large, evolving codebases.
• Generalists who enjoy moving across languages, tools, and technical domains.
• Engineers who embrace continuous learning as AI capabilities and modernization approaches evolve.
• An exciting career as an integral part of a world-leading software company providing solutions for architecture, engineering, and construction - watch this short documentary about how we got our start.
• An attractive salary and benefits package.
• A commitment to inclusion, belonging and colleague wellbeing through global initiatives and resource groups.
• A company committed to making a real difference by advancing the world’s infrastructure for better quality of life, where your contributions help build a more sustainable, connected, and resilient world. Discover our latest user success stories for an insight into our global impact.

About Bentley Systems

Around the world, infrastructure professionals rely on software from Bentley Systems to help them design, build, and operate better and more resilient infrastructure for transportation, water, energy, cities, and more. Founded in 1984 by engineers for engineers, Bentley is the partner of choice for engineering firms and owner-operators worldwide, with software that spans engineering disciplines, industry sectors, and all phases of the infrastructure lifecycle. Through our digital twin solutions, we help infrastructure professionals unlock the value of their data to transform project delivery and asset performance. www.bentley.com

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Bentley is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, pregnancy, protected veteran status, religion, national origin, age, genetic information or any other protected characteristic. This commitment extends to all aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, compensation, and training. Know Your Rights as an applicant under the law.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Bentley is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. We encourage you to request a reasonable accommodation if you are not able to fully use or access our online application system. You can make an accommodation request by calling 610-458-5000 or sending us an email at [e-mail]

Nearest Major Market: Philadelphia

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