Senior Software Engineer (ML)

Rise Technical Recruitment Limited; Georgia; Remote; USD 160,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

A mission-driven non-profit is seeking an experienced Senior ML/Backend Engineer to develop robust AI-powered systems that improve access to information. The role focuses on architecting pipelines and optimizing machine learning workflows. Candidates should have 8+ years of experience, strong skills in Python and backend systems, and familiarity with knowledge graphs and RAG. This position offers a remote-first culture with a competitive salary and benefits package.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Remote-first culture

Excellent benefits package

Qualifications

• 8+ years in software engineering or applied ML, including leadership experience.
• Strong skills in systems design and architecture.
• Experience with RAG, LLMs, or knowledge graphs.

Responsibilities

• Architect ingestion pipelines for structured Neo4j knowledge graphs.
• Lead experimentation on RAG approaches.
• Optimize workflows for performance and reliability.

Skills

Python

Backend Systems

Machine Learning

Knowledge Graphs

Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)

Data-Intensive APIs

Tools

Neo4j

Python/FastAPI

CI/CD

Cloud Infrastructure

Job description

Overview

Senior ML/Backend Engineer (Knowledge Graphs + RAG) — $160,000 - $180,000 + Benefits, PTO. United States - Remote

Are you an experienced ML/Backend Engineer with deep expertise in Python, knowledge graphs, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)? Do you want to design and scale AI-powered systems that strengthen access to reliable, verifiable information worldwide?

This is an exciting opportunity to join an organisation with a positive social impact, whilst benefiting from a remote-first culture and an excellent benefits package. My client is a mission-driven non-profit building open-source tools that support journalists, fact-checkers, and global communities. The team develops critical digital infrastructure that helps people access trusted knowledge in fast-changing, complex information environments.

In this role, you'll take ownership of mission-critical systems at the intersection of machine learning, backend engineering, and applied research. You'll architect pipelines, scale services, and integrate cutting-edge AI strategies into production to deliver trusted, scalable, and cost-efficient knowledge workflows. This is a hands-on, high-impact role perfect for engineers who thrive at the intersection of ML and backend development, bridging research with production in service of a global mission.

The Role

• Architect ingestion pipelines to transform raw documents into structured Neo4j knowledge graphs and build/refine Python/FastAPI services for ingestion and Q&A.
• Lead experimentation on RAG approaches and develop evaluation frameworks for rigorous testing and analysis.
• Optimize retrieval and answering workflows for performance, cost, and reliability while handling conflicting or time-sensitive data.
• Collaborate with researchers and engineers to integrate experimental approaches into production and ensure code quality, observability, and documentation.
• Scale systems from prototypes to production-ready services.

The Person

• 8+ years in software engineering or applied ML, including leadership experience, with expertise in Python, backend systems, and ML-powered applications.
• Strong skills in systems design, architecture, and building data-intensive APIs, with a track record of productionizing ML prototypes into scalable services.
• Background in RAG, LLMs, or knowledge graphs, including designing and evaluating experiments.
• Familiarity with CI/CD, cloud infrastructure, and observability, with excellent collaboration and communication skills bridging research and engineering.